Conservation Assessment for Small-flowered Woodrush (Luzula parviflora (Ehrh.) Desv.) PLANTS Database 2001 USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region July 2003 Prepared by: Ramona Shackleford Hiawatha National Forest This document is undergoing peer review, comments welcome This Conservation Assessment/Approach was prepared to compile the published and unpublished information on the subject taxon or community; or this document was prepared by another organization and provides information to serve as a Conservation Assessment for the Eastern Region of the Forest Service. It does not represent a management decision by the U.S. Forest Service. Though the best scientific information available was used and subject experts were consulted in preparation of this document, it is expected that new information will arise. In the spirit of continuous learning and adaptive management, if you have information that will assist in conserving the subject taxon, please contact the Eastern Region of the Forest Service Threatened and Endangered Species Program at 310 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 580 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 6 NOMENCLATURE AND TAXONOMY................................................................................................... 7 DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES .................................................................................................................... 8 LIFE HISTORY ......................................................................................................................................... 11 REPRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 11 ECOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................. 11 DISPERSAL/MIGRATION............................................................................................................................ 12 HABITAT ................................................................................................................................................... 12 RANGE-WIDE ............................................................................................................................................ 12 NATIONAL FORESTS ................................................................................................................................. 15 NATIONAL PARKS..................................................................................................................................... 16 DISTRIBUTION ........................................................................................................................................ 16 RANGE-WIDE DISTRIBUTION .................................................................................................................... 16 REGION-WIDE DISTRIBUTION ................................................................................................................... 16 RANGEWIDE STATUS AND ABUNDANCE ........................................................................................ 17 THE NATURE CONSERVANCY'S RANKING................................................................................................. 17 RANKING BY STATES AND THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE.............................................................................. 18 POPULATION BIOLOGY AND VIABILITY........................................................................................ 19 GENERAL POPULATION BIOLOGY.............................................................................................................. 19 POTENTIAL THREATS .......................................................................................................................... 20 SUMMARY OF LAND OWNERSHIP AND PROTECTION ............................................................... 22 RESEARCH AND MONITORING.......................................................................................................... 23 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................... 25 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................. 31 ELEMENT OCCURRENCES OF LUZULA PARVIFLORA .................................................................................... 31 LIST OF CONTACTS ............................................................................................................................... 42 Conservation Assessment for Small-flowered Woodrush (Luzula parviflora (Ehrh) Desv.) 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Luzula parviflora (Ehrh.) Desv. (small-flowered woodrush) is designated as a Regional Forester Sensitive Species on the Hiawatha National Forest (Michigan) in the Eastern Region of the Forest Service. The species occurrence is documented but not listed on the Superior National Forest in Minnesota and Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont. The purpose of this document is to provide the background information necessary to prepare a Conservation Approach, the latter which will include management actions to conserve the species. Luzula parviflora is circumboreal; occurring in Eurasia, Greenland, Canada and the United States. Its range in the United States includes Alaska; portions of the Rocky Mountains, the Cascade Mountains, and northern Appalachian Mountains; and areas close to Lake Superior in Michigan and Minnesota. L. parviflora is found in usually wet or damp soil that may be rocky or gravelly. In the contiguous United States, the species usually occurs in montane forests (Clemants, 1990; Weatherbee, 1996; Cronquist et al. 1998; Magee and Ahles, 1999; Vermont Nongame and Natural Heritage Program [VNNHP], 2002). In contrast, in Michigan and Minnesota it occurs primarily in low altitude forests (Michigan Natural Features Inventory [MNFI], 2002; Minnesota Heritage and Nongame Research Program, 2002). In the eastern United States (MA, ME, MI, MN, NH, NY, VT), L. parviflora often occurs near forest openings or along stream banks, trails, or lakeshores (Weatherbee, 1996; MNFI, 2002; VNNHP, 2001; Appendix). L. parviflora also occurs in open habitats such as tundra, meadows, bogs, thickets and heathlands (Welsh, 1974; Swab, 2000). Like other woodrushes, L. parviflora has a grass-like aspect, three seeds per capsule, and perfect flowers with six small tepals. It can be distinguished from other Luzula species by flowers that are usually solitary (rarely in small clusters), a decompound inflorescence, tepals that are straw-colored, brown, or black, and an inconspicuous or absent appendage on the seed (Gleason and Cronquist, 1991; Swab, 2000). L. parviflora reproduces vegetatively with rhizomes and by seed. Evidence suggests that the species has a persistent seed bank that may allow the species to endure after even severe disturbances (McGraw et al. 1991; del Moral et al. 1995). Although seeds are dormant immediately after dispersal, a portion of seeds germinate after a ripening period (Bell and Amen, 1970). Although L. parviflora is widespread and common in areas of its range, it is rare in parts of the eastern United States. Natural heritage programs have listed it as Endangered in Massachusetts, Threatened in Michigan, Rare in Vermont, and Special Concern in Minnesota. L. parviflora may be rare in these areas naturally as it is at the southern edge of its range. Potential threats to populations include small population sizes; global warming; and human disturbances such as logging, dredging a creek, and ski hill expansion. Conservation Assessment for Small-flowered Woodrush (Luzula parviflora (Ehrh) Desv.) 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Outside Reviewers – We would like to thank our academic reviewers and agency reviewers outside of the U. S. Forest Service for their helpful comments and corrections on this manuscript. Hanes Trust Fund – We thank the Hanes Trust and Elwood Ehrle at Western Michigan University for his assistance in processing the grant to provide funding for this Conservation Assessment. Initial Draft – We are grateful to Ramona Shackleford, contract botanist, for her efforts in providing us with an original draft for this Conservation Assessment. Herbarium and Heritage Data – We appreciate the sharing of occurrence information for this species from Heritage personnel both in the United States and Canada, along with the helpful assistance of Herbarium personnel. See Contacts section at end of report for a complete list. Editorial Committee • We thank Jan Schultz, of the Hiawatha National Forest, for her suggestions and patience through numerous revisions. • Also appreciated was the editorial assistance of the following contract employees working with the Hiawatha National Forest: Beverly Braden, contract botanist. Literature Search • We thank Laura Hutchinson of the North Central Research Library for performing initial species inquires and sending us relevant research articles. • We thank Jan Schultz, of the Hiawatha National Forest, for use of her extensive library of materials to begin to compile information on this species. • We thank