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Riparian Reference Areas in Idaho: a Catalog of Plant Associations and Conservation Sites

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Riparian Reference Areas in Idaho: a Catalog of Plant Associations and Conservation Sites This file was created by scanning the printed publication. Errors identified by the software have been corrected; however, some errors may remain. USDA United States ~ Department -· of Agriculture .Riparian Reference Areas Forest Service in Idaho: a Catalog of Rocky Mountain Research Station General Technical Plant Associations and Report RMRS-GTR-20 January 1999 Conservation Sites Mabel Jankovsky-Jones Steven K. Rust Robert K. Moseley Abstract Jankovsky-Jones, Mabel; Rust, Steven K.; Moseley, Robert K. 1999. Riparian reference areas in Idaho: a catalog of plant associations and conservation sites. Gen Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-20. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 141 p. Idaho land managers and regulators need knowledge on riparian reference sites. Reference sites are ecological controls that can be used to set meaningful management and regulatory goals. Since 1984, the Idaho Conservation Data Center, Boise, ID, has compiled information in a series of interrelated databases on the distribution and condition of riparian, wetland, and terrestrial plant associations in high quality reference sites in Idaho. This report summarizes association-specific and reference area-specific information from our databases and presents a standardized classification of Idaho riparian and wetland plant associations. Each plant association entry includes the current global and state conservation rank, and the plant association's occurrence in reference areas (if any). This is followed by a summary of each reference area, arranged by ecoregional Province and Section. Summary information includes location, management responsibility, site description, and a list of all riparian and wetland associations that occur in the area. Keywords: classification, land management, wetland, terrestrial, reference sites The Compilers Mabel Jankovsky-Jones is a Wetland Ecologist with Service, The Nature Conservancy, and Idaho Depart­ the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Conservation ment of Fish and Game, where he conducted field Data Center, Boise, ID. She received an M.S. degree studies of ecosystems and rare plant species throughout from the Department of Geography at the University of Idaho. He has been with the Conservation Data Center, Wyoming. Thesis research focused on riparian classifi­ Boise, ID, since 1988. cation in the Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado. Prior to joining the Idaho Conservation Data Center in 1995 she worked as a teacher and for the Wyoming Natural Heri­ Acknowledgments tage Program on inventories of proposed Research Much of the information presented in this document is Natural Areas. the result of funding over the past 15 years supporting Steven K. Rust is Ecologist for the Idaho Department of inventory and information management in the network of Fish and Game, Conservation Data Center, Boise, ID. Research Natural Areas, Wildlife Management Areas, He holds bachelors degrees in environmental studies and Preserves managed by the USDA Forest Service, and botany from the Evergreen State College and Uni­ USDI Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Department versity of Washington, respectively. He received a mas­ of Fish and Game, and The Nature Conservancy. In ter o.f science degree from the College of Forest Re­ addition, the Environmental Protection Agency has pro­ sources, University of Washington, in ecosystems analy­ vided support to complete wetland inventories in five sis. Prior to joining the Conservation Data Center in 1994 watersheds throughout Idaho since 1995. George he worked as a Botanist and Plant Ecologist for the Stephens, Fish and Game Data Coordinator, and Linda National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Williams, Research Data Technician, of the Conserva­ and USDA Forest Service. tion Data Center have been instrumental in providing Robert K. Moseley is Plant Ecologist and Program information management support and completion of Coordinator for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, data processing tasks associated with the Biological and Conservation Data Center, Boise, ID. He holds a B.S. Conservation Database. Audrey Goddell's programming degree in· range resources and an M.S. degree in botany expertise helped generate reports from the database effi­ from the University of Idaho. Since 1976, he has held ciently. We also acknowledge Nancy Shaw and Warren positions with the University of Idaho, USDA Forest Clary for supporting publication of this document. Rocky Mountain Research Station 324 25th Street Ogden, UT 84401 Contents Page Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 Biological and Conservation Data System ............................................... 1 Plant Association Elements .................................................................. 2 Conservation Sites ................................................................................ 2 Using This Catalog ................................................................................... 2 Riparian and Wetland Plant Associations ............................................. 2 Reference Area Summaries ................................................................. 3 Request for More Information .................................................................. 3 References ............................................................................................... 3 Riparian and Wetland Plant Associations ................................................ 6 Reference Area Summaries ................................................................... 39 Bear Lake Section (342E) ................................................................... 39 Beaverhead Mountains Section (M332E) ........................................... 40 Bitterroot Mountains Section (M333D) ................................................ 49 Blue Mountains Section (M332G) ....................................................... 59 Challis Volcanics Section (M332F) ..................................................... 63 Flathead Valley Section (M333B) ....................................................... 68 Idaho Batholith Section (M332A) ........................................................ 73 Northwest Basin and Range Section (342B) ...................................... 89 Okanogan Highlands Section (M333A) .............................................. 93 Overthrust Mountains Section (M331 D) ........................................... 110 Owyhee Uplands Section (342C) ..................................................... 121 Palouse Prairie Section (331 A) ......................................................... 128 Snake River Basalts (342D) ............................................................. 129 Yellowstone Highlands Section (M331A) .......................................... 133 Front Cover: Top photo-Putney Meadows, Fremont County, 10, Targhee National Forest. Bottom photo-Trail Creek, Blaine County, 10, Sawtooth National Forest. Photography by Mabel Jankovsky-Jones. Riparian Reference Areas in Idaho: a Catalog of Plant Associations and Conservation Sites Mabel Jankovsky-Jones Steven K. Rust Robert K. Moseley Introduction benchmark landscape features and habitat conditions --------------------------- (Andrews 1994; Ryan et al. 1994). Since the early 1900's, scientists and land managers For riparian and wetland ecosystems, reference ar­ have recognized the need to establish ecological refer­ eas have been used in preparing plant association ence areas where natural conditions are maintained descriptions, setting meaningful management and insofar as possible. In 1926, Victor Shelford, working regulatory goals, and evaluating the effectiveness of through the Ecological Society of America, produced Best Management Practices. Reference areas play a the first catalog of ecological reference sites or natural particularly important role in understanding the dy­ areas in the United States (Shelford 1926). Through­ namics of riparian and wetland restoration or recov­ out the later half of this century, the need to inventory ery by providing baselines for assessments of func­ and protect remnants of the natural landscape as tional and structural characteristics of mature, ecological baselines has been called for in many disci­ relatively undisturbed systems (Brinson and plines, including forest management (Buckman and Rheinhardt 1996; Dobkin et al. 1998; Race and Fonseca Quintus 1972; Shanklin 1951), rangeland manage­ 1996). ment (Allen 1986; Anderson 1966; Bock et al. 1993; Since 1984, the Idaho Department ofFish and Game's Laycock 1975;), environmental monitoring (Franklin Conservation Data Center (CDC) has maintained da­ et al. 1972; Moir 1972 ), biodiversity conservation tabases on the distribution and status of natural plant (Cain 1968; Noss and Cooperrider 1994), hydrology associations in Idaho, as well as conservation sites of and aquatic ecology (Leopold 1962; Rabe and Savage high ecological quality that may be used as reference 1979), and for conducting basic ecological research in areas. In this report we present a catalog of reference undisturbed systems (Bormann 1966; Hinds 1979; areas for riparian and wetland associations generated Moeur 1992; Norris 1968). More recently, the role and from our information management system, the Bio­ need for ecological reference areas has been height­ logical and Conservation Data System. ened with the advent of ecosystem management (Andrews 1994; Rust 1998; Ryan et al. 1994). The Federal
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