Botany Program Update 2016

To collect & maintain reliable & comprehensive data on

Montana’s native botanical species….

6847 866010101

10967

74232

76941

83631

56006410 7015 7475 6301

7710

9740

376 458 489 525 502 505516

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2014 2015 2016

NU

MB

ER

All Botanical

Observations

SOC/PSOC Occurrences

Number of SOC/PSOC

“STATUS UNDER REVIEW”

335 PLANTS

• Status is not common, not rare, but is unknown.• Disputed State rank; New, but unassessed

information; or Not ranked• Project creates a defensible State rank. • Added: 795 observations, 68 photographs, &

expanded profile for 44 taxa• Back-log in conducting Reviews on 418 spp.

reduced 20% by September 2017

FUNDING: MONTANA

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-) Values

• Funding: MTDEQ

• 1,623 plants assigned a C-value• 948 plants lack a C-value

- mostly upland species

• C-value reflects the plant’s tolerance to disturbance AND its affinity to a specific, unimpaired habitat in Montana.

• C-value is the basic unit of Floristic Quality Assessment method.

0

1

2

3

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5

6

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9

10

Exotic

Native: habitat moderate

thrives or persists with natural

or human disturbance

Native: habitat specialist

may tolerate or cannot

tolerate disturbance

Native: habitat generalist &

restricted to human disturbance

C-Values Are USEFULAt the Project Level:

• Make a plant species list

• Add their assigned C-value

• Calculate Statistics:

- number of plant species (n)

- minimum / maximum C-value found

- average C-value ( 𝐶 )

- Floristic Quality Index (FQI) = 𝐶 𝑛

C-value Statistics allows:

• Sites to be compared to determine which has better ecological quality

• Baseline and future conditions to be monitored and compared

• Drives engineering design and species to seed/plant to create

restoration that results in a greater array of ecological function (higher

average C-values, greater range of C-values)

948 (upland) species lack C-values in Montana.

Howell’s Gumweed – S2S3 SOC, USFS Sensitive

• Missoula / Powell Counties, MTIdaho

• Study to assess genetic variability- among populations, - with its look alike – Curly Cup

Gumweed, and - will assist in guiding

management decisions.

Funding: USFS, Lolo National Forest

TEACHING

Boosting people’s skills in identifying wetland & riparian plants.

• 3 beginner / refresher

• 2 intermediate (grass, sedge, rush plants)

Funding: MTDEQ

2010-2016 Wetland Plant Identification

• At least 30 classes

• At least 450 participants attended

• Participants work in wetland/riparian

systems:

Federal, State, County, Tribal, Academia,

NGOs, Watershed / CDs, Consultants,

Non-Profits, & others.

Training Topics Catered to

Your Organization:

• Upland plants

• Wetland plants

• Grasses, Shrubs/Trees

• Rare species

• Mosses / Lichens

• others

MOSS CYANOBACTERIA

LIVERWORT

LICHEN

ALGAE&

FUNGI&

BACTERIA

Dr. Bruce McCune, Dr. Roger Rosentreter, Dr. Daphne Stone, Ann DeBolt, Andrea Pipp, Dr. Katherine Glew, Wendy Velman,

Rob Smith, Wildfire WanderningFunding: Montana Native Plant Society; Bureau of Land Management;

Milton Ranch

Pilot Study Accomplishments:

• Mussellshell County: 1st

documented moss & lichen survey! they exist!

• Collected ‘ground layer indicator’ data to assess ecological function.

• Compliments vegetation data collected in MFWP Greater Sage-Grouse Grazing Study plots & BLM / Milton Ranch transects.

Water HowelliaCompleted Analysis: 1978-2015

Spalding’s CatchflyPursue funding to continue Recovery Plan monitoring.

Ute Ladies’-TressesPursue funding to survey private lands.

Funding: Swan Ecosystem Center, U.S. Forest Service

Populating Moss Field Guide & Database

Draft Checklist: 511 species- coming Feb. 2017

MTNHP Database: 423 species

Moss Field Guide: • 395 w/ species profile• 84 w/ photograph(s)• Publish Checklist• Update nomenclature in database

MTNHP Database: 639 sppDocumented in MT: 1,074 spp

• Create lichen checklist• Update nomenclature & field guide

Didymo

Coming Soon:• 152,073 MTDEQ diatom

observations• 87 Didymo observations• Herbarium observations