Regional Prairie Native Seed Project – Progress Report for CNLM Budget G1055 Regional Prairie Native Seed Project Progress Report for CNLM Budget G1055 Reporting Period: 7/01/2013 to 08/31/2014 Sarah Hamman1 Jonathan D. Bakker2 and Sierra Smith1 Prepared for The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service US Fish and Wildlife Service USFWS Agreement # 13410-9-J007 1The Center for Natural Lands Management, Olympia, WA 98501; Sarah Hamman - email: [email protected]; phone: 360-790-4180; Sierra Smith - email: [email protected]; phone: 360-480-6105 2School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 354115, Seattle, WA 98195-4115; email: [email protected]; phone: 206-221-3864 Page 1 of 17 Regional Prairie Native Seed Project – Progress Report for CNLM Budget G1055 Table of Contents SUMMARY' 3! BACKGROUND' 3! PROJECT'OBJECTIVES' 4! PROJECT'DETAILS' 4! SEEDING TECHNIQUE AND RATE ASSESSMENT' 4! SEED PRODUCTION, COORDINATION AND DEVELOPMENT' 6! COMPANION PLANTING OF GOLDEN PAINTBRUSH' 7! 2012=2013'ACCOMPLISHMENTS' 8! SEED PRODUCTION, COORDINATION AND DEVELOPMENT' 8! COMPANION PLANTING OF GOLDEN PAINTBRUSH' 12! UPCOMING'ACTIVITIES' 13! LITERATURE'CITED' 14! Page 2 of 17 Regional Prairie Native Seed Project – Progress Report for CNLM Budget G1055 Summary Today, native prairies of western Washington are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States. Native prairie habitats have been nearly extirpated from the region and are the most endangered ecosystem in the state (WDNR 1994). A number of rare and endangered species are associated with this habitat, including golden paintbrush (Threatened), Taylor’s checkerspot (Endangered), Mardon skipper (Species of Concern), and valley silverspot (Species of Concern). The restoration work conducted through this project occurs across a large portion of these species’ ranges. This project contributes to the recovery of golden paintbrush and these rare butterfly species. A unique aspect of this project is that it provides crucial restoration information to land managers while also restoring expanses of critical habitat for rare species on protected prairie sites. It builds directly upon years of restoration and research, as demonstrated by the strong support for this project by partners. This project has three components: 1) Seeding technique and rate assessment, 2) Seed production, coordination and development, and 3) Companion planting of golden paintbrush. The first component of the project expanded this year to test seeding rates and methods for 27 native species at multiple sites. The second component involved increasing capacity for seed production, the development and documentation of seed handling and production techniques, and increased regional coordination and networking. The third component involved an examination of companion planting techniques to improve survival and performance of outplanted golden paintbrush. Golden paintbrush was experimentally planted with 11 different host plants in Fall 2012. Second-year survival and performance of these plants was monitored in Spring 2013. We have a high certainty that the benefits of this project have been realized, and that they will have long-term consequences for prairie habitat restoration because they contribute to the information base necessary to properly manage these species. Background The prairie ecosystems of Puget Sound contain a disproportionate number of federal and state listed species, including the following species addressed by this project: • Taylor’s checkerspot (Euphydryas editha taylori) - Federally Endangered and Washington State Endangered butterfly species. Recovery guided by the 2009 USFWS Candidate Assessment and Listing Priority Assignment form. • Mardon skipper (Polites mardon) - Federal Species of Concern and Washington State Endangered butterfly species. Recovery guided by the 2009 USFWS Candidate Assessment and Listing Priority Assignment form. • Valley silverspot (Speyeria zerene bremnerii) – Federal Species of Concern and Washington State Candidate butterfly species. • Island marble (Euchloe ausonides insulanus) – Federal Species of Concern and Washington State Candidate butterfly species. • Golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta) – Federally Threatened and Washington State Endangered plant species. Recovery guided by the 2010 Recovery Plan for the Prairie Species of Western Oregon and Southwestern Washington, 2010 Spotlight Species Action Plan, 2009 Evaluation of Prairies for Reintroduction in North and South Puget Sound, 2004 Reintroduction Plan, and 2000 Final Federal Recovery Plan. Page 3 of 17 Regional Prairie Native Seed Project – Progress Report for CNLM Budget G1055 This multi-year project builds on more than a decade of habitat restoration in native prairies and specifically supports and improves the burgeoning native seed development efforts to restore habitat for these rare plant and butterfly species in the prairies of western Washington. It has three components: 1) Seeding technique and rate assessment, 2) Seed production, coordination and development, and 3) Companion planting of golden paintbrush. Project Objectives The objectives of the project are to: 1. Adaptively improve current methods and develop new native seeding and planting techniques for restoring prairie habitat for rare and endangered butterfly species in Puget Sound. 2. Increase the total production of native prairie seed in the South and North Sound. 3. Support the coordination of regional seed production efforts and the development of a best management practices (BMPs) handbook and database. 4. Enhance knowledge of BMPs for golden paintbrush recovery and conduct experimental plantings of golden paintbrush in order to establish a viable population in at least one new site. The benefits of this project include: 1. Restoration of 25 acres of habitat for Taylor’s Checkerspot and other rare butterflies in South Puget Sound; 2. Development of BMPs for seed collection, storage, and quality control. 3. Large-scale seed production of over 100 native species for restoration. 4. Testing and development of seeding and planting techniques at large scales. 5. Experimental plantings of golden paintbrush to establish one new population with 1000 flowering individuals per population in the South Sound and to augment an existing population in the North Sound. Project Details This report summarizes the work that has been completed during the fifth year of this multi-year project for each of the three focus areas: (1) Seeding technique and rate assessment, (2) Seed production, coordination and development, and (3) Companion planting of golden paintbrush. Results from prior years were reported in Hamman et al. (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). Seeding Technique and Rate Assessment The Seeding Technique and Rate Assessment study was replicated at four sites in the South Sound during Phase I (2009-2010): Glacial Heritage, Tenalquot, Scatter Creek, and JBLM. In Phase II (2010-2011), we replicated the entire project at all but one (JBLM) of the original sites. In Phases III and IV we utilized some of the lessons learned in Phases I and II and installed research plots that tested fewer metrics on more species. At each site (2012: Glacial & Tenalquot; 2013: Glacial & South Weir) research plots were located in areas that had been prepared for larger scale seeding through restoration and enhancement efforts, thus building on a foundation of successful restoration work. In Phases III and IV we tested effects of two seeding Page 4 of 17 Regional Prairie Native Seed Project – Progress Report for CNLM Budget G1055 techniques (seed drill, broadcast seeder), and two seeding rates on establishment of 27 species (Table 1). Because seed weights differ among species, we sowed on the basis of seed density rather than combined weight. We altered seeding rates for several species in 2013 based on PLS estimates found by J. Bakker’s lab (see ‘Seed germination and viability testing’ below) and initial germination rates measured in the 2012 seeded plots. We also added several annual species in 2013, as sufficient seed was available and managers requested information on seeding rates for these important butterfly resource species. Table 1. Species and rates used in 2012 and 2013 research plots. Seeding rates are presented as number of seeds per square meter. 2012' 2013' Annual'/' Species' Codon' Perennial' LOW' HIGH' LOW' HIGH' Achillea(millefolium( ACMI' P' 6' 21' 5' 18' Armeria(maritima( ARMA' P' 4' 14' 7' 25' Balsamorhiza(deltoidea( BADE' P' 0' 0' 5' 18' Carex(inops( CAIN' P' 12' 42' 0' 0' Cerastium(arvense( CEAR' P' 12' 42' 9' 32' Clarkia(amoena( CLAM' A' 12' 42' 24' 84' Collinsia(grandiflora( COGR' A' 0' 0' 12' 42' Collinsia(parviflora( COPA' A' 0' 0' 16' 56' Danthonia(californica( DACA' P' 15' 53' 10' 35' Eriophyllum(lanatum( ERLA' P' 3' 11' 3' 11' Erigeron(speciosus( ERSP' P' 4' 14' 5' 18' Festuca(roemeri( FERO' P' 28' 98' 78' 273' Koeleria(macrantha( KOMA' P' 8' 28' 7' 25' Lomatium(triternatum( LOTR' P' 10' 35' 20' 70' Lomatium(utriculatum( LOUT' P' 12' 42' 24' 84' Lupinus(albicaulis( LUAL' P' 2' 7' 4' 14' Lupinus(bicolor( LUBI' P' 6' 21' 12' 42' Lupinus(lepidus( LULE' P' 6' 21' 0' 0' Microseris(laciniata( MILA' P' 9' 32' 18' 63' Plectritis(congesta( PLCO' A' 0' 0' 16' 56' Potentilla(gracilis( POGR' P' 6' 21' 21' 74' Ranunculus(occidentalis( RAOC' P' 12' 42' 8' 28' Sericocarpus(rigidus( SERI' P' 70' 245' 156' 546' Sisyrinchium(idahoense( SIID' P' 8' 28' 16' 56' Solidago(missouriensis( SOMI' P' 12' 42' 24' 84' Solidago(simplex( SOSI' P' 12' 42' 24' 84'