Montane meadows form in geologic basins or valleys where fluvial and aeolian deposits accumulate. They form in high to low-elevation montane environments and often host headwater springs or receive tributary inputs. Meadows can range in size from a few to thousands of hectares. They have been linked to sediment storage and seasonal hydrograph buffering for downstream rivers. Surface and groundwater hydrology of functioning meadows provide wet or seasonally-wet conditions that support vegetation communities which attract migrating and residential aquatic, terrestrial and avian species, especially in arid regions. Historically, beaver likely played an integral role in meadow development in North America and Eurasia. Anthropogenic activities including grazing, extirpation of predators, and road building have resulted in wide-spread meadow degradation.

This session is seeking abstracts that contribute to our understanding of montane meadow geomorphology, hydrology, and restoration. This area of study is critical in the face of climate-change-predicted droughts and flooding.