Located in Lassen County, Northern California, is the Mountain Meadows Basin. This relatively isolated basin is known not only for its seemingly untouched beauty, but also for its abundance of natural resources and biodiversity, as well as its cultural significance to the local population. This land is nestled between the Cascade Mountain Range and the Sierra Nevada, existing as a unique undeveloped montane grassland that contains many diverse ecosystems, providing support for many endangered or threatened species of animals. With elevations ranging from approximately 5,000 feet to 7,500 feet, the terrain itself is diverse, ranging from marshes and meadows to riparian and coniferous forests. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Mountain Meadows Basin is crucial to the environment and the many wildlife species that live there, as well as the surrounding population. The basin is a place of abundance in ecological diversity. This region is overlapped by two bioregions, the Cascade Mountains and Sierra Nevada, and is also in a transition zone with two other bioregions, the Great Basin to the east and the Modoc Plateau to the northeast. There are 49 undeveloped habitat types described for California in A Guide to Wildlife Habitat Types of California (CDF/CDFG, 1998), and because of the diversity of the Mountain Meadows, 15 of these habitats can be found in the basin, and most basin habitats also qualify for Significant Natural Area status under sections 2720-2721 of the Fish and Game Code. Approximately 60,000 acres in size, this basin extends from an average elevation of approximately 5,000 feet to the highest elevation point, Dyer Mountain, located at approximately 7,500 feet. feet. This basin supports tree-dominated habitats, with mature trees and second-growth trees. There are large areas of uninterrupted coniferous forest cover, providing vital passageways and breeding habitat for a variety of forest-dependent species. It also contains riparian vegetation, shrub dominated habitats, meadows and wet marshes as well as aquatic habitats. Natural vegetation connects Mountain Meadows to the neighboring Lassen National Forest. Six rare plant species have also been recorded in this area, including the marsh buttercup. While many stream channels in the Mountain Meadows Basin contained diverse willows and willow thickets, aspen, and cottonwoods, some scrub communities like gooseberry and rosehip likely intermingled with the elements of deciduous trees, but have become absent from much of the basin due to a history of constant overgrazing due to ranching. Despite past degradation of some of these habitats by livestock grazing, this area retains high biological viability. It is one of the largest remaining examples of montane prairie in California, and many historic and native species remain. Forming the headwaters of the easternmost tributary of the North Fork of the Feather River, the Mountain Meadows Basin contributes to the Upper Feather. Watershed. Comprised of the North Fork, Middle Fork, West Branch, and South Fork, the Upper Feather Watershed provides approximately 3.2 million acre-feet annually to downstream water users for urban, industrial, or agricultural needs. The North Fork drainage area makes up approximately 60% of this watershed. Although water quality is generally good, a few bodies of water are consideredas degraded. Concerns are generally general and revolve around water use practices in the basin, with logging, ranching, and mining affecting sedimentation and accelerated erosion. An estimated 1.1 million tons of sediment are transported out of the North Fork watershed each year, making watershed restoration and preservation a high priority for many local and state organizations. With only about 1.16% of this land comprised of urban development, this basin is one of the largest. of the largest remaining blocks of private, undeveloped land in California with approximately 58,652 acres of land and only 680 acres of urban development. (based on Mountain Meadows Conservancy's 2009 proposal for the Mountain Meadows Watershed Restoration Action Plan) The relative isolation of Mountain Meadows from urban development has allowed for the maintenance of environmental diversity, including wildlife . There are more than 100 species of birds here, and a large diversity of breeding and migratory waterfowl species often numbers in the thousands, with the basin serving as an important link in the north-south migration route for many migratory waterfowl. Due to the presence of flooded timber, the basin provides an important nesting site in northeastern California for wood ducks. Because the basin is intertwined with 4 bioregions, there are plants and animals in this environment that are not common to other parts of the Cascades or Sierra Nevada, such as the endangered Swainson's hawk. State. Within the basin are two reservoirs (Lake Almanor and Walker Lake, also known as Mountain Meadow Reservoir) which have been designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA), under a national effort to identify, preserve and monitor important bird populations. This is largely because the area is Northern California's largest nesting area for the endangered willow flycatcher. In total, there are seven threatened and endangered species, as well as 33 bird and mammal species of particular concern. Also present are 3 active bald eagle nests. Other species with special status include the state-threatened Sierra Nevada red fox. In addition to special status species, there are 13 species of mesocarnivores and a variety of big game species. This basin is home to black bears, mountain lions, pronghorn, and more recently, small numbers of wolves. Fishing is plentiful, with trout fishing occurring in 4 different locations in the basin. There is also a warm lake fishery at Walker Lake containing trout, catfish and largemouth bass. The Mountain Meadows Basin provides natural services and cultural value to the local urban population. (1) The Mountain Meadows provide the local population with annual hunting and fishing activities. , as well as plant-based foods, with longtime residents still using green ephedra (also known as Mormon tea or pioneer tea), wild mint grown near many homes, and edible wild berries . It also provides wood, with wood stoves being the main source of winter heat for most people, due to the isolated location of the basin and the town. In addition to its natural capital, the Mountain Meadows offer an abundance of recreational activities, from primitive camping to hiking, kayaking, or biking. Due to the isolated nature of the inhabitants, the cultural emphasis is on the activities of.