ECOSYSTEMS > INLAND OREGON

​A meadow is a vegetated field dominated by grasses, herbs and other non-woody plants. Meadows have very few trees and receive direct sunlight throughout the day. As with all terrestrial ecosystems, meadows can have slightly different characteristics depended on where they are located. These areas may also be referred to as prairies or grasslands, although the different terms still tend to describe similar places.

Click on the links below to learn more about meadows. Each category will contain suggestions on where you can locate that type of meadow in Oregon.

Types of Meadows:

The result of human interaction with the landscape, these artificial meadows are sometimes called fields, pastures or farmlands.

These meadows occur close to the sea and may be isolated by surrounding mountains. 

These meadows can only be found at higher elevations where colder temperatures, high winds and limited water restrict tree growth.

These temporary meadows follow some disturbance to the landscape, such as when people clear the land for livestock or harvesting timber. 

Features Related to Meadows:

Meadows for the Silverspot: A learn how a rare Oregon butterfly relies on a shrinking ecosystem to survive.

On a Mission to Save a Butterfly: A group of teens from Pennsylvania travel to Oregon on a mission to help save a critically endangered butterfly.

​A Tale of Ruin and Renewal: Once choked by dikes and trampled by cattle, Cascade Head and the adjacent Salmon River estuary are marvels of how human beings can damage, but can also repair, an entire ecosystem.