(Largeflower Triteleia): a Technical Conservation Assessment
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Triteleia grandiflora Lindley (largeflower triteleia): A Technical Conservation Assessment © 2003 Ben Legler Prepared for the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Species Conservation Project January 29, 2007 Juanita A. R. Ladyman, Ph.D. JnJ Associates LLC 6760 S. Kit Carson Cir E. Centennial, CO 80122 Peer Review Administered by Society for Conservation Biology Ladyman, J.A.R. (2007, January 29). Triteleia grandiflora Lindley (largeflower triteleia): a technical conservation assessment. [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/ projects/scp/assessments/triteleiagrandiflora.pdf [date of access]. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The time spent and the help given by all the people and institutions mentioned in the References section are gratefully acknowledged. I would also like to thank the Colorado Natural Heritage Program for their generosity in making their files and records available. I also appreciate access to the files and assistance given to me by Andrew Kratz, USDA Forest Service Region 2. The data provided by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database and by James Cosgrove and Lesley Kennes with the Natural History Collections Section, Royal BC Museum were invaluable in the preparation of the assessment. Documents and information provided by Michael Piep with the Intermountain Herbarium, Leslie Stewart and Cara Gildar of the San Juan National Forest, Jim Ozenberger of the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Peggy Lyon with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program are also gratefully acknowledged. The information provided by Dr. Ronald Hartman and B. Ernie Nelson with the Rocky Mountain Herbarium, Teresa Prendusi with the Region 4 USDA Forest Service, Klara Varga with the Grand Teton National Park, Jennifer Whipple with Yellowstone National Park, Dave Dyer with the University of Montana Herbarium, Caleb Morse of the R.L. McGregor Herbarium, Rose Lehman with Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Dr. Robert Kaul of the Bessey Herbarium, and Alma Hanson with Payette National Forest is much appreciated. In addition, I would like to thank Deb Golanty at the Helen Fowler Library, Denver Botanic Gardens, for her persistence in retrieving some rather obscure articles. I also would like to acknowledge the generosity of D.L. Gustafson and Martin Wefald, of Montana State University, for making their Graphical Locator available on the Internet. I appreciate the thoughtful reviews of Janet Coles, David Anderson, and an anonymous reviewer and thank them for their time and consideration of the assessment. AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY Juanita A. R. Ladyman received her B.Sc. degree (with First-class honors) in Biochemistry from London University, England. Her first professional position was as plant pathology laboratory technician and, later, as greenhouse research supervisor with the Arid Lands Research Center on Sadiyat Island in the United Arab Emirates. She obtained her Ph.D. degree in Botany and Plant Pathology from Michigan State University where she was also a research assistant with the D.O.E. Plant Research Laboratory. She worked as a plant physiological ecologist and plant scientist for Shell Development Company conducting research on the physiology, ecology, and reproductive biology of economically important plant species and their wild relatives. She then worked for a plant biotechnology company in their Genetic Transformation and Plant Tissue Culture Division. For the last 15 years, she has worked in the area of conservation, particularly on rare, endemic, and sensitive plant species in the southwest United States. For three years of that time, she was the botanist with the New Mexico Natural Heritage Program. She has conducted research and monitoring programs on both non-vascular and vascular species. She currently is a partner in JnJ Associates LLC, an environmental consulting company in Colorado. COVER PHOTO CREDIT Triteleia grandiflora (largeflower triteleia). © 2003 Ben Legler, University of Washington Herbarium. Used with permission. 2 3 SUMMARY OF KEY COMPONENTS FOR CONSERVATION OF TRITELEIA GRANDIFLORA Status Triteleia grandiflora Lindley (largeflower triteleia) is known from southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Montana, and northern California, with disjunct occurrences in Wyoming and Colorado. The NatureServe global rank for T. grandiflora is apparently secure (G4). Triteleia grandiflora is designated critically imperiled (S1) by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program and imperiled (S2) by the Wyoming National Diversity Database. It has been reported from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington but remains unranked (SNR) by the natural heritage programs in those states. In British Columbia, T. grandiflora is ranked apparently secure (S4). These global and subnational ranks have no regulatory status. Triteleia grandiflora was placed on the Rocky Mountain Region (Region 2) Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species list in 2003. The taxon has been also been considered as a candidate for sensitive species designation by the USDA Forest Service Intermountain Region (Region 4) but currently has no formal status. Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks consider T. grandiflora a sensitive species. The Bureau of Land Management has not designated T. grandiflora a sensitive species in any state in which it occurs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not considered Triteleia grandiflora for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Several taxonomic treatments recognize two subspecies of Triteleia grandiflora: ssp. howellii, which is restricted to the west coast of the United States and Canada, and ssp. grandiflora, which extends from British Columbia into Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington with isolated occurrences in Wyoming and Colorado. Some taxonomists have elevated T. grandiflora ssp. howellii to the specific level. Only the form howellii is found in California, where the California Natural Diversity Database rank is it critically imperiled (S1). In British Columbia, the form assigned to ssp. howellii is recognized as a full species and is ranked critically imperiled (S1). Primary Threats Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation caused by human recreation, livestock grazing, resource development (timber and mineral), and invasive non-native plant species are potential threats to the long-term persistence of Triteleia grandiflora throughout its range, including Region 2. Soil disturbance from all of these sources is a potential threat to occurrence viability. Triteleia grandiflora occurrences are also vulnerable to the direct effects of herbivory, especially in areas where pressures from livestock grazing may be in addition to those from wildlife. If T. grandiflora relies on cross-pollination to produce seed, then a change in the assemblage of pollinator species or a decline in pollinator abundance is a potential threat. The role of fire in the life history of T. grandiflora is unknown. Although the species may occur in forested areas, it is typically found in areas with low or no tree canopy. Past fire suppression policies may have reduced the amount of T. grandiflora habitat available. Natural or prescribed fires that burn with high intensity may kill the buried corms and are potential threats to occurrence viability. Rangewide, threats from habitat loss and degradation are likely to be more significant in the near future as the human population increases. As for all species, environmental stochasticity poses potential threats to T. grandiflora. Direct and indirect consequences of global climate change (e.g., extended periods of drought and periodic increases in rodent populations above the evolutionary average) may negatively affect the taxon. Elements of genetic and demographic stochasticities are also potential threats, especially to small and isolated occurrences. Triteleia grandiflora corms can be transplanted, so an occurrence may be translocated if destruction of the occurrence site is unavoidable. However, translocation in itself involves threats to the plants being moved. Urbanization also leads to habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, and has been and continues to be a threat to some occurrences outside of Region 2. The current level of threats to the occurrence on National Forest System land in Region 2 does not appear to be substantially impacting overall population viability. Primary Conservation Elements, Management Implications, and Considerations There are no formal management plans for Triteleia grandiflora, and it has no special status in most of its range. Although perceived as locally abundant in some areas, there is actually a dearth of information concerning its biology, 2 3 response to common management practices, and the effects of historic and current land use. There are at least five main conservation elements to consider: 1) the likelihood of genetic uniqueness and enhanced evolutionary potential of disjunct populations, such as the population found in Colorado 2) the species’ response in different life cycle stages (particularly corm sustainability and seed production) to management practices 3) the potential for inbreeding depression and pollinator dependency, especially for diploid individuals 4) the potential genetic variability among populations and the potential for outbreeding depression 5) the existence of diploid and polyploid forms of T. grandiflora, which may have different morphology and physiology. Triteleia grandiflora is very rare within Region 2. The only extant occurrence known is on the San Juan National Forest.