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Vegetation Description, Rare Plant Inventory, and Vegetation Monitoring for Craig Mountain, Idaho

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Vegetation Description, Rare Plant Inventory, and Vegetation Monitoring for Craig Mountain, Idaho VEGETATION DESCRIPTION, RARE PLANT INVENTORY, AND VEGETATION MONITORING FOR CRAIG MOUNTAIN, IDAHO by Michael Mancuso and Robert Moseley Conservation Data Center December 31, 1994 Idaho Department of Fish and Game Natural Resource Policy Bureau 600 South Walnut, P.O. Box 25 Boise, Idaho 83707 Jerry M. Conley, Director Bonneville Power Administration Project # 92-069 SUMMARY During the 1993 and 1994 field seasons, wildlife, habitat/vegetation, timber, and other resources were systematically inventoried at Craig Mountain to provide Fish and Game managers with information needed to draft an ecologically-based management plan. The results of the habitat/vegetation portion of the inventory are contained in this report. Our field investigations concentrated on, but were not limited to, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) lands. Our responsibilities for the Craig Mountain project included: 1) vegetation data collection, and vegetation classification, to help produce a GIS-generated vegetation map, 2) to determine the distribution and abundance of rare plant populations and make recommendations concerning their management, and 3) to establish a vegetation monitoring program to evaluate the effects of Fish and Game management actions, and to assess progress towards meeting habitat mitigation goals. A steep 4000 foot elevational gradient, highly dissected, complex topography, and variable edaphic conditions have created a diverse array of habitats at Craig Mountain. The rolling highlands dominated by conifer forest are sharp contrast to the rugged canyon faces supporting grassland-dominated and associated shrubfield, riparian and woodland vegetation. This diverse landscape provides important habitat for many game and non-game wildlife species. The diverse environmental conditions also provide for high floristic diversity at Craig Mountain. Vegetation descriptions for Craig Mountain consists of 24 vegetation cover types and are based on extensive field work. The classification is comprised of four main categories - grassland and meadow, shrub and deciduous tree, conifer forest, and mosaic patterns. These cover types will form the basis for mapping units of the still-in-progress Craig Mountain vegetation map. Twenty-nine plant associations have been identified at Craig Mountain; 14 of these are considered conservation concerns in Idaho. The canyon grassland communities at Craig Mountain are some of the best representations known. Craig Mountain's rich flora includes 13 plant species considered rare in Idaho (the status of one other rare plant at Craig Mountain remains uncertain). Eleven of these are known to occur on Bonneville Power Administration and/or Idaho Department of Fish and Game lands. Three of the rare plant species are federal candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act. This report contains detailed discussions for all of the rare plants occurring at Craig Mountain. Results of our studies highlight some of the important biodiversity values at Craig Mountain. The proposed vegetation monitoring program established during the 1994 field season is comprised of three related parts. We reestablished permanent monitoring plots at 12 grassland sites originally sampled by Dr. Ed Tisdale (University of Idaho) during research conducted between 1962 and 1981. Permanent vegetation monitoring stations were established at 15 small animal pitfall array trap sites and 28 bird transect points. Vegetation data was collected at an additional 118 bird transect points. We also established three permanent monitoring plots for Haplopappus liatriformis (Palouse goldenweed), a federal candidate plant species occurring on BPA and IDFG lands. We evaluated several areas as possible additions to Idaho's network of Research Natural Areas (RNA's), and make recommendations concerning two of these areas. During the course of our field work we made numerous plant collections and have compiled a vascular plant species list for Craig Mountain. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors thank all the folks at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's Region 2 Office, in Lewiston for their help, generosity and friendship. Logistical support ranged from jet boat rides, equipment sharing and truck repairs, to providing office space and living quarters. Bart Butterfield and Lawrence Hartpence provided the GIS maps. Co-workers at the CDC have helped with data entry, mapping and many other odds and ends. Craig Johnson, BLM, Janice Hill, The Nature Conservancy, and Ed and Nora Tisdale were always generous with their time and sharing their knowledge of Craig Mountain. A special thank you to Kevin James and Andrew Chang for dedicated help in the field regardless of terrain or weather. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary .................................................................................. i Acknowledgments .......................................................................... ii Table of contents .......................................................................... iii List of tables ............................................................................... v List of figures .............................................................................. v List of appendices ........................................................................... v Introduction ............................................................................... 1 The Craig Mountain Ecosystem Location ........................................................................... 2 Land ownership ...................................................................... 2 Physical setting ...................................................................... 2 Geology ........................................................................... 5 Soils .............................................................................. 5 Climate ............................................................................ 6 Canyon grasslands - vegetation ......................................................... 6 Canyon grasslands - biological diversity .................................................. 8 Forest uplands - vegetation ............................................................. 9 Forest uplands - biological diversity ................................................... 10 Weed management at Craig Mountain ................................................... 10 Livestock grazing at Craig Mountain .................................................... 14 Fire at Craig Mountain ............................................................... 17 Craig Mountain Vegetation Vegetation map .................................................................... 19 Vegetation classification ............................................................. 19 Wildlife inventory habitats ............................................................ 20 Vegetation cover type descriptions Bluebunch wheatgrass ........................................................ 20 Idaho fescue ................................................................ 21 Sand dropseed .............................................................. 23 Wet meadows ............................................................... 23 Dry Meadows ............................................................... 24 Stiff sagebrush .............................................................. 24 Mallow ninebark ............................................................ 24 Common snowberry ......................................................... 25 Smooth sumac .............................................................. 25 Mixed tall shrub ............................................................. 25 Netleaf hackberry ............................................................ 26 White alder ................................................................. 26 Grand fir ................................................................... 27 Douglas-fir ................................................................ 28 Ponderosa pine .............................................................. 29 Lodgepole pine .............................................................. 29 Mixed conifer ............................................................... 30 iv Patterned ground ............................................................ 30 Patterned conifer/grassland mosaic .............................................. 30 Conifer regeneration/shrubfield mosaic .......................................... 31 Idaho fescue/shrubfield mosaic ................................................. 31 Bluebunch wheatgrass/shrubfield mosaic ........................................ 31 Bluebunch wheatgrass/talus garland mosaic ...................................... 31 River breaks mosaic .......................................................... 31 Summary of Plant Associations at Craig Mountain ........................................ 32 Rare Plants at Craig Mountain Introduction ....................................................................... 38 Methods .......................................................................... 39 Discussion ........................................................................ 39 Special Surveys .................................................................... 43 Calochortus macrocarpus var. maculosus (Green-band mariposa lily) ........................ 44 Calochortus nitidus (Broad-fruit mariposa lily) .........................................
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