December 2012 Number 1 - Utah Native Plant Society

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Utah Native Plant Society near the Cold Spring private property, just northwest of Longstreet Road but south of Peterson Road, and near a large spring drainage between the eastern Refuge border and Longstreet Road. Many of the occurrences were found within habitat for species such as Ash Meadows sunray, Ash Meadows milkvetch, and Ash Meadows blazingstar. These habitats typically included mesic Alkali Shrublands with sandy soils and occasional deep washes. There is some evidence from the NNHP that occasionally moist sandy soils could serve as potential habitat indicators for this species (Moorefield 2001). The broad transect survey methods for the Ash Meadows sunray and Ash Meadows milkvetch likely contributed to the discovery of the new populations. The total population surveyed in 2008 was approximately 193 individuals (Table 3). There is some potential for locating additional populations as the Ash Meadows sunray surveys are completed during the 2009 field season. Ash Meadows Milkvetch (Astragalus phoenix): Ash Meadows milkvetch is endemic to AMNWR. A federally protected species, it has been documented fairly extensively in the past, including studies directed at recovery of the species. The NNHP documents 13 occurrences for a total estimated population of 1,943 individuals within the Ash Meadows area (Morefield 2001). Previous surveys conducted by the USFWS in 2000 documented several populations within the Refuge totaling 1,800 individuals (Pavlik and Stanton 2006). Prior to 2006 populations were known from south of Rogers Spring and west through the northern portion of Purgatory, within the Cold Springs private property, south of Bradford Spring, east and west of Ash Meadows Road, and north and south of South Spring Meadows Road. Survey areas included potential habitat consisting of alkaline soils, desert washes, and barren flats (Reveal 1978b). Because this is commonly known to occur in habitats similar to those of Ash Meadows Sunray, both species could be surveyed together. Several new populations of Ash Meadows milkvetch were discovered during the Ash Meadows Sunray transect surveys. Large populations were discovered adjacent to the Cold Spring private property. Other notable populations were inventoried in the area between Rogers and Longstreet Springs, directly west of the junction of Ash Meadows Road and South Spring Meadows Road, and west of Jack Rabbit Spring. The estimated total population is approximately 11,643 individuals (Table 3). Alkali Mariposa Lily (Calochortus striatus): NNHP reports only four occurrences of alkali mariposa lily across its entire known range in Clark and Nye counties, Nevada and adjacent California. Morefield (2001) lists the estimated population of the species as “unknown.” Several populations documented during the 2007 reconnaissance at AMNWR were surveyed in 2008. These populations included a number of locations immediately south of Collins Ranch, just west of Warm Springs and north of the access road to Bole Spring. Several new populations were located and surveyed including one at the bend in West Spring Meadows Road. A large population was surveyed within an Alkali Shrubland community east of Crystal Reservoir. An additional population was mapped and surveyed in the southeast corner of the Refuge. The recorded population for species surveyed during this study totals 6,984 individuals (Table 3). Spring-loving Centaury (Centaurium namophilum): Spring-loving centaury is an annual plant that is endemic to AMNWR and its immediate surroundings. It is currently listed as a threatened species by the USFWS. The last confirmed survey reported by NNHP was in 1986 and documented 19 occurrences for an estimated population in excess of 4,290 individuals (Morefield 2001). The draft five-year review mentions six mapped populations within the Refuge totaling over 2,900 acres in comparison to the approximately 29 acres last reported to the NNHP (Morefield 2001, USFWS 2008). According to the draft five-year review, population trends are insufficiently documented (USFWS 2008). Survey area criteria for this species included seeps, wet meadows, and spring channel banks throughout AMNWR. In 2008, spring-loving centaury was found to be very widespread across the Refuge, populating habitats from seasonally flooded wetlands to seasonally moist Alkali Meadows and the edges of some Alkali Shrubland communities. It appeared that nearly any location on the Refuge containing surface or sub-surface water at any time during the year would produce a population. As surveys continued, a blooming trend for certain populations became apparent. Blooms were seen in “waves” for individual populations and subpopulations, or different parts of a single population would bloom at different times during the season. In the Peterson Reservoir area, extensive populations extended throughout surrounding drainages. As in the Rogers Spring and Carson Slough drainages, populations extend until they encounter what may be hydrologic barriers. Observed occurrences were so extensive that it became necessary to map areas of nonoccurrence. The total population from the 2008 surveys has been estimated at 4,468,571 individuals. Clearly the current population estimates are a significant increase from the last confirmed survey data provided to the NNHP (USGS 2004). It is clear that populations of this annual plant fluctuate widely from season to season; however, the likelihood that the number of 86
Calochortiana December 2012 Number 1 individuals would dip as low as previously recorded estimates seems doubtful. Tecopa Bird’s-Beak (Cordylanthus tecopensis): Tecopa bird’s-beak is a hemiparasitic summer annual plant that is a Nevada Sensitive Species. It is known from approximately ten extant occurrences across a narrow range in California (Death Valley) and Nevada (AMNWR) (Morefield 2001). Its habitat includes Mohave Desert scrub and alkali flats and meadows below 2,700 feet. It always grows with Distichlis spicata, which may be its principal host. Tecopa bird’s-beak is also a known associate of the spring-loving centaury and often occurs within the same habitat types (Otis Bay and Stevens Ecological Consulting 2006). Population estimates provided by the NNHP document >4,379 total individuals. Because of their similar habitat requirements, populations of Tecopa bird’s-beak were mapped and surveyed in conjunction with spring-loving centaury in 2008. New occurrences were discovered along the shores of lower Crystal Marsh as well as on the west side of the marsh within old agricultural fields. The agricultural field population extended intermittently to the western Refuge boundary. In addition, a significant population was found associated with a new springloving centaury population in a narrow band of velvet ash located northwest and southeast of Collins Ranch. This area appears to be an important site for multiple rare and endemic species at the Refuge. The total population of Tecopa bird’s beak documented in the 2008 field season is approximately 829,918 individuals. Ash Meadows Sunray (Enceliopsis nudicaulis var. corrugata): Ash Meadows sunray is an endemic variety of a widely distributed species that has been listed as threatened by the USFWS. The variety is almost strictly endemic to Ash Meadows with a few individuals reported from outside the Refuge in eastern California. It is largely restricted to strongly alkaline, poorly drained, saline soils associated with springs and dry washes but with the water table some distance below the surface. Lower elevation alkali clay soils in Ash Meadows have a shallow underlying water table that makes the habitat unsuitable. This species is associated with Ash Meadows milkvetch, shadscale saltbush, matchbrush, alkali goldenbush, basin yellow cryptantha (Cryptantha confertifolia) and white bearpoppy at elevations from 2,100 to 2600 feet. It is generally found on dry to sometimes moist sites that are on open, hard, white clay hills with calcareous hardpans. Populations on the Refuge are found in occasionally moist alkaline soils, spring and seepage areas, and dry desert washes. The plants can also occasionally be found in salt desert shrubland and desert pavement habitats (Morefield 2001; Otis Bay and Stevens Ecological Consulting 2006). The last confirmed population estimates for this plant were reported following its listing as a threatened species. The 2008 survey was directed at locating the plants throughout all potential habitat types occurring within the Refuge. Cruise transects 40 meters apart were used to survey large tracts of Ash Meadows. Of the more than 9,000-acres of potential habitat, nearly 6,000 acres have been surveyed to date. Ash Meadows sunray has been found throughout the areas mapped by the Refuge in 2006. In several cases known populations have been extended beyond previous distribution boundaries. New occurrences were documented west of known populations mapped along Ash Meadows Road, as well as on the alluvial fans east of Point of Rocks and south of Jackrabbit Spring. A single occurrence was also documented adjacent to Lower Crystal Marsh. The preliminary population estimate, calculated with approximately two-thirds of the survey complete, is 50,954 individuals. The remaining survey area includes habitat within the central portion of the Refuge that has long been known to support this plant. It is likely that upon completion of the surveys, the final population estimate will increase by several thousand. Ash Meadows Gumplant (Grindelia fraxinopratensis): Ash Meadows gumplant was listed as threatened by the USFWS in 1985. The plant is considered an endemic species primarily occurring within AMNWR with a limited distribution in neighboring Inyo County, California. NNHP documented 16 occurrences across the known range for the species and estimated a population of more than 13,000 individuals in 1986 (Morefield 2001). The USFWS estimated the Refuge’s population at approximately 81,000 individuals following a 1998 survey (USFWS 2007a). Distribution data provided by the USFWS in 2000 and Refuge staff in 2006 indicate that populations of G. fraxinopratensis occur in spring drainages and marsh habitats throughout the Refuge. Notably, both data sets show a significant presence of this species along the Fairbanks and Rogers Spring drainages. However, BIO- WEST botanists involved with the 2007 reconnaissance and the 2008 surveys indicate that plants found at these locations are actually not members of this species. At this time BIO-WEST has been unable to confirm occurrences north or west of the Warm Springs complex. The Alkali Meadows south of Crystal Reservoir contain very large populations of Ash Meadows gumplant. Known populations were also documented in the Alkali Meadows of the Big Spring/Jackrabbit Spring drainage complex both east and west of South Spring Meadows Road. Another known population was inventoried south of Ash Meadows Road as it intersects South Spring Meadows Road. New populations were surveyed between the Warm Springs Complex and West Spring 87
Page 1 and 2:
Calochortiana December 2012 Number
Page 3 and 4:
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36: Calochortiana December 2012 Number
Page 67 and 68: Species # Training Samples Calochor
Page 85: Calochortiana December 2012 Number
Page 97 and 98: case of the former lake beds a duri
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
A. lentiginosus var. ursinus (publi
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195 and 196:
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Pot Score Min Score Trend Threat In
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
show all

December 2012 Number 1 - Utah Native Plant Society

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?