SPECIES: Scientific [common] White spruce (Picea glauca) Forest: Salmon–Challis National Forest Forest Reviewer: Jessica M Dhaemers; Brittni Brown; John Proctor, Rose Lehman Date of Review: 10/12/2017; 14 February 2018; 15 March 2018 Forest concurrence (or NO recommendation if new) for inclusion of species on list of potential SCC: (Enter Yes or No)
FOREST REVIEW RESULTS:
1. The Forest concurs or recommends the species for inclusion on the list of potential SCC: Yes___ No_X__
2. Rationale for not concurring is based on (check all that apply): Species is not native to the plan area ______Species is not known to occur in the plan area ______Species persistence in the plan area is not of substantial concern ___X____
FOREST REVIEW INFORMATION:
1. Is the Species Native to the Plan Area? Yes_X__ No___
If no, provide explanation and stop assessment.
2. Is the Species Known to Occur within the Planning Area? Yes_X__ No___
If no, stop assessment. Table 1. All Known Occurrences, Years, and Frequency within the Planning Area Year Number of Location of Observations (USFS Source of Information Observed Individuals District, Town, River, Road Intersection, HUC, etc.) 2001 2 Between the Gilmore to IDFG Element Occurrence Meadow Lake Road and Meadow EO Number: 2 Lake Creek, Lemhi Mountains. EO_ID: 5181 0.75 mile north northeast of Meadow Lake.
Leadore Ranger District
a. Are all Species Occurrences Only Accidental or Transient?
Yes___ No_X_
If yes, document source for determination and stop assessment. b. For species with known occurrences on the Forest since 1990, based on the number of observations and/or year of last observation, can the species be presumed to be established or becoming established in the plan area?
Yes_X_ No___
If no, provide explanation and stop assessment
c. For species with known occurrences on the Forest predating 1990, does the weight of evidence suggest the species still occurs in the plan area?
Yes___ No___
Provide explanation for determination Not applicable. There are known occurrences since 1990. If determination is no, stop assessment
d. Map 1, White spruce conservation status in the US and Canada (NatureServe 2017)
NatureServe. 2017. Conservation Species Report. Picea glauca. Internet website: http://explorer.natureserve.org. Accessed on October 4, 2017. e. Map 2, White spruce range in Idaho and surrounding states and provinces (NRCS 2017)
USDA. 2017. Plants Profile for Picea glauca. Internet website: https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=pigl. Accessed on October 3, 2017. f. Map 3, White spruce occurrences on the Salmon–Challis National Forest (IDFG. 2017. Idaho Fish and Wildlife Information System, Species Diversity Database, Idaho Natural Heritage Data.
Accessed February 27, 2017.)
3. Is There Substantial Concern for the Species’ Capability to persist Over the Long-term in the Plan Area Based on Best Available Scientific Information?
Table 2. Status summary based on existing conservation assessments
Entity Status/Rank (include definition if Other) Global Rank G5– Secure (Common; widespread and abundant)1
State Rank S1– Critically Imperiled (Critically imperiled because of extreme rarity or because some factor of its biology makes it especially vulnerable to extinction (typically 5 or fewer occurrences)1 USDA Forest Region 1: Not listed2 Service Region 4: Not listed3 USDI FWS Not listed as candidate species4 Other Idaho Native Plant Society: 2016 – on list, not yet ranked5; 2011 – SP2 (Taxa likely to be classified as Priority 1 within the foreseeable future in Idaho, if factors contributing to their population decline or habitat degradation or loss continue)6
BLM– Type 4 (Species of Concern - These are species generally rare in Idaho with small populations or localized distribution and currently have low threat levels. However, due to the small populations and habitat area, certain future land uses in close proximity could significantly jeopardize these species)7 1. Idaho Natural Heritage Program. 2016. IDNHP Tracked Plant Species 2016. On file. Accessed January 12, 2018 2. USFS Region 1. 2011. 2011 Sensitive Species List Idaho and Montana. Website: http://fsweb.r1.fs.fed.us/wildlife/wwfrp/TESnew.htm. Accessed January 10, 2017. 3. USFS Region 4. 2016. Proposed, Endangered, Threatened, and Sensitive Species List. On file. Accessed January 11, 2017. 4. USFWS. 2017. Candidate species believed to or known to occur in Idaho. Website: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/reports/species-listed-by-state-report?state=ID&status=candidate. Accessed January 12, 2018. 5. Idaho Native Plant Society. 2016. INPS Rare Plant List May 2016. https://idahonativeplants.org/rare-plants-list/ Accessed January 10, 2018. 6. Idaho Native Plant Society. 2011. Results of the twenty-fifth Idaho Rare Plant Conference – The Idaho Native Plant Society rare plant list. Website: https://idahonativeplants.org/rpc/pdf/2011_Results_IRPC_v2.2.pdf. Accessed on January 11, 2018. 7. BLM. 2016. Bureau of Land Management Idaho Special Status Plants List Aug 2016. On file. Accessed 15 January, 2018.
Table 3. Status summary based on best available scientific information.
Species (Scientific and Common Name): Picea glauca (white spruce)
Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations 1 A White spruce is known from a single population, consisting of two IDFG. 2017. Idaho Fish and Wildlife Distribution on individuals, on the Forest (IDFG 2017), suggesting the species is scarce Information System, Species Diversity Salmon–Challis (Rank A). The occurrence record is at 8,800 feet in elevation in the Lemhi Database, Idaho Natural Heritage National Forest Mountains in a valley bottom between Meadow Creek and Forest Service Data. Accessed on February 27, 2017. Road 002.
Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low 2 C White spruce communities are widespread throughout the North Abrahamson, Ilana. 2015. Picea Distribution in American boreal region and inhabit vast tracts of Canada and Alaska. The glauca, white spruce. In: Fire Effects surrounding species is less prominent in the moist, eastern part of the North Information System, [Online]. U.S. geographic area American continent and becomes increasingly prominent in the drier Department of Agriculture, Forest western and northwestern regions (Abrahamson 2015). Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory
(Producer). Internet website: This species occurs in the following states: Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/p (S1), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana lants/tree/picgla/all.html. Accessed on (S3), New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South October 3, 2017. Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming (S2) (NatureServe 2017). This information indicates that the northern US may IDFG. 2017. Idaho Fish and Wildlife be the southern extent of the range. Information System, Species Diversity Database, Idaho Natural Heritage In Idaho, this species is known from five populations (IDFG 2017). The Data. Accessed on February 27, 2017. nearest population to EO 2 is at Henrys Lake approximately 95 miles east. These parts of Idaho are considered to be at the southern end of the NatureServe. 2017. Comprehensive Report Species. Picea glauca. Internet species distribution. website: https://www.natureserve.org. This species has a wide distribution outside of the Forest (Rank C). Accessed on October 3, 2017. Confidence in this rank is high as there are many documented populations outside the Forest.
Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low
Species (Scientific and Common Name): Picea glauca (white spruce)
Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations 3 C Seeds from white spruce are dispersed primarily by wind (Abrahamson Abrahamson, Ilana. 2015. Picea Dispersal 2015). The seeds are small and lightweight and most seeds fall within 200 glauca, white spruce. In: Fire Effects Capability feet of the parent trees. Several factors can influence dispersal distance Information System, [Online]. U.S. including wind speed, release height, and intercepting canopy Department of Agriculture, Forest (Abrahamson 2015). For individuals growing in floodplains, water may act Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory as a dispersal agent. (Producer). Internet website: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/p Several factors can influence the dispersal capability of white spruce lants/tree/picgla/all.html. Accessed on including distance from the parent tree and seedbed. Seed viability has October 3, 2017. been found to be inversely proportional to the distance from the parent tree (Abrahamson 2015). Seed viability over 330 feet from the parent NRCS. 2013. Plant Guide. White tree dropped to 31 percent while seeds within 330 feet had a viability of Spruce. Picea glauca. Internet website: 48 percent. Seedbeds from floods and wind-throw have been noted as https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pd being particularly productive. Large numbers of white spruce may f/pg_pigl.pdf. Accessed on October 3, become established immediately following a disturbance event (NRCS 2017. 2013).
This species disperses only through suitable habitat (Rank C). The confidence in this rank is high as dispersal mechanisms for this species have been well studied.
Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low 4 A This species is known from one population consisting of two individuals IDFG. 2017. Idaho Fish and Wildlife Abundance on the (IDFG 2017), and appears to be at the edge of its geographic range. As Information System, Species Diversity Salmon–Challis such, population size and density would be expected to be smaller as the Database, Idaho Natural Heritage National Forest environmental conditions become less suitable. Given current available Data. Accessed February 27, 2017. information, this species is assumed to be rare on the Forest, and the current abundance is low enough that the species is no longer viable on the Forest (Rank A).
Species (Scientific and Common Name): Picea glauca (white spruce)
Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low 5 D There is one documented population, consisting of two trees, on the IDFG. 2017. Idaho Fish and Wildlife Population Trend Forest but this population has not been monitored consistently. The two Information System, Species Diversity on the Salmon– established trees are stable, but no population data is available that Database, Idaho Natural Heritage Challis National would provide an indication as to trends in recruitment (Rank D), though Data. Accessed February 27, 2017. Forest recruitment is not likely to be occurring (Rose Lehman, pers. commun.).
Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low 6 B Globally, P. glauca occurs in a variety of habitats that include riparian, Abrahamson, Ilana. 2015. Picea Habitat Trend on upland, and treeline sites. It grows best on well-drained soils but occurs glauca, white spruce. In: Fire Effects the Salmon–Challis on a variety of land forms and soil types, with many different plant Information System, [Online]. U.S. National Forest associates (Abrahmson 2015). The SCNF likely represents one of the Department of Agriculture, Forest southernmost extents of the geographic range, and the remaining Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory population is likely a glacial relic. P. glauca has been known to establish (Producer). Internet website: immediately following disturbance in some parts of its distribution (NRCS https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/p 2013), however, Abrahamson (2015) found the tree would not lants/tree/picgla/all.html. Accessed on reestablish well after large disturbances such as a stand-replacing October 3, 2017. wildfire. The Meadow Creek Valley bottom is dominated by coniferous forest (Picea englemannii) with a canopy cover of approximately 50 Google Earth. 2017. Salmon–Challis percent. National Forest. Internet website: https://www.google.com/earth/. Aerial imagery of habitat at EO 2 was assessed for ground disturbing Accessed on October 3, 2017. activities including wildfire, invasive infestation, grazing, mining, and roads and trails (Google Earth 2017). Additionally, a USFS database of IDFG. 2017. Idaho Fish and Wildlife Information System, Species Diversity existing grazing allotments, invasive plant populations, and historical Database, Idaho Natural Heritage wildfires on the Forest was also queried for overlap with EO 2 (USFS Data. Accessed February 27, 2017. 2016). Notes from historical collections were also reviewed as they contain information on threats to habitat. NRCS. 2013. Plant Guide. White Spruce. Picea glauca. Internet website: A review of aerial imagery found no evidence of grazing in the form of https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pd
Species (Scientific and Common Name): Picea glauca (white spruce)
Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations stock ponds, cattle trails, or fence lines (Google Earth 2017), although an f/pg_pigl.pdf. Accessed on October 3, active grazing allotment does overlap EO 2 (USFS 2016). 2017.
There are no mapped occurrences of invasive plants at EO 2. Invasive USFS. 2016. SDE RMU Range plant species (spotted knapweed [Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos]) Allotments. GIS Database Information. Data source: S_R04_SCF.rmu_unit. have been mapped on the eastern foothills of the Lemhi Mountains Last updated March 30, 2016. (USFS 2016).
One fire of 0.1 acres was mapped as occurring in the Meadow Creek valley (USFS 2016). No evidence of fire was depicted in the current or historical aerial imagery (Google Earth 2017). No threats to populations were noted on the EO 2 record.
There is no evidence to suggest that there has been a significant upward or downward trend in habitat amount or quality (Rank B). Confidence in this rank is medium as there have been no documented site visits to confirm the condition of habitat at EO 2.
Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low 7 B Within the habitat for this species, the most significant drivers would Abrahamson, Ilana. 2015. Picea Vulnerability of likely be wildfire, insects and disease, and changes in climate. glauca, white spruce. In: Fire Effects Habitats on the Information System, [Online]. U.S. Salmon–Challis This species is relatively intolerant of wildfire and will not replace itself in Department of Agriculture, Forest National Forest a stand replacing fire (Abrahamson 2015). A review of aerial imagery Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory found no evidence of recent wildfires (Google Earth 2017), although it is (Producer). Internet website: unclear if suppression has made fire more likely near the EO. P. glauca https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/p has been observed to establish immediately following small disturbances lants/tree/picgla/all.html. Accessed on in other parts of its distribution (NRCS 2013). The dominant conifer was October 3, 2017. noted to be Engleman spruce which usually occurs in mature to old growth forests (USFS 2017).
Species (Scientific and Common Name): Picea glauca (white spruce)
Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations Behrens, P.N., R.E. Keane, D.L. White spruce is susceptible to insect infestations (Abrahamson 2015). Peterson, and J.J. Ho. 2018. Chapter 6: Aerial imagery from 2014 was assessed to determine if mixed conifer effects of climatic variability and stands were suspected of insect infestations and 30 to 60 percent of the change on forest vegetation. In Forest was depicted as dead trees in the Meadow Creek Valley. The 2014 Halofsky, J.E., D.L. Peterson, J.J. Ho, N.L. Little, L.A. Joyce, editors. 2018. imagery contrasts markedly with imagery from 2009 which depicts no Changes in climate vulnerability and dead trees present. As the dead trees are mixed in between live trees, adaptation in the Intermountain wildfire is not likely the cause of the mortalities. Insect infestations may Region. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR- be the source of tree mortality in this area (see Criterion 8). XXX. Fort Collins, CO: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky To project the future climate and impacts to resources in the Mountain Research Station. Intermountain Region including the Salmon-Challis, the Intermountain Adaptation Partnership (IAP) used Representative Concentration Google Earth. 2017. Salmon–Challis Pathway [RCP] 4.5 and 8.5, which capture a moderate and high future National Forest. Internet website: warming, respectively (Halofsky et al. 2018). Although pathways https://www.google.com/earth/. predicting lower warming exist, the 4.5 and 8.5 pathways were chosen by Accessed on October 3, 2017.
the IAP because they are, in comparison, well studied providing a large Halofsky, J.E., D.L. Peterson, J.J. Ho, set of projections that enhance our understanding of the possible range N.L. Little, L.A. Joyce, editors. 2018. in future climate. Thus, this represents best available science for our Changes in climate vulnerability and Forest with regard to a warming climate. adaptation in the Intermountain Region. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR- Although uncertainty exists about the magnitude and rate of changes in xxx. Fort Collins, CO: US Department of climate (For a discussion of this see Behrens et al. 2018), warming Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky temperatures are the most certain consequence of increased CO2 in the Mountain Research Station. atmosphere. By 2100, median minimum temperature in the Middle Rockies subregion, which includes the Salmon-Challis, is projected to rise Joyce, L.A. and M. Talbert. 2018. about 5˚F under the moderate warming scenario and about 10˚F under Chapter 3: Historical and projected climate. In Halofsky, J.E., D.L. Peterson, the high warming scenario. Regardless of scenario, the greatest J.J. Ho, N.L. Little, L.A. Joyce, editors. departure from historical seasonal minimum temperatures occurs in the 2018. Changes in climate vulnerability summer. Annual precipitation projections are highly variable with no and adaptation in the Intermountain
Species (Scientific and Common Name): Picea glauca (white spruce)
Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations discernible trend under moderate warming and a slight increasing trend Region. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR- with high warming (Joyce and Talbert 2018). xxx. Fort Collins, CO: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Subalpine spruce-fir forests are projected to be moderately vulnerable to Mountain Research Station. a warmer climate (Halofsky et al. 2018), however, the glacial relic NRCS. 2013. Plant Guide. White habitats that P. glauca is found in on the SCNF may be exceptionally Spruce. Picea glauca. Internet website: vulnerable climatic factors and have low adaptive capacity to changes in https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pd climate. Changes in climate is expected to cause increasingly warmer f/pg_pigl.pdf. Accessed on October 3, conditions, with worsening summer drought and reduced soil moisture 2017. (Halofsky et al. 2018; IDFG 2017). Risk of high severity fires and fire frequency, as well as, risk of insect outbreaks are likely to be exacerbated USFS (United States Department of by changes in climate (Halofsky et al. 2018). Agriculture Forest Service). 2017. Salmon-Challis National Forest Plan The degree to which both populations and habitats are vulnerable to loss Revision Assessments. Topics 1& 2: or disturbance on the Forest are dependent upon variability in severity of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Aquatic impacts from changes in climate, wildfire, and insect outbreaks (Rank B). Ecosystems, Watersheds, Air, Soil, Water. Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low
8 White spruce is a long-lived perennial tree species with winged seeds Abrahamson, Ilana. 2015. Picea Life History and that are dispersed by wind. In general, most white spruce seeds fail to glauca, white spruce. In: Fire Effects Demographics germinate, and viability varies among years, stands, dispersal periods, Information System, [Online]. U.S. and regions. High viability generally occurs in years with high seed Department of Agriculture, Forest production (Abrahamson 2015). Pollination occurs over a 3- to 5-day Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory period in May, June, or July depending on the location and climate. (Producer). Internet website: White spruce is monoecious. Self-pollination in this species is detrimental https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/p to seed viability with empty seed averages being five to 22 times higher lants/tree/picgla/all.html. Accessed on than that from comparable cross-pollinators (Fowler and Park 1983). October 3, 2017.
In addition to depressed seed viability, the impacts of a small population Ellstrand C. E., and Diane R. E. 1993. may include reduced genetic diversity and fitness (Ellstrand and Elam Population Genetic Consequences of
Species (Scientific and Common Name): Picea glauca (white spruce)
Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations 1993). Reduced genetic diversity and fitness can be a result of genetic Small Population Size: Implications for drift and inbreeding. Genetic drift and inbreeding is most likely to occur Plant Conservation. Annual Review of in small (less than 100 individuals) and isolated populations (Ellstrand Ecology and Systematics. Vol. 24:217- and Elam 1993). 242. Internet website: http://web.nateko.lu.se/courses/ngen 03/Ellstrand-Elam-1993.pdf. Accessed Insect outbreaks, especially those of eastern spruce budworm and spruce on October 4, 2017. beetles, affect forest structure and successional patterns in portions of white spruce's distribution. Both insects preferentially attack large, Fowler, D. P. and Y. S. Park. 1983. overstory host trees leaving the understory intact and able to emerge Population studies of white spruce. into the canopy (Abrahamson 2015). Mountain pine beetle has been Effects of self-pollination. Canadian mapped as occurring in the Lemhi Mountains and may be responsible for Journal of Forest Research. Vol. 13, conifer mortalities in white spruce habitat (USFS 2017). No. 6: pp. 1133-1138. Internet website: The low seed viability of this species and its susceptibility to insect http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi infestations coupled with a population consisting of two individuals on /pdf/10.1139/x83-151. Accessed on the Forest this species is ranked as having a low reproductive rate and October 3, 2017.
high mortality (Rank A). Confidence in this rank is medium as the effects USFS (United States Department of of insect infestations have not been evaluated. Agriculture Forest Service). 2017. Salmon-Challis National Forest Plan Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low Revision Assessments. Topics 1& 2: Terrestrial Ecosystems, Aquatic Ecosystems, Watersheds, Air, Soil, Water. Summary and recommendations: P. glauca is considered secure globally and critically imperiled in Idaho. It is Date: 10/3/2017 known on the SCNF from a single population consisting of two individuals in the Lemhi Mountains.
P. glauca is known to have a low reproductive rate, short dispersal distances, and high seed mortality. Globally, habitat for this species is variable across its range but appears to consist of sub-alpine spruce-fir forest on the SCNF. The species is likely at the southernmost end of its distribution, and is likely a glacial relic population. Habitat trends
Species (Scientific and Common Name): Picea glauca (white spruce)
Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations at the EO are likely stable, however, the population is likely vulnerable to high-severity wildfire, insect infestation, changes in climate, and natural mortality.
P. glauca is likely a glacial relic on the SCNF, and the current population is not viable long-term as there are no other occurrences on the Forest. Given the current available information, after the natural lifespan of the two individuals, this species will no longer persist on the Salmon-Challis, therefore it is not recommended as a SCC.
Evaluator(s): Dan Morta