Hart Prairie is one of the larger open introduced early this century after the local meadowland areas on the west flank of the Merriam’s elk were hunted to extinction, have HART San Francisco Peaks, northwest of Flagstaff, had a serious impact on the ability of both the Arizona. In 1994, 245 acres of this high willow community and surrounding aspen mountain grassland and forest were donated forests to regenerate. Young saplings of both PRAIRIE to The Nature Conservancy by the Dick and species are relished by elk and deer. AND Jean Wilson family of Flagstaff. Since then, the Consequently, much of the stands of these THE FERN MOUNTAIN AREA Conservancy has protected and restored the trees that you see are aging, without young globally rare Bebb willow wet meadow replacements. Ponderosa pines are • community, and the Conservancy and its encroaching on the open meadowlands, collaborators have researched the effects of outcompeting the wetland plants in the drier PLANT their conservation efforts on this important conditions created by the changes discussed CHECKLIST wildlife habitat. above. A number of human impacts have altered the The Nature Conservancy is actively The Nature Conservancy course of this landscape from its original experimenting with restoring natural • processes to the Preserve, and is cooperatively Coconino National trajectory over 100 years ago. The ponderosa Forest pine forests that surround the meadowlands working with the US Forest Service and the • were once far more open, with grassland and Arizona Department of Game & Fish to effect Arizona an understory of of shrubs filling the open positive changes to the landscape. Fire has prairie between scattered large pines. Low been reintroduced to the prairie successfully, intensity grass fires would sweep through the and some of the encroaching ponderosas have area randomly on a two to fifteen year cycle, been removed. Stock tanks have also been killing young pine saplings but leaving the removed, and the original meandering stream thick-barked older trees intact. Livestock channels have been restored to help distribute grazing and active fire suppression have runoff from precipitation throughout the site, resulted in a far greater density of young and to recharge the groundwater. Elk and pines, reducing the overall health of the deer numbers are being reduced to more ecosystem for several reasons. More nutrients natural levels, and in the meantime, fencing are locked in the biomass of the trees, fallen has been placed around some willow stands limbs, and needle litter, and are not recycled for protection of both mature trees and new back into soil nutrients as they naturally seedlings. Monitoring of rare and significant would be by fire. There is greater competition plant species, and of the hydrologic effects of for groundwater, and more tree evapo- restoration is ongoing, with special attention transpiration, reducing soil moisture from its being given to how the ecosystem responds to previous levels. The existing trees are thus management activities. weaker, and dense forests are more prone to catastrophic fires that kill everything in their Despite the issues The Nature Conservancy is paths, making regeneration much more trying to address on the Preserve, an This list identifies plants that have been observed on the Nature Conservancy’s difficult. incredible diversity of plant species exist and Homestead at Hart Prairie Preserve, and in the continue to delight visitors and researchers surrounding areas of the Coconino National who spend time here. The checklist that you Forrest. It is organized by currently accepted In addition, early settlers channelized the scientific names as given by the USDA Plant original meandering streambeds through the hold in your hands is a work in progress, and Database website. Former synonyms follow in prairie in order to bring water to their will continue to be updated as additional parentheses. Common names are according to the USDA database. This list is based on past cultivated fields, further reducing natural species are recorded. Please feel free to note observation by Arthur and Barbara Phillips, Bob percolation and soil retention of water needed any new plants that you may see and inform Wilson, Edward Smith, Andrew Peters, on by wetland plants such as the Bebb willows. the Conservancy staff or volunteers. herbarium research, and on recent field collection by Keri Stiverson, Max Licher, and Wendy This, along with excess herbivory (grazing by Hodgson as part of an ongoing PAPAZ (Plant wildlife), has had a detrimental effect on the Atlas Project for Arizona) project. Introduced, non-native species are marked with an asterisk*. health of the meadow ecosystem. High Sept. 2010 numbers of Rocky Mountain elk, which were TREES APOCYNACEAE DOGBANE FAMILY BORAGINACEAE BORAGE FAMILY ___ Apocynum androsaemifolium Spreading Dogbane ___ Cryptantha cinerea James’ Cryptantha ___ Cryptantha setosissima Bristly Cryptantha CUPRESSACEAE CYPRESS FAMILY ASCLEPIADACEAE MILKWEED FAMILY ___ Hackelia floribunda Manyflower Stickseed ___ Juniperus monosperma Oneseed Juniper ___ Asclepias speciosa Showy Milkweed ___ Lappula occidentalis Whitebristle Stickseed (L. redowski) PINACEAE PINE FAMILY ASTERACEAE SUNFLOWER FAMILY ___ Lithospermum cobrense Smooth Puccoon ___ Abies lasiocarpa Coarkbark Fir ___ Achillea millefolium Western Yarrow ___ Lithospermum multiflorum Manyflower Puccoon ___ Abies concolor White Fir ___ Agoseris aurantica Orange Mtn. Dandelion ___ Macromeria viridiflora Giant Trumpets ___ Picea engelmannii Engelman Spruce ___ Agoseris glauca Pale Mountain Dandelion ___ Mertensia fransiscana Franciscan Bluebells ___ Pinus aristata Bristlecone Pine ___ Ambrosia tomentosa Skeletonleaf Bursage ___ Plagiobothrys scouleri Sleeping Popcornflower ___ Pinus edulis Pinyon Pine (Franseria discolor) (Plagiobothrys cognatus) ___ Pinus strobiformis Southwestern White Pine ___ Antennaria parvifolia Small-leaf Pussytoes ___ Pinus ponderosa Ponderosa Pine (Antennaria aprica) BRASSICACEAE MUSTARD FAMILY ___ Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir ___ Antennaria rosulata Kaibab Pusytoes ___ Barbarea orthoceras American Wintercress ___ Artemisia carruthii Carruth’s Sagewort ___ Capsellla bursa-pastoris* Shepherd’s Purse SALICACEAE WILLOW FAMILY ___ Artemisia dracunculus False Tarragon ___ Descurainia incana Mountain Tansymustard ___ Populus tremuloides Quaking Aspen ___ Artemisia ludoviciana Louisiana Sagewort (Descurainia richardsonii) ___ Salix bebbiana Bebb Willow ___ Bahia dissecta Ragleaf Bahia ___ Draba aurea Golden Draba ___ Salix scouleriana Scouler Willow ___ Brickellia grandiflora Tassleflower Bricklebush ___ Lepidium sp. Pepperweed sp. ___ Cirsium scariosum Meadow Thistle ___ Penellia longifolia (C. drummondii misapplied) (Thelypodium longifolium) ___ Cirsium vulgare* Bull Thistle ___ Rorippa sphaerocarpa Roundfruit Yellowcress SHRUBS ___ Cirsium wheeleri Wheeler’s Thistle ___ Schoenocrambe linearifolia Slimleaf Plainsmustard ___ Erigeron divergens Spreading Fleabane (Thelypodiopsis linearifolia) ASTERACEAE SUNFLOWER FAMILY ___ Erigeron flagellaris Trailing Fleabane ___ Thlaspi montanum Fendler’s Pennycress ___ Brickellia californica California Brickelbush ___ Erigeron formosissimus Beautiful Fleabane (T. fendleri) ___ Ericameria nauseosa Rubber Rabbitbrush ___ Erigeron neomexicanus New Mexico Fleabane (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) ___ Erigeron speciosus v. macranthrus Aspen Fleabane CALLITRICHACEAE WATER STARWORT FAMILY (E. macranthrus) ___ Callitriche sp. Water Starwort BERBERIDACEAE BARBERRY FAMILY ___ Gnaphalium exilifolium Slender Cudweed ___ Berberis repens Creeping Barberry (G. grayi) CAMPANULACEAE BELLFLOWER FAMILY ___ Helianthella quinquenervis Fivenerve Helianthella ___ Campanula parryi Parry’s Bellflower CAPRIFOLIACEAE HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY ___ Heliomeris multiflora Showy Goldeneye ___ Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis Blue Elderberry (Viguiera multiflora) CAPRIFOLIACEAE HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY (S. glauca) ___ Hieracium fendleri Yellow Hawkweed ___ Lonicera arizonica Arizona Honeysuckle ___ Sambucus racemosa Red Elderberry ___ Hymenopappus mexicanus Mexican Wollywhite ___ Lonicera involucrata Twinberry Honeysuckle ___ Hymenoxys hoopseii Western Sneezeweed CUPRESSACEAE CYPRESS FAMILY (Helenium hoopseii, Dugaldia hoopseii) CARYOPHYLLACEAE PINK FAMILY ___ Juniperus communis Common Juniper ___ Hymenoxys richardsonii Colorado Rubberweed ___ Arenaria fendleri Fendler’s Sandwort ___ Lactuca serriola* Prickly Lettuce ___ Arenaria lanuginosa Spreading Sandwort GROSSULARIACEAE GOOSEBERRY FAMILY ___ Leucanthemum vulgare* Oxeye Daisy ___ Cerastium fontanum ssp. vulgare* Common Chickweed ___ Ribes cereum Wax Currant ___ Machaeranthera canescens Hoary Aster (C. vulgatum*) (R. inebrians) (Aster canescens & A. tephrodes) ___ Silene scouleri Scouler’s Catchfly ___ Ribes pinetorum Orange Gooseberry ___ Oreochrysum parryi Parry’s Goldenrod (Haplopappus parryi, Solidago parryi) CHENOPODIACEAE GOOSEFOOT FAMILY RHAMNACEAE BUCKTHORN FAMILY ___ Pericome caudata Taperleaf ___ Chenopodium album* Lamb’s Quarters ___ Ceanothus fendleri Fendler’s Ceanothus ___ Pseudognaphalium macounii Macoun’s Cudweed ___ Chenopodium capitatum Strawberry Blight (Gnaphalium macounii) ___ Chenopodium fremontii Fremont’s Goosefoot ROSACEAE ROSE FAMILY ___ Pyrrocoma crocea Orange Skyflower ____ Chenopodium graveolens Fetid Goosefoot ___ Amelanchier alnifolia Saskatoon Serviceberry (Haplopappus croceus) ___ Chenopodium sp. Narrowleaf Goosefoot ___ Dasiphora floribunda Bush Cinquefoil ___ Rudbeckia