Monitoring Ute Ladiesí-Tresses (Spiranthes Diluvialis), in Jefferson County, Montana Final Report, 1996-2000
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Monitoring Ute Ladiesí-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis), in Jefferson County, Montana Final Report, 1996-2000 Prepared for: Bureau of Land Management State Office and Butte Field Office Prepared by: Bonnie Heidel June 2001 Monitoring Ute Ladiesí-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis), in Jefferson County, Montana Final Report, 1996-2000 2001 Montana Natural Heritage Program State Library Building • P.O. Box 201800 • 1515 East Sixth Avenue • Helena, MT 59620-1800 • 406-444-3009 Agreement No. 1422E930A960015 Task Order No. 23 For Bureau of Land Management State Office and Butte Field Office P.O. Box 3388 Butte, MT 59702-3388 This document should be cited as follows: Heidel, B. 2001. Monitoring Ute Ladiesí-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis), in Jefferson County, Montana, 1996-2000. Report to Bureau of Land Management. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena. 10pp. + app. Executive Summary We monitored one population of Ute ladiesí- underground throughout the entire growing tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis), a wetland plant season and cannot be discerned from plant designated as threatened under the Endangered mortality except after dormancy duration and Species Act, in order to: mortality rates have been calculated. Prelimi- • help interpret the results of baseline surveys, nary analysis indicates that season-long • provide preliminarily assessment of population dormancy exceeds two years. trend, • identify critical life history stages, and Management recommendations include • guide future management actions. avoiding direct impact to the flowering stage, providing annual or periodic reduction in Rigorous trend analysis and identification of critical competing vegetation, and conducting multi- life history stages were not possible because we year monitoring to evaluate any management had only two-to-three years of data on the ìsea- action changes. sonally-dormantî stage. This stage remains i Acknowledgements This monitoring study began as a task added It was continued for two of the following three to the Spiranthes diluvialis status survey years under Bureau of Land Management chal- supported under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife lenge cost-share agreements with the Montana Service Section 6 cooperative agreement with Natural Heritage Program. Landowner access the Montana State Library through its Mon- permission and coordination are also acknowl- tana Natural Heritage Program. edged with appreciation. ii Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 Species Background ............................................................................................................. 1 Habitat and Study Site .......................................................................................................... 4 Methods ............................................................................................................................... 5 Results and Discussion .......................................................................................................... 6 Life History and Trend ...................................................................................................... 7 Comparison with Other Monitoring Studies ....................................................................... 8 Guide to Future Management Action ............................................................................... 10 Literature Cited .................................................................................................................. 11 FIGURES Figure 1. Illustration of Spiranthes diluvialis..........................................................................1 Figure 2. Photograph of Spiranthes diluvialis in flower..........................................................2 Figure 3. Photograph of Spiranthes diluvialis in vegetative stage............................................2 Figure 4. Life history of Spiranthes diluvialis.........................................................................3 Figure 5. Photograph of study site...........................................................................................4 Figure 6. Climate of Twin Bridges, MT...................................................................................5 Figure 7. Monitoring overview of Spiranthes diluvialis..........................................................7 Figure 8. Dormancy duration of Spiranthes diluvialis.............................................................9 Figure 9. Vegetative stage duration of Spiranthes diluvialis....................................................9 Figure 10. Flowering stage duration of Spiranthes diluvialis...................................................9 Appendix A. Global and State Rank Guidelines iii Introduction Species Background Ute ladiesí-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis) is a Ute ladiesí-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis) is a wetland plant designated as threatened under long-lived perennial with a flowering stalk arising the Endangered Species Act (Federal Register from clusters of basal leaves and short, tuberously 1992). It was first documented in Montana in thickened roots. The species reproduces strictly 1994, at the northern end of its range (Heidel by seed. The flowers are protandrous (i.e., with 1996, 1998). This report describes demo- staggered development of the male and female graphic monitoring begun in 1996 to help organs in each flower), and are pollinated by interpret the results of baseline surveys, bumblebees (Sipes and Tepedino 1995). Flower- identify critical life history stages, assess ing and vegetative growth forms are illustrated in population trend, and guide future manage- Figures 2 and 3. ment actions. This study, along with previous surveys provides information on species In Montana, most vegetative plants have one-to- biology that will help assess threats and few basal leaves but may have as many as seven. recovery needs. Vegetative plants that we studied ranged mostly from 3-8 centimeters in height, though in 1998, a Spiranthes diluvialis is restricted to low- poor-flowering year, some vegetative plants elevation valleys. In Montana, it is further produced leaves only 1 centimeter in length. restricted to specialized valley bottom soil and Flowering lasts at least three weeks in August with hydrology conditions, in habitat that is altered typically 9-17 flowers [4-25] per inflorescence. or fragmented by agriculture. Previous spe- The species is highly palatable, and we often found ciesí monitoring studies suggested downward browsed plants, even when the surrounding grass trends under most land uses and settings (Arft was not touched. 1995). We hypothesized that the same vulner- ability if not trends, exists in Montana. Figure 1. Illustration of Spiranthes diluvialis by Carolyn Crawford 1 Figure 2. Spiranthes diluvialis in flower Figure 3. Spiranthes diluvialis in vegetative stage 2 In any given year, mature plants are in flower- The thick tuberous roots depend on mycorrhizal ing, non-flowering (vegetative) and seasonally fungi for enhanced water and nutrient absorption, dormant stages (persisting belowground; as do other members of the Orchid Family (Wells Lesica and Steele 1994). The species can be 1981). Another species of Spiranthes has been reliably located only when it is flowering, shown to persist for up to nine years as an imma- unless other vegetation cover and thatch are ture subterranean parasite or symbiont, before removed or precise locations are recorded to producing aerial shoots (Tamm 1972). Thus, it is relocate vegetative plants. To monitor a possible that there are subterranean stages of species in which only one of three mature life immature as well as mature Spiranthes diluvialis history stages can be reliably located requires plants. No juvenile plants were observed during extended monitoring to map vegetative plants the course of this monitoring study, and we did not and determine the mean duration of seasonally consider immature plants for all practical pur- dormant plants. Thus, repeated years of poses. monitoring are needed to establish base population numbers. Previous researchers These are the same categories used in the previous determined that mature plants do not remain in monitoring studies (Arft 1995, Riedel et al. 1995) a vegetative state for more than one year (Arft except that the other studies included a class of 1995b, Riedel et al. 1995), but the unknown flowering plants in which an inflorescence formed duration of seasonal dormancy has not been but did not set any fruits. This phenomenon was determined. A simplified life history diagram is absent in Montana, though sometimes the latest presented below (Figure 4). and youngest fruits on some inflorescences aborted. Figure 4. Life History of Spiranthes diluvialis Vegetative Flowering Plant Plant Immature Seasonally dormant 3 In the previous monitoring study, the flowering vermiculatus) and inland saltgrass (Distichilis stage was identified as the most critical stage of life stricta). Speciesí vegetation in Montana is history in mature plants. Early-season haying and also described in much greater detail in the grazing, and vole herbivory of the inflorescences, status report (Heidel 1998.) at least under grazed and mown conditions, were identified as a major limit to reproductive success. The shallowness of the soil indicates a slow rate of soil buildup and slow successional We did not follow the species over the course of process, which may account