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LTBMU Sensitive Plant Species and Habitat - 2011 Monitoring Report

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LTBMU Sensitive Plant Species and Habitat - 2011 Monitoring Report LTBMU Sensitive Plant Species and Habitat - 2011 Monitoring Report USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Prepared by: Blake Engelhardt, Botanical technician & Shana Gross, Ecologist 9/6/2012 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 2 2. SENSITIVE PLANT STATUS & TREND................................................................................. 3 3. HABITAT MODELS ................................................................................................................ 17 4. FUNGI DIVERSITY ................................................................................................................. 19 5. SENSITIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES .................................................................................... 19 a. Fens ............................................................................................................................... 19 b. TRPA Rare Plant Community Threshold Sites ............................................................ 21 c. Meadow Monitoring ..................................................................................................... 22 6. CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................... 24 7. LITERATURE CITED .............................................................................................................. 24 8. APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................... 26 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report summarizes 2011 activities related to monitoring the status and trend of 1) sensitive, special interest, and target plant species (vascular and non-vascular), 2) fungi diversity, and 3) sensitive plant communities including fens, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) threshold sites, and meadows. In 2011, a total of 80 sensitive and special interest plant sites were visited. For sensitive plant species, 32 existing sites were revisited and 25 new sites were found. Based on census data of sensitive plant populations, 28% were stable, 7% were increasing, 9% were decreasing, 38% were of unknown status, and 18% were new in 2011. For LTBMU special interest plant species, 4 existing sites were revisited and 19 new sites were found. Based on census data of LTBMU special interest plant populations, 4% were stable, 2% were increasing, 0% were decreasing, 58% were of unknown status, and 36% were new in 2011. The large percentage of populations with unknown status is related to difficulty in quantifying the size of bryophyte populations. Long-term monitoring was conducted at nine Draba asterophora populations. Long-term monitoring of Lewisia longipetala was postponed until 2012 due to the persistent, deep summer snowpack in 2011. All three fungi diversity plots were revisited in 2011; a total of 23 species were found, 22 of which had not previously been found in the fungi plots. Four potential fen sites were visited in 2011; based on initial field assessments, two of these sites are likely fens, bringing the total number of confirmed fens in the Lake Tahoe Basin to 49. Three TRPA threshold sites were visited in 2011: Grass Lake, Hell Hole, and Freel Peak. Repeat photography was conducted at Grass Lake; comprehensive moss monitoring and repeat photography was established at Hell Hole; and the GLORIA plots on Freel Peak and adjacent summits were resurveyed. Six meadow plots were revisited and three new meadow plots were established. 2 2. SENSITIVE PLANT STATUS & TREND The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) monitors the status and trend of Forest Service sensitive plant species known to occur in the basin, as well as Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) special interest plant species and LTBMU target plant species. National Forests are tasked with managing sensitive plants to ensure that they do not become threatened or endangered because of Forest Service activities (USDA FS 1988; FSM 1995). The primary management action related to this direction is to ensure that existing habitat of these plants is adequately protected and that additional habitat is provided to sustain the species into the future (USDA FS 1988). TRPA vegetation thresholds are designated to provide for the conservation of sensitive plant species and uncommon plant communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin. For sensitive plants, the indicator of threshold attainment is “the number of population sites that are maintained as suitable habitat as determined by a qualified expert.” LTBMU target species are species for which it was determined that management actions may be necessary or desirable to achieve ecological or other multiple-use objectives for the species. This designation may result from conservation concerns due to changes in populations or available habitat, threats to the species or their habitats, and/or high levels of public interest. Appendix 1 contains a complete list of sensitive, special interest, and target plant species that are addressed by the LTBMU, including sensitive species that have not yet been observed on the LTBMU but occur near Lake Tahoe and/or have suitable habitat within the basin. A comprehensive monitoring program for LTBMU target plant species was initiated in 2004. The objective of this monitoring program is to track the status and trend of all known target plant species populations in the LTBMU. In order to meet this objective, plant populations are visited every five years. In addition, populations are visited more frequently when 1) they are new occurrences (to obtain a minimum of two years of baseline data), 2) data suggests that the population is decreasing, or 3) the population is of unknown status. Plant populations are assigned to an element occurrence (EO) and a sub-element occurrence (sub-EO). Two populations are considered to be part of the same EO if they 1) occur within one kilometer of each other, 2) occur within three kilometers of each other and are connected by suitable habitat, or 3) occur within 10 km of each other and are connected by uninterrupted linear water-current flow along a riparian or lakeshore system (NatureServe 2004). Within an EO, populations or individual plants are assigned to separate sub-EOs (e.g. a, b, c) if they are non-contiguous with the rest of the EO and it is more practical or precise to survey them as separate populations. The most recent comprehensive monitoring occurred in 2009. In 2010, revisits were made to 51 sites that were declining and 27 sites that were first identified in 2009, and new visits were made to 14 sites found in 2010. In 2011, revisits were made to occurrences that were 1) declining based on the 2010 visits; or 2) new in 2010 and an additional year of baseline data was desired. The current status of all target plant species as of 2011 is summarized in Table 1, with the exception of Rorippa subumbellata (Tahoe Yellow Cress). Rorippa subumbellata is monitored annually by the Adaptive Management Working Group (AMWG) and the status of this species is discussed 3 separately in AMWG annual reports. In 2011, 80 occurrences were visited. For sensitive plant species, 32 existing sites were revisited and 25 new sites were found. For LTBMU special interest plant species, 4 existing sites were revisited and 19 new sites were found. Table 2 summarizes the number of visited and known sites for each species from 2002 through 2011. Revisits in 2012 will consist of visits to as many occurrences as possible that are decreasing, of unknown status, or were newly discovered in 2011. The first priority will be to visit sensitive plant populations, and if resources allow, special interest plant populations will be visited as well. There are 46 high priority sensitive plant populations to be revisited in 2012; 17 are new sites as of 2011, 11 are decreasing, and 18 are of unknown status. There are an additional 27 medium to low priority special interest and sensitive plant populations that could be visited in 2012 if resources allow; eight are new as of 2011, one is decreasing, and 18 are of unknown status. 4 Table 1: Population trends† of target plant species known to occur on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Total New Species Status^ EO and Stable Increase Decrease Unknown 2011 Sub-EOs Arabis rectissima LTBMU 5 0 0 0 0 5 var. simulans Arabis rigidissima S, SI 16 4 1 1 0 10 var. demota Botrychium S 7 1 3 1 2 0 ascendens Botrychium S 4 2 2 0 0 0 crenulatum Botrychium S 2 0 1 0 1 0 minganense Botrychium S 1 0 0 0 1 0 montanum Bruchia bolanderi S 7 0 0 0 1 6 Chaenactis douglasii var. LTBMU 5 5 0 0 0 0 alpina* Claytonia megarhiza LTBMU 3 2 0 0 0 1 Dendrocollybia S 1 0 0 0 0 1 racemosa Draba asterophora S, SI 39 5 24 3 0 7 var. asterophora Draba asterophora S, SI 9 2 3 3 0 1 var. macrocarpa Epilobium howellii S 8 2 1 0 5 0 Helodium S 3 0 0 0 0 3 blandowii# Lewisia longipetala S, SI 11 3 4 2 2 0 Meesia triquetra# S 27 5 0 0 1 21 Meesia uliginosa# S 2 0 0 0 0 2 Orthotrichum LTBMU 3 1 1 0 0 1 shevockii Peltigera S 2 1 0 0 0 1 hydrothyria Scutellaria LTBMU 5 1 1 1 0 2 galericulata Sphagnum spp.# LTBMU 28 8 0 0 0 20 †Population trend was determined by comparing the total number of plants from the date the population was first observed to the total number of plants observed during the most recent census. All site visits were within two weeks of the date the population was first observed. ^S=Region 5 Forest Service Sensitive; SI=TRPA Special Interest;
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