December 2012 Number 1 - Utah Native Plant Society

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Utah Native Plant Society scale saltbush (Atriplex confertifolia), and spiny hopsage (Grayia spinosa). Creosote bush-dominated communities tend to persist in the alluvial fans east of Devil’s Hole and south along the eastern Refuge boundary in dry uplands and pavement soils. Approximately 5,000 acres of Creosote bush Shrubland is found throughout the NE corner of the refuge. It is dominated by creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and white bursage (Ambrosia dumosa) and is one of the most common vegetation types in the Mojave Desert (MacMahon 2000). The central-eastern portions of the Refuge are home to some of the most extensive old field disturbances and remnants of agricultural activities conducted prior to the Refuge’s inception. Many of the non-native old fields contain Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens), thistle spp. (Cirsium spp.) and tamarisk (Tamarix spp.). Old field non-native vegetation is largely the result of physical manipulation of land and land cover during agricultural uses. Old agricultural fields around the dam northeast of Point of Rocks are largely covered in annual grasses and forbs but some creosote bush and mesquite are also recolonizing. The Alkali Seep and transitional shrubland communities east of the Cold Spring private property have emerged as an important location for several endemic species such as Ash Meadows sunray, Ash Meadows blazingstar, and Ash Meadows ivesia. Alkali Meadow is a community exclusive to the Amargosa Valley and Owens Valley ecosystems. The community is a low-elevation grassland, typically with moist alkaline soils. Evaporation of surface water often leaves a crumbled salt crust over the soils. Alkali Meadow is dominated by inland salt grass (Distichlis spicata) and alkali sacaton (Sporabolis airoides). Arctic rush (Juncus arcticus) and whiteflower rabbitbrush are associated species. The federally listed spring loving centaury and Ash Meadows ivesia are found in this community. Alkali meadows are indicative of shallow water tables. Alkali flats peculiar to Ash Meadows sustain the highest concentrations of the federally-listed Amargosa niterwort. Extensive Alkali Shrubland communities dominated by Atriplex species (A. lentiformis, A. canescens, and A. confertifolia) are found in areas where groundwater is approximately 2-6 meters deep. At AMNWR, Alkali Shrubland covers 5,000 acres and comprises over 20% of the area. Alkali Meadow and Alkali Shrubland vegetation are distributed in close proximity to one another. In many places, there are raised mounds where the groundwater may be slightly deeper than surrounding alkali meadows. In these places, saltgrass, alkali sacaton, and Atriplex shrub cover increases. Other shrub species include matchbrush (Gutierrezia sarothrae), alkali goldenbush, and greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus). Mesquite bosque vegetation is found pre- dominantly around spring vents and outflow channels. The dominant overstory species include mesquite (Prosopis spp.), Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), and velvet ash (Fraxinus velutina). Emergent vegetation is found only at the springs and along permanent lakes and reservoirs. Emergent vegetation covers about 130 acres and comprises 0.5% of the refuge. Common species include Typha spp., spikerush (Eleocharis) spp., bulrushes, and rush species. Wetlands associated with the spring complexes include both native and non-native plant associations. RARE PLANT SURVEY METHODS Prior to the establishment of the Refuge, little quantitative information was available on the life history strategies, population genetics, demography, community associations, habitat requirements or abundance of plant species endemic to Ash Meadows. Implementation of the recovery plan for the seven listed endemic plant species will be successful only when these characteristics are known and disturbed environments are appropriately managed. Five additional at-risk plant species have been identified as species of concern at Ash Meadows, bringing the total to 12 targeted species for rare plant studies (Tables 1, 2). Beginning in 2007, BIO-WEST conducted the first comprehensive inventories of rare, endemic and listed plant species that occur within Refuge boundaries. The purpose of the rare plant studies was to obtain a baseline of existing ecological conditions and rare plant distributions as a foundation for future monitoring of changes in the status of rare plant species. The information provided by these studies will assist with planning future habitat-restoration activities and can be correlated with wildlife studies to understand benefits and potential detriments resulting from these management strategies. Floristic field surveys were initiated in March 2007 and continued through late October 2008. Survey methods and intensity depended on the size of the area, investigator skill, size of the target species, and topography. Prior to conducting the field surveys, the area was analyzed to determine potential habitat for each species of interest. Potential habitat types for each species were identified in part by literature, background maps provided by Refuge staff, and observations from field visits in prior years. An intuitive controlled survey (the most commonly used and efficient method of surveying for rare plant abundance), was initially employed in 2007. The data from these initial surveys were used to design a more detailed methodology for surveying the distribution each target species during the 2008 field season. Surveyors at each population documented the estimated number of individuals, plant phenology, population distribution in terms of approximate area, and associated vegetation. As a general rule plant occurrences less than 82
Calochortiana December 2012 Number 1 Table 1. Status of Endangered, Threatened, and Sensitive species occurring in Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Taxon Name Agency Status NV Heritage Ranks Scientific Vernacular FWS BLM FS NV NNPS Global State Arctomecon merriamii White bearpoppy S S W 3 3 Astragalus phoenix Ash Meadows milkvetch T S F T 2 2 Calochortus striatus Alkali mariposa lily S S W 2 1 Centaurium namophilum Spring-loving centaury T S F T 2Q 2 Cordylanthus tecopensis Tecopa birds’-beak S T 2 2 Enceliopsis nudicaulis var. corrugata Ash Meadows sunray T S F T 2 2 Eriogonum concinnum Darin buckwheat W 2 2 Grindelia fraxinopratensis Ash Meadows gumplant T S F T 2 2 Ivesia kingii var. eremica Ash Meadows ivesia T S F T 1-2Q 1-2 Mentzelia leucophylla Ash Meadows blazingstar T S F T 1Q 1 Nitrophila mohavensis Amargosa niterwort E S F E 1 1 Phacelia parishii Parish phacelia W 2-3 2-3 Salvia funerea Death Valley sage W 3 1 Sisyrinchium funereum Death Valley blue-eyed grass T 2-3 1 Sisyrinchium halophilum Nevada blue-eyed grass 4-5 4 Sisyrinchium radicatum Spiranthes infernalis St. George blue-eyed grass Ash Meadows ladiestresses W 2?Q 1-2 T 1 1 FWS (Endangered Species Act administered by USDI Fish and Wildlife Service): E - endangered; T - threatened BLM/FS (USDI Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service): S - special status or sensitive; W - watch NV (state of Nevada): F - fully protected NNPS (Nevada Native Plant Society): W - watch list; T - threatened; E - endangered Nevada Heritage Program ranks (Global = worldwide; State = within Nevada): 1 - critically imperiled; 2 - imperiled; 3 - vulnerable; Q - taxonomic status in question; ? - rank uncertain 83
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December 2012 Number 1 - Utah Native Plant Society

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