Fort Ord - mima moundsMay 8, 2010
See the large lumps in the grass? I'd never heard of mima mounds until my husband pointed these out. During one of his trail runs, he found an interpretive sign at Fort Ord and took note since he grew up near a famous mima mound prairie in Olympia, WA. There's not much online information about mima mounds.
Fort Ord - vernal pool or wet meadow?At what point does a wet meadow qualify as a vernal pool? Is there a difference? Often vernal pools and wet meadows are mentioned together when referencing where to find particular wildflowers, like the large flowered star tulip below.
3 comments:
I learned about mima mounds at Jepson Prairie Preserve in Solano County. I didn't realize they existed all over the place. A vernal ("springtime") pool is a wet meadow on steroids that dries up every year.
I've seen (official) mima mounds in San Diego county and what I think are more of the same in Merced county. And they commonly co-occur with vernal pools. And as far as I know, folks still haven't agreed re: the origin of mima mounds. A theory re: small mammals surfaced and gained strength, and then was shot down, I believe, so it remains a mystery.
Questions...
Do wet meadows always stay wet?
What makes a mima mound "official"?
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