SPECIES: Scientific [common] longiseta (long-stalked thread ) Forest: Salmon–Challis National Forest Forest Reviewer: Jessica M Dhaemers; Brittni Brown; John Proctor Date of Review: 10/12/2017; 26 February 2018; 30 March 2018 Forest concurrence (or YES 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_ X No___

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 ______

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.) 1995 No data Allan Lake; ca 0.4 mi S of Allan IDFG Element Occurrence Mountain EO Number: 1 EO_ID: 1151 North Fork 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. Species occurrences have been documented since 1990.

If determination is no, stop assessment

d. Map 1, Long-stalked thread moss range in Idaho (NRCS 2017)

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). 2017. Profile for . Internet website: https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=MELO70. Accessed on September 18, 2017. Map 2, Long-stalked thread moss observations on the Salmon–Challis National Forest (IDFG. 2017. Idaho Fish and Wildlife Information System, Species Diversity Database, Idaho Natural Heritage Data. Accessed on 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 G4? Apparently Secure (Uncommon but not rare; some cause for long-term concern due to declines or other factors)1 State Rank S1– Critically Imperiled (At very high risk of due to extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer populations), very steep declines, or other factors.)1 USDA Forest Region 1: Idaho Panhandle National Forest (Known)2 Service Region 4: Not listed3 USDI FWS Not listed as a candidate species4 Other Idaho Native Society: 2016 – on list, not yet ranked5; 2011 - SP1 Critically Imperiled (At very high risk of extinction due to extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer populations), very steep declines, or other factors.)6

BLM: Not listed7 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): Meesia longiseta (long-stalked thread moss)

Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations 1 A1 This species is known from a single occurrence on SCNF. A population of IDFG. 2017. Idaho Fish and Wildlife Distribution on M. longiseta was observed at Allan Lake in Allen Mountain RNA, Information System, Species Diversity Salmon–Challis approximately 0.4 miles south of Allan Mountain in the North Fork Database, Idaho Natural Heritage National Forest Ranger District (IDFG 2017). Species-specific surveys have not been Data. Accessed on February 27, 2017. conducted on SCNF and the distribution of this species is currently unknown.

The boggy forest and calcareous that this species occupies is scarce throughout SCNF and there is a strong potential for extirpations and little likelihood of recolonization (Rank A1).

Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low 2 B This moss is known from Greenland to Alaska and south to Idaho Consortium of Pacific Northwest Distribution in (historical there), Illinois, Ohio, and New York, where it is only known Herbaria. 2017. Meesia longiseta. surrounding historically (NatureServe 2017). In general, M. longiseta is a rare, but Internet website: geographic area widespread moss, with a circumboreal distribution occasionally http://www.pnwherbaria.org/data/res extending into the arctic (Abramova 1956 in Favreau and Bassard 2011.). ults.php?DisplayAs=WebPage&Exclude Cultivated=Y&GroupBy=ungrouped&S The nearest documented occurrence to SCNF is in Okanogan County, ortBy=Year&SortOrder=DESC&SearchA Washington, over 300 miles from the SCNF occurrence (CPNWH 2017). llHerbaria=Y&QueryCount=1&Genus1= meesia&Species1=longiseta&IncludeSy This species is not restricted to SCNF and has widespread circumboreal nonyms1=Y&Zoom=4&Lat=55&Lng=- distribution but the nearest occurrence is a significant distance from 135&PolygonCount=0. Accessed on SCNF (Rank B). September 19, 2017.

Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low Favreau, M. and G.R. Brassard. 2011. An analysis of Meesia (, Musci) in arctic North America and Greenland. – Carnets de bryologie 1: 2- 9. 1. Internet website: http://www.societequebecoisedebryol ogie.org/Carnets/Carnets1/Carnets1_F

Species (Scientific and Common Name): Meesia longiseta (long-stalked thread moss)

Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations avreau_Brassard_Meesia.pdf. Accessed on September 19, 2017.

NatureServe. 2017. Comprehensive Species Report. Meesia longiseta. Internet website: http://explorer.natureserve.org. Accessed on September 18, 2017. 3 A Specific studies for the dispersal capability of this species have not been Dillingham, C. 2005. Conservation Dispersal conducted. However, some generalization are made from bryophytes in Assessment for (L.) Capability general and applied to this species. Aongstr. (three-ranked hump-moss) and Hedwig (broad- Asexual reproduction is common in most bryophytes and dispersal nerved hump-moss) in California with a focus on the Sierra Nevada distances may be limited even in those that reproduce through . Bioregion. Internet website: (Stoneburner et al. 1992). Although bryophytes are capable of being https://www.fs.fed.us/vms/local- transported hundreds of miles, successful establishment is the exception resources/documents/Meesia_CA.pdf. and not the rule (Pocz and van Zanten 1981). Plant competition has also Accessed on September 18, 2017. been cited as the most important factor in preventing the successful colonization of an area (Pocz and Van Zanten 1981). Populations of Pocz T., van Zanten B.O. 1981. Meesia have been noted to not recolonize areas readily and to have Distribution and dispersal of limited outcrossing opportunities (Dillingham 2005). bryophytes. Adv. Bryol. 1:479-562. Internet website: The fen habitat for this species is also uncommon. The availability of this https://www.researchgate.net/publica type of habitat would severely limit the dispersal capability of this tion/290842887_Distribution_and_dis persal_of_bryophytes. Accessed on species. September 19, 2017.

This species has a very limited dispersal ability due to reproductive Stoneburner A, Lane D.M., Anderson constraints and habitat availability (Rank A). L.E. 1992. dispersal distances in Atrichum angustatum Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low (Polytrichaceae). Bryologist 95:324- 328. Internet website:

Species (Scientific and Common Name): Meesia longiseta (long-stalked thread moss)

Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations https://www.jstor.org/stable/3243491 ?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents. Accessed on September 18, 2017.

4 D The population density of this species has not been documented for this Abundance on the species (Rank D). Salmon–Challis National Forest Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low 5 D The population trend for this species has not been studied on SCNF (Rank Population Trend D). on the Salmon– Challis National Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low Forest 6 B This species grows in calcareous or boggy woods (Crum and Google Earth. 2017. Salmon–Challis Habitat Trend on Anderson 1981 in Natureserve 2017). On SCNF this species is known from National Forest. Internet website: the Salmon–Challis a single occurrence at Allan Lake. The habitat at Allan Lake is classified as https://www.google.com/earth/. National Forest PFO or PEM which occur at an elevation of 7,820 feet. Allan Accessed on September 19, 2017. Lake lies beneath the south facing, sparsely vegetated talus slope of Allan NatureServe. 2017. Comprehensive Mountain. The surrounding vegetation is dense coniferous forests Species Report. Meesia longiseta. (Google Earth 2017). Internet website: http://explorer.natureserve.org. Recent fen mapping on the SCNF identified 1,126 acres of ‘likely fen’ Accessed on September 18, 2017. locations, and an additional 4,622 acres were identified as either ‘possible fen’ or ‘low likelihood fen’ (Smith et al. 2017). Livestock Smith, G., Lemly, J., & Schroder, K. impacted fens have been observed on the SCNF (Beth Waterbury pers. 2017. Fen mapping for the Salmon- commun.) The fen ecosystem has been recognized by the EPA as Challis National Forest. Colorado declining from the 1950’s to the 1970’s (EPA 2017). The EPA (2017) also Natural Heritage Program, Colorado state that because of large historical losses, the fen ecosystem is now State University, Fort Collins, CO. much rarer and that protection of them is crucial. U.S. EPA. 2017. Wetlands Classification

and Types. Internet website:

Species (Scientific and Common Name): Meesia longiseta (long-stalked thread moss)

Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetla While this species occurs on a rare type of habitat that has declined nds-classification-and-types#fens. historically in the U.S., within the SCNF, there appears to be little Accessed on September 19, 2017. disturbance around the known population and there is a stable amount of suitable habitat (Rank B)

Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low 7 B M. longiseta and its known habitat is most vulnerable to changes in Behrens, P.N., R.E. Keane, D.L. Vulnerability of climate. Peterson, and J.J. Ho. 2018. Chapter 6: on the effects of climatic variability and Salmon–Challis Dillingham (2005) cites water levels and the nutrient concentration of change on forest vegetation. In National Forest incoming water as the two most critical factors affecting the abundance Halofsky, J.E., D.L. Peterson, J.J. Ho, N.L. Little, L.A. Joyce, editors. 2018. and distribution of peatland species. A review of aerial imagery indicates Changes in climate vulnerability and that the water levels in Allan Lake have remained steady since 1997 adaptation in the Intermountain (Google Earth 2017). The nutrient concentration of water being supplied Region. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR- to Allan Lake is unknown. However, there does not appear to be any XXX. Fort Collins, CO: US Department ground disturbing activities in the vicinity that would influence the of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky nutrient concentration (Google Earth 2017). Mountain Research Station.

To project the future climate and impacts to resources in the Dillingham, C. 2005. Conservation Intermountain Region including the Salmon-Challis, the Intermountain Assessment for Meesia triquetra (L.) Adaptation Partnership (IAP) used Representative Concentration Aongstr. (three-ranked hump-moss) Pathway [RCP] 4.5 and 8.5, which capture a moderate and high future and Meesia uliginosa Hedwig (broad- nerved hump-moss) in California with warming, respectively (Halofsky et al. 2018). Although pathways a focus on the Sierra Nevada predicting lower warming exist, the 4.5 and 8.5 pathways were chosen by Bioregion. Internet website: the IAP because they are, in comparison, well studied providing a large https://www.fs.fed.us/vms/local- set of projections that enhance our understanding of the possible range resources/documents/Meesia_CA.pdf. in future climate. Thus, this represents best available science for our Accessed on September 18, 2017. Forest with regard to a warming climate. Google Earth. 2017. Salmon–Challis

Species (Scientific and Common Name): Meesia longiseta (long-stalked thread moss)

Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations Although uncertainty exists about the magnitude and rate of changes in National Forest. Internet website: climate (For a discussion of this see Behrens et al. 2018), warming https://www.google.com/earth/. temperatures are the most certain consequence of increased CO2 in the Accessed on September 19, 2017. atmosphere. By 2100, median minimum temperature in the Middle Rockies subregion, which includes the Salmon-Challis, is projected to rise Halofsky, J.E., D.L. Peterson, J.J. Ho, N.L. Little, L.A. Joyce, editors. 2018. about 5˚F under the moderate warming scenario and about 10˚F under Changes in climate vulnerability and the high warming scenario. Regardless of scenario, the greatest adaptation in the Intermountain departure from historical seasonal minimum temperatures occurs in the Region. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR- summer. Annual precipitation projections are highly variable with no xxx. Fort Collins, CO: US Department of discernible trend under moderate warming and a slight increasing trend Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky with high warming (Joyce and Talbert 2018). Mountain Research Station.

Riparian and communities in the Intermountain Region will be Joyce, L.A. and M. Talbert. 2018. moderately to highly vulnerable to climate warming depending on Chapter 3: Historical and projected elevation (Halofsky et al. 2018). Plant communities composition and climate. In Halofsky, J.E., D.L. Peterson, structure will be affected by increased water stress, and this could drive J.J. Ho, N.L. Little, L.A. Joyce, editors. 2018. Changes in climate vulnerability the replacement of riparian and wetland species with drought-tolerant and adaptation in the Intermountain upland species. This will be exacerbated where diversions and dams have Region. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR- been constructed. The adaptive capacity of systems will be greatly xxx. Fort Collins, CO: US Department of reduced where dewatering occurs and in systems impacted by improper Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky grazing, roads, and nonnative species (Halofsky et al. 2018). Changes in Mountain Research Station. flow regimes due to reduced snowpack, earlier snowmelt, and changes in precipitation could also drive changes in wetland species dependence on fluvial geomorphic processes, surface water, and groundwater.

The degree to which both populations and habitats are vulnerable to loss or disturbance on the Forest are dependent upon variability in severity of impacts from changes in climate, habitat modification, and future grazing management decisions (Rank B).

Species (Scientific and Common Name): Meesia longiseta (long-stalked thread moss)

Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low

8 A No specific information is available for the reproductive biology of M. Consortium of Pacific Northwest Life History and longiseta. Asexual reproduction is common in most bryophytes and a Herbaria. 2017. Meesia longiseta. Demographics large percentage of species is sterile and propagates vegetatively (Frahm Internet website: 2007). It is shown there is no difference in the effectiveness between http://www.pnwherbaria.org/data/res generative and vegetative propagation (Frahm 2007). Bryophytes also ults.php?DisplayAs=WebPage&Exclude Cultivated=Y&GroupBy=ungrouped&S produce small spores which can disperse great distances and even sterile ortBy=Year&SortOrder=DESC&SearchA species have transcontinental ranges (Frahm 2007). However, even given llHerbaria=Y&QueryCount=1&Genus1= the capability to reproduce asexually and disperse long distances, there meesia&Species1=longiseta&IncludeSy are many examples of species with very limited distributions which are nonyms1=Y&Zoom=4&Lat=55&Lng=- explained by narrow ecological niches, age of taxa, local extinction, or 135&PolygonCount=0. Accessed on historical events such as ice ages (Frahm 2007). Species may also lose the September 19, 2017. ability for dispersal for unknown reasons (possibly genetic) which may ultimately lead to extinction (Frahm 2007). Dillingham, C. 2005. Conservation Assessment for Meesia triquetra (L.) This species appears to be limited to a very narrow ecological niche and Aongstr. (three-ranked hump-moss) without other populations available for outcrossing, may be vulnerable and Meesia uliginosa Hedwig (broad- nerved hump-moss) in California with to reduced vigor due to inbreeding. Furthermore, as there are no other a focus on the Sierra Nevada documented populations for 300 miles, there are virtually no Bioregion. Internet website: opportunities for increasing genetic diversity (CPNWH 2017). The https://www.fs.fed.us/vms/local- dispersal capability of this species may have important conservation resources/documents/Meesia_CA.pdf. implications (Dillingham 2005). The known population of M. longiseta Accessed on September 18, 2017. may not recolonize areas readily and outcrossing opportunities may be limited (Dillingham 2005). Frahm, J.P. 2007. Diversity, dispersal and biogeography of bryophytes As this species is known from only a single population which is (). Internet website: dependent upon a single water source, this species may be susceptible to https://page- one.live.cf.public.springer.com/pdf/pr

Species (Scientific and Common Name): Meesia longiseta (long-stalked thread moss)

Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations a local extinction if the water source is interrupted or otherwise eview/10.1007/978-90-481-2801-3_4. compromised. Accessed on September 19, 2017.

This species has a low reproductive rate and has high mortality susceptibility due to its narrow ecological range and populations may not recover rapidly from disturbance events (Rank A).

Confidence in Rank: High, Medium, or Low Summary and recommendations: This species has a Global Rank of G5 (Secure) and a State Rank of S1 (Critically Date: September 19, Imperiled). This species is also listed in USFS Region 1 as S1 (Critically Imperiled) and the INPS ranks this species as 2017 SP1. There is one known population on the Forest within an area comprised of less than six acres. This indicates that the species is likely susceptible to stochastic events.

More research is needed regarding seed dispersal mechanisms, though it is believed that is species has a low reproductive rate and is only capable of dispersing through suitable habitat. Suitable habitat is described as calcareous fens or boggy woods which are naturally uncommon on the Forest and particularly sensitive to degradation. The occurrence is located within a RNA, and is therefore assumed to be stable. Changes in climate is projected to have long-term impacts on habitat for this species. Fens are particularly vulnerable to changes in climate threats.

There is substantial concern for the capability of Meesia longiseta to persist over the long-term on the Salmon- Challis, therefore, it is recommended as a SCC.

Evaluator(s): Dan Morta