Meadowlarks on a wing and a prairie

If all the grasslands are developed, where will meadowlarks sing? Grasslands are often overlooked when we think about habitats important to conserving wildlife diversity. Growing on flat or gently sloping terrain, grasslands ? also called meadows or short-grass prairies ? and their associated wildlife are rapidly losing ground to urbanization.

Grassland is prime building space. Canyon bottoms and flat mesa tops are much easier and cheaper to build on than steep hillsides. It’s no accident that most of our remaining open space is steep and difficult terrain. But even the Coastal California Gnatcatcher, poster child for coastal sage scrub protection, would suffer if the grasslands disappear. It prefers to live where grassland and shrubs come together.

Our local grasslands are now dominated by European annual grasses, introduced in the late 1800s for sheep and cattle ranching. Annual grasses sprout after winter rains, then grow quickly, flower, produce seeds, and die by late spring. They survive the summer drought as seeds.

Native species are perennial bunch grasses. They grow in clumps, and stay green all year, growing slowly from their roots. Bunch grass coexists happily with browsers like deer, which trim the bunches, stimulating more growth.

Under heavy grazing by sheep or cattle, however, too much of the plant is eaten for it to recover. Annual grasses are better suited to heavy grazing, and they have replaced the bunch grasses almost everywhere.

Little is left of California’s native grasslands, alas, and the many wildflowers that grew in the space between the bunches. In past springs, our grasslands burst forth in a carpet of color, an important nectar source for native butterflies. Some of the wildflowers persist: yellow fiddleneck, pink and white owl’s clover, orange poppies, and blue-eyed grass can still be found among the annual grasses.

The floor of Aliso Canyon is a vast meadow of non-native grasses. The lack of cover for their prey makes it prime hunting space for many predators. The original environmental documents for Aliso Viejo singled out these grasslands for their importance as a foraging area for birds of prey. Preserving grasslands was an important reason for setting aside Aliso Canyon as open space.

On a recent trip there one morning, we found the meadows, but not the hillsides, were vivid green. Runoff water drains off the surrounding hillsides and collects in the deep sandy sediments.

A large coyote, belly deep in new grass, stalked meadow mice. Two stately Great Egrets -- tall white birds with orange beaks and black legs -- strode slowly through the meadow. Herons and egrets are wetland birds, but they spend a fair amount of time in grasslands, stalking small animals such as mice, gophers, lizards, and snakes.

High above us, red-tailed hawks wheeled in a courtship display. The male brings gifts of food and passes them to the female in mid-flight. This particular male was soaring with legs hanging down, perhaps having just delivered a tasty ground squirrel to his mate.

Orange County is developing a Resource Management Plan for Aliso and Wood Canyons which will largely determine the future of the park. Visit www.ocparks.com for opportunities to participate in the planning process.