Bridger-Teton National Forest Vascular Plant List Review Prepared for: Bridger Teton National Forest P.O. Box 1888, 340 N. Cache Jackson, WY 83001 Prepared by: Bomlie Heidel Wyoming Natural Diversity Database Dept. 3381, 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071 May 7, 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................-: ..................................................................................... 2· METI-IODS ............................................................................................................... ..' ........ 2 -RES ULTS .................................................................................................... .-....................... 4 DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................... 28 LITERATURE CITED ................................................................. :....................... :........... 31 Tables and Figures Figures 1-4. Distributions of four potential SOC species of Bridger-Teton NF Table 1. Sensitive species on Bridger-Teton National Forest Table 2. Tally of species of potential concern and species of interest on the Bridger­ Teton NF using three methods and ass-ociated data sources Table 3. Species of Potential Concern on the Bridger-Teton NF; from Floristic Compilation Table 4. Species of Potential Interest on the Bridger-Teton NF; from Floristic Compilation Table 5. Disparity between potential SOC species in NatureServe list vs. floristic compilation · · Appendix Appendix A. Species of Potential Concern on Bridger-TetonNF-NatureServe Export Appendix B. Species of Potential Interest on Bridger-Teton NF- NatureServe Export Appendix C. Species of Potential Concern on Bridger-Teton NF- WYNDD Export Appendix D. Species of Potential Interest on Bridger-Teton NF - NatureServe Exp01i Appendix E. Flora of the Bridger-Teton NF, with cross-reference to ranks, distribution Appendix F. Example of state species abstract: Astragalus paysonii INTRODUCTION The Intermountain Region of the Forest Service (USFS Region 4) implemented a· · sensitive species policy to address the management needs of rare vascular plant species that might qualify for listing under the Endangered Species Act (Joslin 1994) .under a . 1982 planning rule. A total of 11 species were designated sensitive by USFS Region 4 . and one species designated by Bridger Teton National Forest (BTNF) as occmTing on BTNF. Field studies conducted by botanists with the Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Herbarium, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNNDD) and private investigators have subsequently· shown that some of the currently listed species may no longer wanant sensitive status, while some new species should be considered. - · A systematic review of Wyoming species of concern was prepared for the Intermountain Region of the Fo1:est Service (Fe1iig 2000), following the list of plant species recognized as Wyoming species of concern in Fertig and Beauvais (1999). That review was not incorporated as there were no sensitive list updates. Subsequentrevisions to the planning rule were put in place in 2005, charging Forests to designate species Species of Concern (SOC) and making provisions for Forests to also designate Species of Inte1:est (SOI). The Bridger-Teton National Forest resource management plan updating process began in 2006 under the new plam1ing rule. The definition for SOC is those species that could trend toward listing under the _Endangered Species Act, corresponding with species ranked G 1-G3 by N atureServe. The definition for SOI is those species that are rare within the state, ranked S l-S3. In order to consider which species are rare throughout their distribution, or rare in the state of Wyoming, the BTNF requested the services of WYNDD to provide compiled lists of all globally rare and state rare species documented on the BTNF. This provides an opportunity to convey the most current botanical infonriation and pertinent resources, and to evaluate alternate processes and their outcomes. This process also provides an opportunity to consider the collective species found on BTNF that are scarce and of potential conservation concern throughout their range or throughout Wyoming. METHODS Three processes were. pursued to assemble and compile lists of species documented from the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) that are rare throughout their range, or throughout Wyoming. The resulting lists are presented in this report for· use in the development of the BTNF Species of Concern (SOC) and Species ofii1terest (SOI) on the Forest. First, a pre-existing NatureServe list was reviewed. Ir represented all species that · are in the WYNDD database fi-0111: the three counties that encompass BTNF (Lincoln, Sublette and Teton counties). This includes species that are no longer tracked as species' of concern in Wyoming but are retained in the Yv7YNDD database as reference. The 2 NatureServe list was annotated to differentiate which species are on the Forest or outside of the Forest, and whether or not they are tracked as species of concern in Wyoming. Second, a WYNDD export was prepared. Unlike the NatureServe list, it represented only Wyoming species of concern or potential concern (Heidel 2007) and only those that are on the BTNF. Thus, the WYNDD expo1i list is a subset of the NatureServe export list. Third, a working compilation of the vascular plant flora of the BTNF was prepared from three floristic inventories on BTNF that documented the flora in the Gros Ventre Range.(Hartman and Nelson 1994), the Salt and Wyoming Ranges (Haiiman 1995), and the west slope of the Wind River Range (Fertig 1992). Results from tlwse studies were recorded on a master spreadsheet of the state flora (Fe1iig 2002) based on the most cmTent printed flora (following the taxonomic and distribution data in Dorn 2001); to produce an annotated checklist of the lrnown flora of BTNF. A total of 1386 species are lmown from the BTNF. The master list of species of BTNF were s01ied by Global rank (Grank) and by State rank (Srank) to produce draft lists of the Species of Concern (SOC) having high Grank priorities (Gl-G3G4), or other Species oflnterest (SOI) having high Srank priorities (S 1-S2). A total of 68 SOC $pecies and 270 SOI species were identified. Information was added for BTNF to weigh in screening the candidates, including primary elevation zone (basin, montane, or·alpine), vegetation (structural categories filled in for all montane species and for most basin species), .cross-reference to Fertig (2000), and cross-reference to the more recent Wyoming species of concern lrnown from BTNF (Heidel 2007). Note: Inforn1ation on the flora and the rare species of adjoining areas (Grand Teton National Park and Targhee National Forest) was provisionally considered for cross-referencing in early stages of project-planning. However, the merit of including species that might possibly be found on BTNF but have not been documented has less merit compared to fioristic inventories on the BTNF. The process did not focus on those species that are cunently designated sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service Region 4 or by BTNF (Table 1; next page). However, they appear throughout the lists of prospective species of concern and species of interest by all three methods. In addition to the twelve species listed on this table, it deserves mention that there are an additional eight species designated sensitive by USFS R4 that are in Wyomi11g but not known :from BTNF, including meadow pussytoes (Antennaria arcuata), sweet-flowered rock-jasmine (Androsace chamaejasme ssp. carinata), meadow milkvetch (Astragalus diversifolius), park milkvetch (Astragalus leptaleus), upwai·d lobed moonwo1i (Botrychium ascendens), stemless beardtongue (Penstemon acaulis), Green River greenthread (Thelesperma cespitosa), a11d Uinta greenthread (Thelesperma pubescens). 3 ,. \ Table 1. Sensitive species on Bridger-Teton National Forest (from Joslin 1992 and BTNF documents) ... ' . S_pecies rV\ . Conimon)•fam{ · > ' ··. ·. ·. ;,~~sps:,R4 . ·:; 1/.i./ ;:BTNF :.oesig11ation ·' C. ;:_.- ~-; -~;}<';-\:- \ ~- . } . ~ .X ,> . ·.:,,·t}}t ..· :- .. •· ;Desigi_iatiop:. •• ' .•. --'".;<-~ .. ~?~:::.: ·:_, \ ::t ·· ':. <';· " ; ::<~ A1<oseris lackschewitzii Pink wild dandelion R4 sensitive Astra9:alus paysonii Payson's milkvetch R4 sensitive Carex incurviformis var. Incurved sedge R4-sensitive clanaensis Carex luzulina var. atropurpurea Black and purple sedge R4 sensitive Descurainia torulosa Wyoming tansymustard R4 sensitive Draba borealis Boreal draba BTNF sensitive Draba globosa Rockcress draba R4 sensitive Ericamerta discoidea var. linearis Narrolwleaf goldenweed R4 sensitive Eri9:eron lanatus Woolly fleabane R4 sensitive Lesquerella paysonii Payson's bladderpod R4 sensitive Fanya nudicaulis Naked-stemmed parrya · R4 sensitive Saussurea weberi Weber's saw-wort R4 sensitive RESULTS Tallies of potential Species of Concern (SOC) and Species of Interest (SOI) on the Bridger~Teton National Forest.(BTNF) as determined by the three different methods are presented in Table 2. Table 2. Tally of potential species of concern and species of interest on the Bridger­ Teton NF using three meti1ods and associated data sources •Methocf·.: :./<. \<<)i -~~; ,;· ·. ;i;j;.. Species of Concern: : .S~eciefoflnteresi:'. NatureServe export, annotated by which are 36 in BTNF (of59) · 100 in BTNF present on BTNF ,, (of196) WYNDD export for BTNF s01ted by Grank, Srank 28 44 Floristic compilation, sorted by Grank, Srank 68 maximum 270maximum