Reply to comment on “A framework for understanding the hydroecology of impacted wet meadows in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges, California, USA”: paper published in Hydrogeology Journal (2009) 17:229–246, by Steven P. Loheide II, Richard S. Deitchman, David J. Cooper, Evan C. Wolf, Christopher T. Hammersmark, Jessica D. Lundquist

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The authors of the subject article (Loheide et al. 2009) are grateful for the Comment and for its authors’ interest in this work. Since the subject article was published, the science of meadow restoration has been propelled to the forefront of conservation and water management efforts in California as a result of the new National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) keystone initiative focusing on meadow restoration in the Sierra Nevada (NFWF 2009). NFWF and other partners plan to invest $50–70 million in meadow restoration in the region during the next 5 years and, potentially, >$200 million to restore degraded meadows in the Sierra Nevada if this initiative is continued. This continued investment hinges on validating and monetizing the ecosystem services provided by healthy meadows, with a notable focus on those ecosystem services related to the short-term storage and provision of water. Thus, there is heightened interest and need to develop a quantitative framework for understanding meadow function and provision of ecosystem services and the authors of the Comment are thanked for this opportunity to continue this discussion. …