Great Basin Naturalist
Volume 55 Number 3 Article 4
7-21-1995
Alpine vascular flora of the Tushar Mountains, Utah
Alan C. Taye Provo, Utah
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Recommended Citation Taye, Alan C. (1995) "Alpine vascular flora of the Tushar Mountains, Utah," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 55 : No. 3 , Article 4. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol55/iss3/4
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Great Basin Naturalist 55(3), © 1995, pp. 225-236
ALPINE VASCULAR FLORA OF THE TUSHAR MOUNTAINS, UTAH
Alan C. Taye]
ABSTRACT.-The Tushar Mountains ofsouthwestern Utah rise to a maximum elevation of3709 m, with timberline and krummholz reaching maximum elevations of 3438 m and 3566 m, respectively. Voucher specimens were collected from the alpine region during eight field seasons to inventory this largely unknown alpine flora. Listed arc 171 vascular plant species from 102 genera and 34 families that occur in eight types of plant communities within an alpine area of about 19.3 km2. The seven largest families are Asteraceae (29 species), Poaceae (20), Brassicaceae (13), Rosaceae (12), Cyperaceae (11), CaryophyUaceae (10), and F'abaccae (8). Thirteen species are restricted to the alpine area. The perenni~ al herb growth form accounts for 86.4% ofthe flora, 5.9% ofthe species are shrubs, and the remaining species are annu als to short-lived perennials. Bedrock in the alpine region is entirely of Tertiary igneous origin. Vegetation cover and species richness are highest on an andesite ash-flow tuff and latite flow and lowest on hydrothermally altered inter caldera rhyolites and tuffs. Forty-four species (26.0% of the indigenous flora) also occur in the Arctic, and 13 species are at a southern margin of distribution. Eight taxa (4.7% of the flora) are local or regional endemics. The majority of the alpine species appear to have migrated to the range by way of the contiguous mountain system to the north; statistical comparison with neighboring alpine floras shows the flora to be most similar to the floras of the Wasatch Mountains, Uinta Mountains, and Teton Range, with Sorensen's similarity indices 01"52.8, 50.2, and 48.8% respectively.
Key words: Utah, Colomdo Plateau, lhshar Mountains, alpine vascularflora, alpine vegetation, lJlant geography.
The Tushar Mountains, located in south tion of 1695 m at the confluence ofClear Creek western Utah in the High Plateaus section of and the Sevier River. The range is located the Colorado Plateau at the eastern margin of within an area oflarge-volume Tertiary (Oligo the Great Basin (Fig, 1), reach a maximum ele cene to Miocene) volcanic activity known as vation of3709 m at the summit of Delano Peak the Marysvale volcanic field and is composed This elevation is surpassed within the state mostly of volcanic rocks (Cunningham and only by peaks in the Uinta Mountains and La Steven 1979), Structurally, the range consists Sal Mountains. A diverse alpine environment of a plateau-like, north-trending, up-faulted and flora occur on the 11 peaks that rise above block bordered by structural valleys formed the elevation of timberline. The alpine area is from down-faulted blocks; the High Plateaus isolated, Though minor patches ofalpine vege section is thus structurally transitional be tation occur on the Fish Lake Plateau 66 km to tween the Basin and Range Province and the the northeast and Markagunt Plateau 81 km to Colorado Plateau Province (Hunt 1987), The the south, the nearest extensive alpine area major faulting that produced the current linear occurs in the Wasatch Mountains (Mount Nebo) ranges of the High Plateaus occured between 157 km to the north, The purposes ofthis paper 8 million and 5 million years ago (Steven et at are to document this isolated alpine flora, 1984), briefly describe the alpine plant communities, Topography and soil development in the and determine possible migrational pathways alpine area are strongly influenced by the two to the Tushars by means ofstatistical and qual volcanic formations exposed near timberline itative comparisons with neighboring alpine and above (Fig, 2), The mostly plateau-like to areas. domelike ridges in the southern and eastern portions of the alpine region (including Delano STUDY AREA Peak) are composed of calc-alkaline basaltic andesite flows and tuffs ofthe Bullion Canyon The Tushar Mountains have a length of 60 Volcanics (Cunningham et at 1983) on which km and a width of 36 km at the widest point. two soil complexes consisting of mollic cry Vertical relief exceeds 2000 m, with a low eleva- oborolls, argic pachic cryoborolls, pachic
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ALake Pk !r3447 Fig. 1. Map of Utah showing location of Tushar Mountains (in black) and other mountainous areas above 2286 m in elevation (generalized and adapted from o Mount Belknap Volcanics N Smouse and Gurgel [1981]). Iili] Bullion Canyon Volcanic'$ o 5km Lt_...... -'_...... J! l cryoborolls, lithic cryoborolls, and rock outcrops are recoguized (U.S. Forest Service 1993). Fig. 2. Map of the central Tushar Mountains with out lined portions approximating the areas abovc 3383 m in The more mountainous northern and western elevation. Location of igneous formations is generalized portions of the alpine region arc composed of from Cunningham et al. (1983). intercaldera siliceous alkali rhyolite lava flows, lava domes, and ash-flow tuffs of the Mount Belknap Volcanics which have been hydrother Creek drainage. Periglacial patterned ground mally altered in many places (Cunningham in the form of stone stripes, stone circles, and and Steveu 1979) and which are resistant to stone nets occurs on the main ridgecrest be weathering. The summit pyramids of Mount tween the elevations of3432 and 3600 m. Belknap (3699 m) and Mount Baldy (3695 m) Climate ofthe Rocky Mountain alpine zone consist of steep talus slopes and cliffs; portions is characterized by Billings (1988) to bave a of these talus slopes lack a cliff at their head mean temperature of less than lODe for the and thus appear by definition (Washburn 1979) warmest month. Climatic data are unavailable to be block slopes formed from periglacial for the alpine area in the Tushar Mountains. A frost action. Soil development in this region is weather station located in an Engelmann spruce limited to areas too small to map, and all (Picea engelmannii) community 3.6 km south alpine exposures of this formation as mapped of the alpine region at an elevation of 3136 m by Cunningham et ,u. (1983) are classified by has a mean annual temperature of 1.7°C, the soil scientists as a cirqueland-rubbleland-rock warmest months being June, July, and August outcrop complex (U.S. }brest Service 1993). with mean monthly temperatures of 9.2, 11.7, Pleistocene glaciers produced several well and 10.9°C, respectively (three years of rec defined cirques on the eastern side ofthe crest ords). Most of the mean annual precipitation where glacial ice descended to a low elevation of 909 mm (12 years of records) falls as mow. of about 2500 m (Callaghan 1973). Glaciation Rainfall fi-om summer thunderstorms is high also occurred on the western side of the crest est in August, with an average of74 mm, while as evidenced by glacial striations in the Poison the months of June and July receive averages 1995] TUSHAR MOUNTAINS ALPINE FLORA 227 of 46 and 45 mm, respectively (Soil Conserva Sorensen's Index of Similarity (Mueller tion Service 1993), Dombois and Ellenberg 1974) was used to An alpine region is defined by Bliss (1985) compare the alpine flora with neighboring alpine to be the area above the climatic limit ofupright floras to determine possible migrational path tree growtb, although it may include patches ways to the Tushars. Differences in nomencla of krummbolz, The average elevation of tim ture among the floras were largely resolved berline in the Tushar Mountains occurs at with the references ofDorn (1988), Weber and about 3383 m (11,100 ft), with a corresponding Wittmann (1992), and Welsh et al. (1993). alpine area ofabout 19,3 km2 above this eleva Subspecific taxa were not used in statistical tion. This alpine area, located between compansons. 38 0 20'04" and 38 0 27'47" North latitude and 112 0 19'32" and 112 0 26'42" West longitude, ALPINE VEGETATION extends from Signal Peak in the north to Lake Peak at the south over a distance of 14.5 km. Eight types of alpine plant communities Much of the alpine area, centered about 25 were recognized based on qualitative observa km ENE of the city of Beaver, is accessible by tions; future intensive study of the vegetation Forest Service road 123, which crosses the will likely expand this classification. As noted for crest ofthe range at an elevation of3505 m, alpine communities in the Uinta Mountains Timberline coincides with the upper limit of (Lewis 1970), boundaries between plant com continuous forest and reaches a maximum ele munities are usually diffused, vation of 3438 m on a minor ridgecrest on the CUSHION PLANT.-Low-growing species western (windward) side of the range. Timber dominate the windswept ridgecrests where soils line occurs as low as 3341 m on lower ridges are shallow and outcrops of bedrock and rub and is edaphically depressed even lower on ble formed in place by frost-heaving are com some talus slopes. Engelmann spruce and lim mon. Dominant species include Carex ely ber pine (Pinus flexilis) are the only arboreal noides, Cerastium beeringianum, Erigeron species found at timberline. Subalpine fir (Abies compositus, Festuca ovina, Geum rossii, Phlox lasiocarpa) and aspen (Populus tremuloides) pulvinata, and Siwne acaulis. approach timberline with maximum known ele DRY MEADOw.-The warmer and drier south vations of 3365 and 3292 m, respectively. The and west-facing slopes are characterized by a krummholz limit, consisting of Engelmann plant cover in which bare soil is generally pre spruce, occurs at about 3566 m on the steep, sent between individual plants; rock cover is south-facing slope of Mount Baldy; this slope frequently high and soil disturbance from is protected from prevailing winds by a ridge pocket gophers is common. Spruce krummholz extending southwesterly from the summit. is common at lower elevations. Common species in this extensive community type include METHODS Achillea milwfolium, Astragalus miser, Carex elynoides, Castilwja parvula, Cymopterus wm Voucher specimens were collected from monii, Elymus trachycaulus, Haplopappus 1984 through 1993 from throughout the range macrotWma Helenium hoopsii, phlox pulvina in preparation of a checklist of the vascular ta, Potentilla glandulosa, E gracilis, Poa secun plants of the Tushar Mountains. Collected da, and Rwes rrwntigenum. Geum rossii occurs specimens were deposited in the herbarium of occasionally in usually mesic microhabitats. Brigham Young University and a search was Alpine populations ofGentiana parryi, Juniperus made in this herbarium for other pertinent communis, Sambucus racemosa, Thalictrum specimens. The total known flora for the range fendleri, and Viola nuttallii occur only in this consists of 971 taxa representing 924 species, community type at low elevations. 381 genera, and 89 families (Taye 1994). The MESIC MEADow.-Plant cover is generally alpine region was visited during the same period higher on suitable (nontalus or bedrock) north except for the years 1986 and 1989. Only those and east-facing slopes and near drainage bot species found above local timberline are toms and is occasionally carpet-like where suf included in this study. ficient soil development has occurred. Alpine Species nomenclature and life form classifi avens (Geum rossii) is perhaps the most com cation follow Welsh et al, (1993). mon species in this community. Komarkova 228 GREAT BASIN NATURALIST [Volume 55
(1979) found this species to be most abundant ing material. Gravelly barrens usually inter on slopes with deep soil profiles and moderately grade into dry meadow or talus/scree commu prolonged snow cover. Other common species nities over relatively short distances. in this extensive community type include BEDROCK.-Plant growth On exposures of Arenaria obtusiloba, Artemisia scopulorum, bedrock is restricted to rock crevices and ledges Carex heteroneura, Cerastium beeringianum, where pockets of soil have accumulated. Species Erigeron simplex, Luzula spicata, Pedicuktris present include many ofthose present on sim parryi, Phlox ptdvinata, Poa ref/exa, Polygonum ilar aspects in surrounding dry and mesic bistortoides, Salix arctica, Saxifraga rham meadow communities. A unique assemblage boUlea, and Silene acaulis. of species that occasionally occurs on north WET MEADOW.-A few wet meadows occur facing exposures includes Artemisia scopuktrnm, adjacent to rivulets and below long-lasting Carex heteroneura, Cystopteris fragilis, Erigeron snowdrifts. Common species include Geum compositus, Geum rossii, Oxyria digyna, rossii, Polygonum bistortaides, and Primula Saxifraga caespitosa, S. debilis, and Stelktria parryi. Caltha leptasepaZa, Potentilkt diversifo longipes. 1iG, Sedum rhodanthum, and StelWria longipes TALUS/SCREE.-Colluvial deposits are most reach their upper elevational limit of 3627 m common in the area composed of the Mount in this community type on the north-facing Belknap Volcanics and along the glaciated por slope ofDelano Peak. tions of the main ridgecrest. Arenaria nuttaUii, RIVULET.-Alpine rivulets from melting Cerastium beeringianum, Erigeron compositus, snowfields are mostly transitory and occur only and Polemonium viscosum are commonly pres in the southern (Bullion Canyon Volcanics) por ent on all exposures while Artemisia scopuktrnm, tion of the alpine region. Cardamine cordifo Geum rossi~ and Primula parryi are more com lia, Deschampsia cespitosa, Delphinium occi mon on more mesic north- and east-facing dentale var. barbeyi, and Mertensia arizonica slopes within this community type. occur at lower elevations while Caltha lep tosepakt, Pedicularis parryi, and Salix arctica THE FLORA occur mOfe commonly at higher elevations. Polygonum bistortoUles and Primukt parryi are The alpine flora of the Tushar Mountains common throughout this community type. consists of 171 species from 102 genera and 34 Two rivulets on the flanks of Delano Peak (to families. The largest families are Asteraceae about 3444 m in elevation) persist throughout (29 species), Poaceae (20), Brassicaceae (13), the summer; Epilobium halleanum, funcus Rosaceae (12), Cyperaceae (ll), Caryophylla drummondii, Mimulus tilingii, and Saxifraga ceae (10), Fabaceae (8), Ranunculaceae (7), odontoloma occur at their upper elevational and Scrophulariaceae (7). The largest genera limit at these continually moist and marginally are Carex, Poa, and Potentilla with ll, 8, and 7 alpine sites. species, respectively, while Saxifraga and GRAVELLY BARREN.-This is perhaps the Senecio are each represented by five species. most distinctive alpine community type in the Bromus inermis and Taraxacum officinale are Tushar Mountains. It occurs on saddles ofridge the only introduced species occurring above crests and on many of the higher tributary timberline. The species list is presented near drainages between Lake Peak and Mount Bel the end ofthis paper. knap where snow accumulations are long last Thirteen taxa appear to be restricted to the ing; plant cover is only 0 to about 20% on alpine area: Astragalus australis var. glabrius largely unaltered, gravelly, grayish parent mate cu!us, Carex elynoides, C. haydeniana, C. nar rial. Some of the relatively few species that dina, Cktytania megarhiza, Hymenoxys grandi occur here are Calyptridium umbellatum, flora, Lychnis apetala var. kingii, Poa patter Elymus scribneri, lvesia gordonii, Phlox pul sonii, Potentilla concinna, Salix aretiea, vinata, Polemonium viscosum, Senecio amplec Saxifraga caespitasa, TaW1'l8endia condensata, tens, and S. conus. The endemic Draba sobo and Valeriana acutiloba. lifera frequently flowers in gravel at the edge of Three taxa (1.8% of the alpine flora) are en receding snowbanks. Isolated 'hanging' patches demic to high elevations in the Tushar Moun of Geum rossii turf are sometimes present, tains. Draba sobolifera and Senecio castoreus indicating possible recent erosion of surround- are most common in gravelly barren and talus/ 1995] TUSHAR MOUNTAINS ALPINE FWRA 229 scree communities above timberline while Belknap Volcanics is floristically poor despite Cirsium eatonii var. harrisonii is most common the presence of the second and third highest on subalpine talus/scree slopes. Other Utah peaks; no vascular plants were observed above endemics found in the alpine are Agoseris the elevation of 3536 m on Mount Belknap. A glauca var. cronquistii, Astragalus perianu.s, depauperate alpine flora of about 65 species Castilleja parvula var. parvula, Gilia tridactyla, occurs on the ridgecrest cushion plant com and Lesqw;rella wardii. munities, hlock slopes, and in the talus/scree The perennial herb life form accounts for and gravelly harren communities and small 86.4% of the indigenous alpine flora. This fig patches of mesic meadow that occur on the ure includes 143 species of angiosperms (110 ridges and flanks of these summits; Crypto dicots and 33 monocots), one spikemoss, and gramma crispa and Poa pattersonii apparently two ferns. Ten species of shrubs (5.9% of the occur in the alpine only on this formation, how flora) are present (two of which are gymno ever. Soil formation and plant growth on this sperms). The remaining 13 indigenous taxa are substrate may be hindered by unfavorable considered to be annual or biennial to short nutrient availability as occurs locally in hydro lived perennials. Only 1.8% of the flora (Cheno thermally altered, highly acidic exposures at podium atrovirens, Gentianella tenella, and the base of the range (Salisbury 1964). Polygonum douglasii) is classified as strictly annual though Spira (1987) reports Gentianella PLANT GEOGRAPHY tenella to be strictly biennial in the alpine of the White Mountains, CA. Perennial herbs The Tushar Mountains are located on the increase in importance at higher elevations western margin of a floristically similar high and comprise 94.6% of the species (53 of 56 land region known as the Southern Rocky taxa-with exceptions being Androsace septen Mountains. This area, which includes most of trionalis, Draha crassifolia, and Salix arctica) Colorado and parts ofadjacent states, contains known to occur in the area of 0.6 km2 above the greatest concentration of alpine tundra in the elevation of 3596 m on Delano Peak. A the United States outside of Alaska (Weher similar life form composition is reported for 1965). One hundred fifty-five of the 169 indige the alpine flora of the Teton Range (Spence nous alpine species ofthe Tushar Mountains are and Shaw 1981). also reported by Weber and Wittmann (1992) Species richness and habitat diversity are for the flora ofColorado. greatest in the vicinity of Delano Peak be Statistical comparison with 14 neighboring cause of this peak's geologic substrate, glacial alpine floras shows the Tushar alpine flora to history, and elevation. Erosion of the Bullion be most similar to the adjacent northerly floras Canyon Volcanics has produced a mostly of the Wasatch and Uinta ranges of Utah and plateau-like topography conducive to soil for the Teton Range, Wyoming, with Sorensen's mation and associated meadow communities. similarity indices of 52.8, 50.2, and 48.8%, The northern and eastern slopes of Delano respectively (Table 1). The relatively continu Peak, though glaciated, are relatively gentle as ous "Teton-Wasatch-High Plateau mainland compared to the cliff-like glacial headwalls mountain system" (Harper et al. 1978), which present along much ofthe main ridgecrest; per is perhaps hest illustrated as an elevated (2000 sistent snowdrifts (sometimes lasting through m and higher elevation) corridor in Figure 19 out the summer), which are necessary for the in Reveal (1979) over which direct migration growth of some alpine species (Billings 1978) of alpine species may have occurred during and which provide moisture to lower eleva glacial times (Billings 1978) and which has tions, are thus able to form on these less-inso previously been noted to be a migration route lated, high-elevation, leeward slopes. All eight for Utah's boreal species (Harper et aJ. 1978, types of plant communities and a minimum of Welsh 1978, Reveal 1979, and Welsh 1993), 101 species (59.8% of the indigenous alpine has thus likely been a primary source area for flora) are known to occur within a radius of 1.0 development of the alpine flora of the Tushar km of the summit within an area of 3.14 km2 Mountains. In particular, Calyptridium umhel (16.3% of the alpine area). latum., Cymopterus hendersonii, Synthris pin The northern portion of the alpine region natifida, and TowtMendia condetMata appear to composed of the weathering-resistant Mount have migrated to the Tushars via this north-to- 230 GREAT BASIN NATURALIST [Volume 55
TABLE 1. Floristic similarity indices between the alpine flora of the Tushar Mountains, DT, and representative neigh boring alpine floras. The index of similarity used is that of Sorensen (Mueller·Dombois and Ellenberg 1974). Mainland area floras are part ofa relatively continuous mountain system such as the Teton-Wasatch-High Plateau system in contrast to the more isolated mountain floras ofthe Great Basin and portions ofthe Colorado Plateau (Harper et al. 1978).
Number of Alpine-ta-alpine indigenous distance from Percent Floraa alpine species Tushar Mfs (km) similarity
MAINLAND AREAS 1. Wasatch Mountains, UT 202 157 52.8 2. Uinta Mountains, DT 257 269 50.2 3. San Juan Mountains, CO 250 410 44.9 4. Sawatch Range, CO 285 507 45.4 5. Teton Range, \iVY 216 573 48.8 6. Indian Peaks area, CO 249 596 42.1 7. Pioneer Mountains, ID 130 600 36.8 8. Sangre de Cristo Mountains, NM 157 627 40.5 9. Beartooth Plateau, WY-MT 185 750 36.2
MOUNTAIN ISlANDS 10. Henry Mountains, UT 47 136 32.4 11. Snake Range, NY 43 17l 25.5 12. Deep Creek Mountains, UT 81 198 51.2 13. San Francisco Peaks, AZ 82 332 44.6 14. Ruby Mountains, NY 150 345 42.0
~Alpine £IOnl;' artl Ii·om the following $Ources, (1) Arnow et a1. (1980) and voucher specimens from Allred (1975) and Collins (1980); (2) Lewi~ (1970), Goodrich and Neese (1986), ;lnd Goodrich (1994): (3) Webher et a1. (1976) and Hartman and Rottman (1985); (4) Hartman and Rottman (1988); (5) Spence and Shaw (1981); (6) Komarkova (19ig); (7) Moseley and Bernatas (1992); (8) Baker (1983): (9) Johnson and Billings (1962); (10) Neese (1981): (11) Lewis (1973): (12) McMiIlall (1948); (13) Schaack (1983) and Schaack aod Morefield (1985); (14) Loope (1969) aoo Lewis (1971). south route, inasmuch as they occur in west var. media, Arenaria nuttallii, Calyptridium um ern Wyoming (Dorn 1988) but are unreported bellatum, Chamaerhodos erecta, Claytonia meg from Colorado (Weber and Willmann 1992). A arhiza, Hymenoxys grandiflora, Poa pattersonii, total of 158 of the indigenous Tushar alpine Saxifraga adscendens, and Townsendia con species are reported by Dorn (1988) for the densata. Nonalpine boreal species at a southern flora of Wyoming. The alpine flora of the margin of distribution in this range include Tushar Mountains is more similar to that of Arnica diversifolia, Aster engelmannii, Carex the Teton Range, Wyoming, than to any of the deweyana, C. hoodii, C. luzulina, Draba lance compared Colorado alpine floras despite a olata, Hieracium gracile, Leu-copoa kingii, greater distance of up to 160 km (Table 1). Microseris nutans, and Mitella pentondra. Proximity along the same migrational pathway Though migration of high-elevation species thus appears to be an important factor in has occurred between the Colorado Rockies floristic similarity. and the La Sal Mountains of southeastern Utah The apparent effectiveness of the Teton (Holmgren 1972, Welsh 1993), significant migra Wasatch-High Plateau migration route is fur tion ofalpine species further west to the Tushar ther illustrated by 13 boreal species occurring in Mountains has perhaps been limited by an the alpine of the Tushars which are apparently area of relatively low elevation termed the at a southern margin of distribution within the "Colorado Plateau migrational barrier" by longitudes of Utah: Astragalus australis, Carex Hadley (1987). The isolated Henry Mountains, nardina, Lychnis apetala, and Salix arctica are located midway between the Tushar and La arctic species (Polunin 1959) not known to Sal ranges (Fig. 1), have a meager alpine flora occur further south in Utah (Albee et al. 1988) of 47 species; absent there are common alpine or in adjacent Arizona (Lehr 1978). A total of species such as Geum rossii, Oxyria digyna, 44 alpine species from the Tushars (26.0% of Polygonum bistortoides, and Silene acaulis the indigenous alpine flora) are reported by (Neese 1981). These and other alpine species Polunin (1959) as also occurring in the Arctic. may have been eliminated from the Henry Other alpine species at an apparent southern Mountains by the warmer post-glacial hyp margin of distribution are Antennaria alpina sithermal climate (Neese 1981), however, thus 1995] TUSHAR MOUNTAINS ALPINE FLORA 231 masking the true effectiveness ofthe Colorado in 1986. There is evidence these animals feed Plateau as a migrational barrier to high-eleva on the endemic Castilleja parvula, and they tion species. endanger the species diversity of the alpine Species richness. which is strongly corre area by grazing at scarce alpine wet sites. lated with area on mountains (Harper et a1. 1978, Hadley 1987), also appears to affect flor ACKNOWLEDGMENTS istic similarity as the Tushar alpine flora gen erally has higher indices of similarity with the I am grateful to Dr. Stanley L. Welsh, curator larger and generally more distant mainland ofthe herbarium at Brigham Young University, floras (Table 1); Harper et al. (1978) note that for his assistance and encouragement with this the isolated mountain floras of tbe Inter study initiated as part of a graduate program. mountain West have fewer species per unit area Kaye Thorne, assistant curator of the herbari than adjacent mainlands and also an uneven um, provided sustained aid in herbarium stocking of species as a result of greater ran research. Dr. Wesley B. Niles gave helpful domness ofcolonization andlor extinction. The comments on an earlier version of the manu isolated alpine floras of the east central Great script, and Dr. Kimball T. Harper graciously Basin to the west ofthe Tushars (Loope 1969), loaned me pertinent references from his per the San Francisco Peaks to the south (Moore sonal library. Ray Wilson of the Soil Conser 1965), and the Henry Mountains to the east vation Service, Salt Lake City, provided data (Neese 1981) are slightly to extremely depau on climate for the area, and Mike Smith of the perate examples of the Rocky Mountains alpine U.S. Forest Service office in Richfield, UT, flora. provided information on soils. Information on The Tushar alpine flora is also slightly de plant specimens from the Tushars was provid ed by the following individuals: Linda Allen, pauperate in comparison with most other assistant curator of the Intermountain Herb neighboring mainland area floras (Table 1); arium at Utah State University; Dr. Patricia K. this is likely due to the limited alpine area (in Holmgren, director of the herbarium at The comparison, the Uinta Mountains have an New York Botanical Garden; Ann Kelsey, cura alpine area of about 1000 km2 [Lewis 1970]), torial assistant at the Garrett Herbarium, scarcity of wet meadows and rivulets, and University of Utah; and Tim Ross, senior cura presence of the talus-forming Mount Belknap torial assistant at the Rancho Santa Ana Formation. The smaller Tushar alpine flora Botanic Garden. This checklist would be less may be a factor in the relatively low maximum complete without the efforts of early botanists similarity index of 52.8% with the Wasatch such as Marcus E. Jones and Drs. Walter P. Mountains; Hartmann and Rottman (1988) Cottam, Bertrand F Harrison, and Bassett report a similarity index range of 72.5-73.3% Maguire as well as the more recent prolific between the larger alpine floras in Colorado. collecting by Dr. Stanley L. Welsh, Dr. N. The alpine flora and vegetation of the Tushar Duane Atwood, Mont E. Lewis, and Joel Tuhy. Mountains are remarkably diverse given the relatively small alpine area. Interesting, too, ANNOTATED LIST OF VASCULAR PLANTS are the number of endemic taxa and species that reach a southern limit ofdistribution here. The following list of families, genera, and The wide-ranging alpine species Claytonia species is arranged alphabetically within the megarhiza, Paa pattersonii, and Saxifraga divisions ofCronquist et al. (1972). Community adscendens are disjunct here with other in type(s) and maximum elevation noted for each state distributions only in the Uinta and La Sal taxon are based on field notes and herbarium ranges, while Townsendia condensata occurs specimen label information. The following nowhere else in the state (Albee et al. 1988, abbreviations are used for community types: Welsh et al. 1993). cushion plant (CP), dry meadow (DM), mesic Alpine environments are in general fragile meadow (MM), wet meadow (WM), rivulet and easily susceptible to disturbance (Billings (RI), gravelly barren (GB), bedrock (BR), and 1973). This fragility is locally compounded by talus/scree (TS). Frequency of occurrence for poor soil-forming characteristics ofsome igne most taxa is estimated using the following ous members and by the questionable intro scale from Thorne (1967): rare, 1-3 collections duction of Rocky Mountain goats to the range Or observation stations; infrequent, 4-7 sta- 232 GREAT BASIN NATURALIST [Volume 55 tions; frequent, 8-12 stations; common, 13+ G.) Jepson; CP to 3414 m; rare; p. stations. Life form is listed as a = annual, ab Antennaria alpina (L.) Gaertner var, media (Greene) Jepson [A. media. Greene]; Cp' MM, and BR to 3487 m; :;;;; annual or biennial, ap = annual to short common; p. lived perennial, bp = biennial to perennial, p = Antennaria microphyUa Rydb.; DM to 3536 m; rare; p. perennial berb, and s = shrub. Species that Arnica mallis Hook.; BRIMM to 3444 m; rare; p. also occur in the Arctic (Polunin 1959) are fol Attemisia£rigida Witld.; CP and DM to 3505 m; rare; s. ' lowed by an asterisk (*). Artemisia ludOl/Iciana Willd. var. incompta (Nutt.) I collected Botrychium lunaria, funcus Cronq,; Cp' DM. MM, and RI to 3475 m; common; p. mertensianus, Pedicularis groenlandica, and At·temisia scopulorum Gray; MM, \VM, RI, BR, and Salix planifolia at a seep below local timber TS to 3703 m; common; p. line at an elevation of 3389 m, and Draba Cirsium eatonii (Gray) Robins. var, harrisonii Welsh; TS to 3444 m; rare; p. laneeolata has been collected at timberline Crepis nana Richards,; CP, CB, and TS to 3475 m; fre (Welsh et al. 14015). These and other taxa may quent; p.* eventually be discovered from the alpine area. Erigeron compositus Pursh var. glabratus Macoun; Erigeron humilis and Taraxacum ceratophorum Cp' DM, GB, BR, and TS to 3706 m; common; p.'" Erigeron simplex Greene; MM to 3700 m; frequent; p. have recently been reported for the Tushars Erigeron speciosus (Lindl.) DC. var, uintahensis (Cronquist 1994), but I have seen no speci (Cronq.) Welsh IE. uintahensis Cronq,]; DM to 3414 m; mens. rare; p. Erigeron ursinus D, C, Eaton; Cp' MM, and RI to 3536 m; common; p. DIVISION LYCOPODIOPHYTA Haplopappus clementis (Rydb,) Blake; MM and GB to Selaginellaceae 3578 m; common; p. Haplopappus macronema Gray; CP, DM, CB, and TS Selaginella watsonii Underw.; rock crevices in Cp, to 3536 m; common; s. DM, MM, BR, and TS to 3658 m; common; p. Helenium hoopesii Gray [Dugaldia hoopesii (Gray) DIVISION POLYPODIOPHYTA Rydb.}; DM and MM to 3566 m; common; p. Hymenopappusfilifolius Hook. var. nudipes (Maguire) Polypodiaceae Turner; DM and GB to 3561 m; infrequent; p. Cryptogramma crispa (L.) R. Br. var, acrostichoides Hymenoxys grandiflora (T. & G.) Parker; "grassy tun (R. Br.) C. B. Clarke; TS to 3304 m; rare; p. dra above timberline" at 3505 m; rare; p. The only record Cystopteris fragilis (L.) Bernh.; rock crevices in DM, from the range is K. F. Parker et at. 6354 at the Rancho MM, RI, BR, and TS to 3505 m; frequent; p. '" Santa Ana Botanic Carden. Senecio amplectens Gray var. holmii (Greene) Har DIVISION PINOPHYTA rington; MM, CB, and BR to 3700 m; common; p. Cupressaceae Senecio canus Hook.; DM and GB to 3609 m; com mon; p. Juniperus communis L. var. depressa Pursh; DM at Senecio castoreus Welsh; Cp' GB, and TS to 3536 m; 3444 m in shelter of boulder on south-facing slope; rare; infrequent; p. s.' Senecio eremophilus Richards. var. kingii (Rydb.) Greenman; DM and MM to 3536 m; infrequent; p. Pinaceae Senecio werneriaefolius (Gray) Gray; TS to 3505 m; frequent; p. Picea engelmannii Parry; DM, MM, and TS to 3566 lU; Solidago multiradiata Ait.; DM, MM, CB. and BR to common; s. 3700 m; common; p. '" DIVISION MAGNOLIOPHYTA Solidago parryi (Gray) Greene [Haplopappus parryi CLASS MAGNOLIOPSIDA Gray}; MM to 3505 m; infrequent; p. Apiaceae Taraxacum officinale Weber; DM and TS to 3536 m; infrequent; introduced p. Cymopterus hendersonii (Coult. & Rose) Cronq.; Cp' Townsendia condensata D. C. Eaton; CP and GB at BR, and TS to 3627 lU; frequent; p. Cymopterus lemmonii (Coult. & Rose) Dorn [Pseudo 3505-3609 m; infrequent; p. cymopterus montanus (Gray) Coult. & Rosel; Cp' DM, Boraginaceae MM, RI, and TS to 3700 lU; common; p. Mertensia arizonica Greene; DM, MM, and RI to Asteraceae 3505 m; common; p. Achillea millefoliam L. ssp, lanulosa (Nutt.) Piper; Brassicaceae DM, MM, and RI to 3548 m; common; p.* Agoseris aurantiaca (Hook,) Greene var. purpurea Arabis drummondii Gray; DM to 3414 m; infrequent; (Gray) Cronq,; MM(?) to ca 3505 m; rare; p. bp. Agoseris glauca (Pursh) Raf. var. cronquistii Welsh; Arahislemmonii Wats.; MM and BR to 3402 m; rare; p. DM to 3353 m; infrequent; p. Cardamine cordifolia Gray; RI to 3444 m; infrequent Agoseris glauca (Pursh) Raf. var. dasycephala (T. & (locally common); p. 1995J TUSHAR MOUNTAINS ALPINE FLORA 233
Descuminia richardsonii (Sweet) Schulz vaT. hrevipes Lupinus argenteus Pursh var. rubricaulis (Greene) (Nutt.) Welsh & Reveal; RI and TS to 3475 m; infre Welsh; DM to 3463 m; rare; p. quent; abo Lupinus lepidus Dougl. var. utahensis (Wats.) C. L. Draba aurea Vahl; MM and BR to 3688 ill; rare; p. '" Hitchc. [L. caespitosus Nuu. var. utahensis (Wats.) B. Draba crassifolia Graham; MM and RI to 3700 m; fre Cox]; OM, MM, and GB to 3572 m; frequent; p. quent; ap. *' Oxytropis oreophila Gray var. oreophila; CP, DM, Draha 8obolifera Rydb.; MM, GB, BR, and TS to 3688 MM, and GB to 3706 m; common; p. ill; common; p. O;rytropis parryi Gray; OM and MM to 3633 ill; infre Draba stenoloba Ledeb.; MM to 3505 m; rare; ap.* quent; p. Erysimum asperum (Nutt.) DC.; DM to 3441 ill; rare; Trifolium longipes Nutt. var, rusbyi (Greene) hp. Harrington; MM to 3597 m; frequent; p. LesquereUa wardii Wats.; DM and GB to 3609 m; fre quent; p. Gentianaceae Physaria chambersii Rollins var. chambersii; GB to Gentiana parryi Engelm.; DM to 3389 ill; rare; p. 3414 ill; rare; p. Gentianella amarella (L.) Borner; OM and MM to Smelowskia calycina C. A. Mey. var. americana (Regel 3535 m; frequent; ab, >I< & Herder) Drury & Rollins; Cp' DM, MM, BR, and TS Gentianella tenella (RaUb.) Borner; MM and WM to to 3703 ill; common; p.'" 3566 m; rare; a (b?). '" Thlaspi montanum L. vaT. montanum; Cp' MM, and TS Swertia radiata (Kellogg) Kuntze [Frasera speciosa to 3475 m; common; p. DougI.]; MM and TS to 3475 m; rare; p.
Caprifoliaceae Grossulariaceae Sambucus racemosa L. vaT. microbotrys (Rydb.) Ribes cereum OougI.; OM and BR to 3536 m; fre Kearney & Peebles; OM and TS to 3444 m; infrequent; s. quent; s, Ribes inerme Rydb.; OM (among rocks) and TS to Caryophyllaceae 3438 ill; rare; s. Arenaria nuttallii Pax; Cp' MM. GB. and TS to 3505 m; Ribes montigenum McClatchie; OM, MM, RI, and TS common; p. to 3627 m; common; s. Arenaria ohtusiloba (Rydb.) Fern.; MM and WM to 3676 m; common; p.* Hydrophyllaceae Arenat'ia ruhella (Wahl.) J. E. Sm.; Cp' OM, MM, and Phacelia hastata OougI.; DM in gravelly soil to 3444 RI to 3688 m; frequent; p.* m; rare; p. Cerustiurn beeringianum C. & S.; Cp' OM, MM, WM, Phacelia sericea (Graham) Gray var. ciliosa Rydb.; BR. and TS to 3700 m; common; p.* DM to 3475 m; rare; p. Lychnis aretala L. var. kingii (Wats.) Welsh (L. kingii Wats.]; Cp' DM. and MM at 3536-3688 m; frequent; p.* Lamiaceae Lychnis drummondii (Hook.) Wats.; OM, MM, and BR to 3487 m; frequent; p. Monardella odoratissima Benth.; TS to 3475 ill; rare; p. Sagina saginoides (L.) Britt.; MM and RI to 3414 m; Linaceae rare; bp.* Silene acaulis L. var. subacaulescens (F. Williams) Linum perenne L. ssp. lewisii (Pursh) Hulten; MM in Fern. & St. John; Cp' MM, WM, BR, and TS to 3676 ill; gravelly soil at 3536 m; rare; p.* common; p.* Stellaria longipes Goldie; DM, MM, WM, BR, and TS Onagraceae to 3627 m; common; p. * EpUohiurn angustifolium L.; TS to 3414 m; rare; p."' Stellaria umhellata Turcz.; MM, RI, and TS to 3615 m; EpUohium halleanum Hausskn.; RI to 3444 m; rare frequent; p. (locally common); p. Chenopodiaceae Epilobium saximontanum Hausskn.; RI to 3487 m; rare (locally common); p. Chenopodium atrovirens Rydb.; DM in disturbed soil (pocket gophers?) at 3.548 m; rare; a. Polemoniaceae Cilia tridactyla Rydb.; CP and TS to 3414 m; rare; p. Crassulaceae Phlox puWinata (Wherry) Cronq.; Cp, DM, MM, GB, Sedum rhodanthum Gray; MM and WM to 3627 m; BR, and TS to 3706 m; common; p. infrequent; p. Polemonium pulcherrimum Hook. var. delicatum (Rydb.) Cronq.; DM and MM to 3444 ill; infrequent; p.* Fabaceae Polemonium viscosum Nutt.; OM, MM, GB, BR, and TS to 3633 m; common; p. Astragalus australis Fisch. var. glabrimculus (Hook.) Isely [A. aboriginum Richards.]; CP and GB at Polygonaceae 3505-3609 ill; infrequent; p. '" Astragalus miser Dougl. var. oblongifolius (Rydb.) Eriogonum umbellattt'tn Torr. var. pmteri (Small) Stokes; Cronq.; OM, MM, and GB to 3706 m; common; p. OM, MM, and BR to 3566 m; frequent; p. Astragalus pefianus Barnehy; DM and GB to 3566 m; Oxyria digyna (L.) Hill; MM, GB, BR, and TS to 3658 infrequent; p. m; common; p.* 234 GREAT BASIN NATURAliST [Volume 55
Polygonum bistQrtoides Pursh; ~M, W:M, and RI to Salicaceae 3676 m: common; p. Polygonum douglarii Greene var. dollgWlIii; OM to Salix arctica Pallas var. petraea Anderss.; MM. WM. and RI at 3444 to 3676 00; frequent ~ocally common); s.· ~"·· ..4 m", rare', a. Rumex 3aUcifolius Weiom. ssp. triangulicaIvis Danser; Sa.' Rosaceae Violaceae Chamaerhodos erecta Bunge var. paroiflora (NutL) Viola canadensis L.; BR and TS to 3444 m; rare; p. C. L. Hitchc.; CP and OM to 3505 m; rare; bp. l'iola nuttallii Pursh; DM to 3414 00; rare; p. Geum rossii (R. Br.) Ser. \'8r. turbinatum (Rydb.) C. L. Hitchc.; Cp' DM, MM, WM, RI, GB, TS, and BR to 3700 Cuss LIUOPSIDA m; common; p.• Cyperaceae loe.sia gordonii (Hook.) 1: & C.; OM and CB to 3609 In; infrequent; p. Carex albonigra Maclc.; CP and MM to ca 3658 00; Potentilla concmna Richards. var. proxima {Rydb.} infrequent; p. Welsh & Johnston; OM and TS at 3353 to 3536 m; infre Carex ebenea Rydb.; RI to 3444 ID; rare; p. quent; p. Carex egglestonii Mack.; D~f to 3414 00; rare; p. Potentilla diversifolia Lehoo. var. diversifolia; WM, Carex elynoides H. T. Holm; Cp' DM, NIM, and IS at RI, lmd TS to 3627 00; frequent; p. 3353 to 3706 m; common; p. Potentilla glandulosa Lindl. var. intermedia (Rydb.) Carex haydeniana Olney; MM, RI, GE, and BR at C. L. Hitchc.; DM, MM, and TS to 3487 00; common; p. 3414 to 3566 m; common; p. Potentilla gracilis Doug]. var.pulcherrima (Lehm.) Carex heteroneura W. Boott var. chalciolepis (H. T. Fern.; DM to 3463 00; frequent; p. Holm) F. Hermann; the intergrnding Val'. epapillosa F. Potentiaa hippiana Lehm.; OM to 3414 m; p. Hermann also occurs in the range though perhaps not in Potentilla ovina Macoun ,'al·. decurrens ('Vats.) Welsh the alpine; MM and BR to ca 3658 m; common; p. & Johnston; CP and DM to 3475 00; infrequent; p. Carex mieroptem Mack.; OM (?) to 3414 m; rare; p. Potentilla pemnjlrxnrieo L. vaT. pensylvan~a; CP, D),1, Carex nardina Fries; MM at 3505 m; rare; p.• M~, and TS to 3700 m; common; p.• Cam nova Bailey; unknown community at ca 3505 00; Rubus idaeu$ L. ssp. melanolasius (Dieck) Focke.; TS rare; p. to 3414 m; rare; s. Carex plweocephalo Piper; Cp, DM, :MM, and GB to Sibbaldia procumbens L; MM. RI. and BR to 3627 m; 3566 m; common; p. t'Ornmon; p. * Carex rami F. Boott; DM (?) to ca 3353 m; rare; p. 1995] TUSHAR MOUNTAINS ALPINE FLoRA 235 Juncaceae _----,=,. 1978. Alpine phytogeography across the Great Basin. Creat Basin Naturalist Memoirs 2; 105-117. ]tmCUS drommondii E. Mey.; RI to 3444 m; rare; p. . 1988. Alpine vegetation. Pages 391-420 in M. G. Luzula spi cryopedogeoic processes and patterns. Ecological SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE. 1993. SNOTEL. Snow Sur Monographs 32: 105-135. vey Section, Salt Lake City, lIT. KO~ARKOYA, V. 1979. Alpine vegetation of the Indian Peaks SPENCE, J. R., A:'lD R. J. SHAW. 1981. A checklist of the area, Front Range, Colorado Rocky Mountains. alpine vascular flora of the Teton Range, 'Wyoming, StTauss & Cramer, Hirschberg II, Gennany. 650 pp. with notes on biology and habitat preferences. Creat LEHR.1- H. 1978. A catalogue of the flora of Arizona. Basin Naturalist 41: 232-242. Desert Bolanical Carden, Phoenix, .J\Z. 203 pp. SPIRA, T. P. 1987. Alpine 9J)oual plant species in the White LEWIS, M. E. 1970. Alpine rangelands or the Uinta Moun Mountains of eastern California. Madrono 34: tains, Ashley and Wasatch Nahonal Forests, Region 4. 315-;323. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, STEVE:-l", T. A., P. D. ROWLEY, AND C. C. CUNNINGHAM. Ogden, UT. 75 pp. 1984. Calderas of the Marysvale volcanic field, west __~. 1971. Flora and major plant communities of the central Utah. Journal of Geophysical Research 89, Ruby-East Humboldt Mountains with special empha. No. Bl0, 5751-8764. sis on Lamoille Canyon. Report to Humboldt Nationctl TAYE, A. C. 1994. Annotated checklist of the vascular Forest, Elko, NY. 62 pp. plants of the Tushar Mountains, Utah. Unpublished __.,-' 1973. Wheeler Peak area species list. Report to data. Herbarium, M. L. Bean Life Science Museum, Intermountain Region, U.S. Forest Service, Ogden, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602. UI 17 pp. THORNE, R. F 1967. A flora of Santa Catalina Island, LoOPE. L. L. 1969. Subalpine and alpine vegetation of California. AI;so 6{3j, 1-77. northeastern Nevada. Unpublished doctoral disser. U.S. FOREST SERVICE. 1993. Tushar-Pavant-Canyoo soil sur tation, Duke University, Durham, NC. 287 pp. vey report (preliminary unpublished data). Fish Lake McMILLAN, C. 1948. A taxonomic and ecological study of -alional Forest. Richfield, '(iT. the flora of the Deep Creel.:: Mountains of central WASHBURN, A. L. 1979. Geocryology, a survey of peri we~1em Utah. Unpublished thesis, University of Utah, glacial processes and environments. Wiley, New York Sal, Lake Cit)'. 99 pp. 4Q6pp. MOORE, T. C. 1965. Origin and disjunction of the alpine WEBBER, P. J., J. C. EMERICK, D. C. EBERT MAY, AND v: tundra flora on San Francisco :\1ountain, Arizona. KOMARKOVA. 1976. The impact of increased snowfall Ecology 46, 860-864. 00 alpine vegetation. Pages 201-264 in H. Vi Steinhoff MOSELEY. R. K., A:-l"D S. BER:'-lATAS. 1992. Vascular flora of and J. D. lves, editors, Ecological impacts of snow Kane Lake cirque, Pioneer Mountains, Idaho. Great pack augmentation in the San Juan Mountains of Basin Naturalist 52: 335-343. Colorado. Colorado State University, Fort Collins. MUELLER-Do"mols, D., AND H. ELLENBERG. 1974. Aims WEBER, W. A. 1965. Plant geography in the southern and methods of vegetation ecology. John Wiley & Rocky Mountains. Pages 453-468 in H. E. Wright Sons, New York. 547 pp. and D. G. Frey, editors, The Quaternary in the United NEESE, E. J. 1981. A vascular flora ofthe Henry Mountains, States. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Utah. Unpublished dissertation, Brigham Young Uni WEBER, W. A., AND R. C. WJ1TMANN. 1992. Catatog of the versity, Provo, UT. 370 pp. Colorado flora: a biodiversity baseline. University POLUNIN, N. 1959. Circumpolar Arctic flora. Oxford Press ofColorndo, Niwot. 215 pp. University Press, London. 514 pp. WELSH, S. L. 1978. Problems in plant endemism on the REVEAL, J. L. 1979. Biogeography of the Intennountain Colorado Plateau. Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs 2: region: a speculative appraisal. Mentzelia 4: 1-92. 191-195. SALISBURY, F B. 1964. Soil formation and vegetation on _~. 1993. Description ofthe environment. Pages 6-10 hydrothennally altered rock material in Utah. Ecol. in S. L. Welsh, N. D. Atwood, L. C. Higgins, and S. ogy 45, 1-9. Goodrich, editors, A Utah flora. Print Services, SCHAACK, C. G. 1983. The alpine vascular flora ofArizona. Brigham Young University, Provo, UT. Madrono 3(); 79-88. WELSH, S. L., N. D. ATWOOD, S. GOODRICH, AND L. C. SCHAACK, C. G., AND J. D. MOREFIELD. 1985. Noteworthy HJCCINS. 1993. A Utah flora 2d editiOD revised. Print collections: Arizona Madrono 32: 121-122. Services, Brigham Young University, Provo. UT 986 SMOUS~, FA., A.lIlD K. O. GliRCEL. 1981. Elevation. Page 18 pp. in D. C. Greer, K. D. Gurgel, W L. Wahlquist, H. A. Christy, and G. B. Peterson, editors, Atlas of Utah. Received 1 September 1994 Weber State College, Odgen, UT. [Printed at Brigham Accepted 7 November 1994 Young University Press, Provo, UT.]