MONTANA
STATE

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MONTANA STATE LIBRARY

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584.4
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1998

STATE DOCUMENTS CeLLECTION

.(UN 2 [, 1988

MONTANA STATE LIBRARY.

1515 E- 6th AVE.
HELENA. MONTANA 59620

3 0864 0014 0120 0

CONSERVATION STATUS OF
SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS Shevifik IN MONTANA

Taxon Name:

Common Name:

Family:

States Where Taxon Occurs:

Current Federal Status:
Recommended Federal Status:

Author of Report:

Original Date of Report:

Date of Most Recent Revision:

Individual to Whom Further
Information and Comments
Should be Sent:

Spiranthes diluvialis Sheviak

Ute ladies'-tresses

Orchidaceae

Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah,
Washington, Wyoming

Threatened

This state status information is necessary but not sufficient
in determining rangewide status.

Bonnie L. Heidel

April 1997

March 1998

Bonnie L. Heidel

Montana Natural Heritage Program

State Library

1515 East Sixth Avenue

Helena, MT 59620-1800

1998 Montana Natural Heritage Program

This status report should be cited as follows:

Heidel, B. L. 1998. Conservation status of Spiranthes diluvialis Sheviak in Montana. Unpublished
report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena. 55 pp.
+ app.

SUMMARY

Ute ladies'-tresses has been systematically surveyed across potential habitat spanning eight counties,
based on three primary search criteria that were ground-truthed and extrapolated in the field. The
survey methodology included interpretation of aerial photography in all eight counties,
interpretation of soil survey maps for those three counties having published soil surveys, and survey
at or around the places where two other rare species that are closely associated with Ute
ladies'-tresses have been collected. Vegetation and soils data were collected at representative sites
of Ute ladies'-tresses to document habitat conditions.

The distribution of Ute ladies'-tresses has been circumscribed in western Montana, where it is
known from four counties in intermontane valleys centered on the Jefferson River, and confluent
lower reaches of the Gallatin, Madison, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers. While this spans app. 80
miles of valley, the species is in a highly restricted microhabitat that falls within four soil series,
within them to shallow meandered wetlands, and within these wetlands to small pockets of sparse,
highly calcareous meadow.

Ten occurrences have been documented, doubling the total number previously known. Two of the
largest had flowering plant numbers approaching or exceeding 500 individuals in 1997. Small
populations or population segments were found on three small tracts of state land but the balance are
on private property. Occurrences in Montana represent over 10% of known occurrences rangewide,
but likely less than 10% of total numbers of plants rangewide.

All Montana populations are vulnerable and unprotected but are not under immediate threats.
Priority conservation tasks include: conveyance of species information to land managing and
regulatory agencies and to agencies that work with private landowners, delimitation of potential
habitat for Sec. 7 reference purposes in Montana, expanded systematic survey at those EOs where
boundaries have not been delimited, noxious weed control, determination of the pollinator and its
habitat requirements, refinement and analysis of the monitoring work, hydrological consultation,
comparison of rangewide genetic resources, and coordination with other researchers working on the
species.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The access permission and kindness of all landowners whose property was visited in this study are
acknowledged with deep appreciation. Special thanks are given the landowner at the site where
Spiranthes diluvialis was first discovered for permission to conduct annual monitoring.

Taxonomic consultation and chromosome analysis were graciously provided by Dr. Charles Sheviak
(New York Biological Survey). Information and assistance provided by Walter Fertig (Wyoming
Natural Diversity Database) and Dr. Lawrence Magrath (University of Oklahoma) initially helped
identify the possibility of Spiranthes diluvialis occurring in Montana. The taxonomic expertise of
Dr. Anton Reznicek, Dr. Rupert Bameby, and Dr. Jim Ratter in determining and verifying
associated species is also acknowledged, as is the associated species documentation provided by
Peter Lesica.

The synthesis of listing and recovery information and the coordination promoted by the U. S. Fish
and Wildlife Service fostered rangewide information exchange. The author acknowledges the
contributions of all whose works are cited in this report, and thanks the following individuals for
sending Spiranthes diluvialis information: Jeff Carroll (Bureau of Land Management - Wyoming),
Walter Fertig, John Gamon (Washington Natural Heritage Program), Dr. Lucy Jordan (U. S. Fish
and Wildlife Service), Bob Moseley (Idaho Conservation Data Center), Lynn Riedel (Dinosauer
National Monument), Susan Spackman (Colorado Natural Heritage Program), and Gerry Steinaeur
(Nebraska Natural Heritage Program). Visits to Idaho sites were made in conjunction with a tour
jointly led by Edna Rey-Vizgirdas (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and Bob Moseley (Idaho
Conservation Data Center).

Permission to reproduce illustrations of Spiranthes diluvialis was provided by the illustrator,
Carolyn Crawford, and close-up photographs of Spiranthes diluvialis by the photographer, Kristi
DuBois. These graphics were scarmed and printed by Arme Dalton (Montana Natural Heritage
Program) who also produced the state distribution map. The rangewide distribution map was
provided by Dr. Ronald Hartman (University of Wyoming). Montana element occurrences were
processed wath the assistance of Arme Dalton, Katie Schletz and other data management staff.
Stratification of the vegetation sampling data was run with help from Steve Cooper and Scott Lee-
Chadde (Montana Natural Heritage Program). The coordination of soils analysis between states was
provided by Gerry Steinauer and the tabulation of soils results was provided by Terri Hildebrand
(contractor to Nebraska Game & Parks Commission).

Use of the Montana Department of Natural Resource and Conservation aerial photos and site visits
to state lands were coordinated through the Central Land Office and the Dillon Unit Office, by
Robert and Stanley Vlahovich, respectively. The well-organized aerial photographs and the
helpfulness of Farm Service Agency persoimel in the Bozeman, Deerlodge, Dillon and Whitehall
offices made the extensive review of aerial photographs possible. This study was conducted as two
challenge cost-share projects in 1996 and 1997 with the support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the Montana Natural Heritage Program.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
SPECIES INFORMATION

1. Classification and nomenclature 1

2. Present legal or other formal status 2

3. Description 4

4. Significance 9

5. Geographical distribution 9

6. General environment and habitat description 15

7. Population biology of the taxon 29

8. Population ecology of the taxon 38

9. Current land ownership and management responsibility 40

10. Management practices and experience 41

11. Evidence of threats to survival 44

ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

12. General assessment of vigor, trends, and status 46

13. Recommendations for listing or status change 46

14. Recommended critical habitat 47

15. Conservation/recovery recommendations 47

16. Interested parties 48

INFORMATION SOURCES

17. Sources of information 50

18. Summary of materials on file 51

AUTHORSHIP

19. Initial authorship 51

20. Maintenance of status report 51

NEW INFORMATION

21. Record of revisions .52

LITERATURE CITED 52

FIGURES

Figure 1 . Spiranthes diluvialis; the whole plant

Figure 2. Comparative illustration of the enlarged flowers of 5. diluvialis, S. romanzoffiana,
S. magnicamporum and S. porrifolia.

Figure 3. Spiranthes diluvialis distribution rangewide

Figure 4. Spiranthes diluvialis distribution in Montana

Figure 5. Spiranthes diluvialis landscape setting in Montana

Figure 6. Wetland complexes of a representative section with potential Spiranthes diluvialis habitat

Figure 7. Vegetation gradient profile through Spiranthes diluvialis habitat

TABLES

Table 1. Comparison of diagnostic features oi Spiranthes diluvialis with S. porrifolia,
S. romanzoffiana, and S. magnicamporum

Table 2. Spiranthes diluvialis locations in Montana

Table 3. Comparison of soil parameters at Spiranthes diluvialis sites

APPENDIX

Appendix A. Element occurrence printouts

Appendix B. Close-up and habitat photos

Appendix C. Species associated with Spiranthes diluvialis in Montana and rangewide

Appendix D. Demographic monitoring

Appendix E. DRAFT - Section 7 guidelines for Spiranthes diluvialis in Montana

Appendix F. Soils data analysis from Spiranthes diluvialis sites

Appendix G. Vegetation sampling data stratification from Spiranthes diluvialis microplots

SPECIES INFORMATION
1. Classification and nomenclature.

A. Species.

1. Scientific name

a. Binomial: Spiranthes diluvialis Sheviak.

b. Full bibliographic citation: Sheviak, C.J. 1984. Spiranthes
diluvialis (Orchidaceae), a new species from the western United
States. Brittonia 36(1):8-14.

c Type specimens: United States, Colorado, Jefferson Co.: mesic to

wet alluvial meadows along Clear Creek just west of junctions of
Routes 6 & 58, Golden, 17 July 1982, C J. Sheviak, J. K Sheviak, W.
Jennings, L. Long & S. Smookler #2257. Holotype: NYS; isotype
NY.

2. Pertinent synonyms: None.

3. Common name: Ute ladies '-tresses

4. Taxon codes: PM0RC2B 1 00 (The Nature Conservancy); SPIDIL (U.S.
Forest Service, Region 1 )

5. Size of genus: Spiranthes is a genus which is treated by some authors as
including 200 or more species; by others as having less than 1 00 species. The
genus in either case is largely confined to temperate areas of both the New
and Old World (Hitchcock et al. 1984).

B. Family classification.

1. Family name: Orchidaceae.

2. Pertinent family synonym: None.

3. Common names for the family: Orchid Family. It represents the largest
family of vascular plants in the world, including app. one out of every ten
species (Smith 1977).

C. Major plant group: Monocotyledonae.

D. History of knowledge of taxon: Prior to the description of 5. diluvialis in 1984,
workers in Orchidaceae had tried to classify specimens from the western United
States in three taxa of white-flowered Spiranthes: Spirant hes cernua L. C. Richard,
Spiranthes romanzoffiana Chamisso, and Spiranthes porrifolia Lindley.

In 1980, a specimen of Spiranthes was collected near Golden, Colorado, that
appeared to be S. cernua. In 1981, live plants were collected at that site and sent to
Dr. Charles Sheviak, who had initiated taxonomic studies on the genus Spiranthes in
the early 1970's. In 1982 and 1983, Dr. Sheviak visited Colorado and Utah. After
examining herbarium specimens and live plants in the field, and after cytologic
study, Dr. Sheviak described the Colorado-Utah plants as a new species (Sheviak
1984; from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1992).

E. Comments on current alternative taxonomic treatments: There are no known
current alternative taxonomic treatments.

2. Present legal or other formal status.

A. International.

1. Present designated or proposed legal protection or regulation: As a

member of the Orchid Family (Orchidaceae), Spiranthes diluvialis is included
on the CITES Appendix II list. Species listed in Appendix II require a permit
from the country of origin prior to export. International trade in this species
has not been documented.

2. Other current formal status recommendations: None.

B. National.

1. United States.

a. Present designated or proposed legal protection or regulation:

The Ute ladies' -tresses {Spiranthes diluvialis) was listed as a
threatened species on January 17, 1992 (57 FR 2053 under the
authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act) as amended
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1992).

b. Other current formal status: It is not known from federal lands in
Montana. It has been placed on the watch list for the Bureau of Land
Management (USDI BLM 1996).

Federal agencies recognize species protected under the Endangered
Species Act, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed
draft Section 7 consultation guidelines for addressing potential
impacts (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995a.)

c. Review of past status: In addition to the original listing document

(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1992) and draft Section 7 consultation
guidelines (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995a), the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service has prepared a draft recovery plan (U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service 1995b).

2. State.

Montana. Spiranthes diluvialis was first discovered in Montana in
1994, and sent to Dr. Charles Sheviak for determination. He
provisionally identified it as Spiranthes diluvialis. It was treated as
unconfirmed imtil cytological determination was made by Dr. Sheviak
in 1995 (Heidel 1995). It was published as a new addition to the state
flora the following year (Heidel 1 996a).

i. Present designated or proposed legal protection or

regulation: Spiranthes diluvialis is currently ranked as
"globally imperiled" owing to extreme rarity (global rank =
G2; generally 20 or fewer occurrences.) In this case, there are
app. 90 occurrences rangewide and this rank was last updated
by the Utah Natural Heritage Program in 1984. The rank is
conditioned by quality, condition, viability and vulnerability of
the occurrences, and the prospective aggregation or
interconnectedness of these occurrences along rivers into far
fewer occurrences.

It is recognized as an imperiled species of special concern in
Montana (state rank =S2), owing to extreme rarity (10
occurrences), small occurrence size, lack of protection, and
threats. This rank is not a designation, nor does it afford legal
protection or regulation.

ii. Other current formal status
recommendations: None.

iii. Review of past status: NA

3. Description.

A. General nontechnical description: Spiranthes diluvialis is a perennial orchid with
mainly 1 stem 12-50 cm tall, arising from tuberously thickened roots. Its narrow (1
cm) leaves can reach 28 cm long, are longest at the base, and persist during flowering
(Figure 1). The inflorescence consists of few to many white or ivory flowers
clustered in a spike of 3 -ranked spirals at the top of the stem. The sepals and petals
are oriented perpendicular to the stem, the lateral sepals often spreading abruptly
from the base of the flower, and all sepals are free to the base. The lip petal is
somewhat constricted at the median (from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995b ).

B. Technical description: Herb, erect, slender to stout, 20-50 cm tall, glabrous below,
pubescent above with numerous capitate trichomes. Roots tuberously thickened, up
to 1 cm in diameter. Leaves linear-lanceolate, the larger to 28 x 1 .5 cm, basal,
usually restricted to the very base of the stem and rapidly reduced upward to
sheathing bracts, persisting past anthesis. Spike dense, 3-5 x 1 .2-2.5 cm. Floral
bracts ovate, attenuate or acuminate, the lower 9-33 mm long. Flowers 7.5-15 mm
long, faintly fragrant with the scent of coumarin, white or ivory, the lip often yellow
centrally. Sepals free or connate at the base, the dorsal lanceolate, acute, the lateral
broadly spreading to loosely incurved or appressed, linear-lanceolate, acuminate,
Petals connivent with the dorsal sepal, linear, acuminate. Lip 7-12 x 2.5-6.8 mm,
ovate, lanceolate, or oblong, with a median constriction and occasionally pandurate,
the margin entire or dentate toward the apex, crisped, the basal calli prominent,
pubescent. Seeds ellipsoidal, monoembryonic (Sheviak 1984).

C. Local field characters: Spiranthes diluvialis is characterized by whitish, stout,
ringent (gaping at the mouth) flowers, with slender, elongate petals and sepals that
are white to ivory-colored and free to the base (Figure 2). The lip is exposed in
lateral view; with an oval to lance or oblong outline, a marked median constriction,
the base usually dilated, the venation mostly parallel, typically with some branching
divaricating in the lower half, and with crispy-wavy margins. The upper stem is
sparsely to densely pubescent, the longest hairs are longer than 0.19 mm, and the
glands are obviously stalked. The persistent leaves are mostly restricted to the base
of the stem, reduced to bracts above (adapted from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1995b, Wyoming Technical Plant Committee 1995).

By comparison, S. romanzoffiana has petals and sepals which usually curve in the
shape of a hood on top. It has a more deeply constricted lip petal, and more densely
congested and shorter spikes compared to S. diluvialis. Its numerous leaves often
extend up the lower stem (Figure 2). It also differs from Spiranthes diluvialis in
Montana in that it occupies mainly montane settings rather than arid bottomlands,
though it has been noted in the Eureka Plains of northwestern Montana (Lesica pers.
commim.) and in open canyon settings on the upper Madison River in southwestern
Montana (pers. obs.). Comparison with similar species is presented in Table 1 .

Figure 1 . Spiranthes diluvialis:
the whole plant

Spiranthes diluvialis
Ute Ladies' Tresses

Illustration by Carolyn Crawford

Figure 2. Comparative illustration of the enlarged flowers of Spiranthes diluvialis, Spiranthes
romanzoffiana, Spiranthes magnicamporum and Spiranthes porr if olia

:iPIRANTHE5 DILUVIAL

SPIRANTHES ROMANZOFFIANA
5X

SPIRANTHES MAGNICAMPORUM
flower. 5X: Md. 2X

SPIRANTHES PORR I FOLIA
5X

SPIPANTHES CERNUA
■Sx

By Carolyn Crawford

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D. Identifying characteristics of material which is in interstate or international
commerce or trade: No interstate commerce or trade is known.

E. Photographs and line drawings: Figure 1 is an illustration of Spiranthes diluvialis;
the whole plant. Figure 2 is a comparative illustration of the flowers of .S. diluvialis,
S. romanzoffiana, S. magnicamporum and S. porrifolia. Color slides of the species
were taken in the course of this study and close-ups were sought from photographers.
They have been printed as color xeroxes for the report (Appendix B), submitted as
slide duplicates, and posted on the Internet. Additional slides of the species and
habitat in Montana are housed at the MTNHP office in Helena.

Significance.

A. Natural: Spiranthes diluvialis is thought to represent an evolutionary product of
Pleistocene climates now confined to riparian systems of the semi-arid West. It is
associated with riparian successional processes and microhabitats.

It is among the few species of plants with a Rocky Mountains distribution that is
confined to low elevations. It is the only orchid species restricted to grasslands as
found in Montana, where it is consistently associated with other botanical and
wildlife resource features.

B. Human: Spiranthes diluvialis is a showy flowering plant. It has not been
successfully propagated to date. The horticultural significance and level of
international trade of members of the Orchid Family is recognized by categorical
inclusion of all species in the Family under Appendix II of the CITES Act, a subject
of widespread interest (Allen 1 996).

This species also has scientific significance in studies addressing its evolutionary
isolation, which has been an important subject in conservation biology research.
Otherwise, the species has no known agricultural, economic, or other human uses at
this time.

Geographical distribution.

A. Geographical range: Spiranthes diluvialis is known from eight states: eastern
Nevada (historical), northern and south-central Utah, northern Colorado, eastern
Idaho, western Nebraska, southeastern Wyoming, and southwestern Montana. It was
collected from northcentral Washington in 1997.

When Spiranthes diluvialis was originally described (Sheviak 1 984) and
subsequently designated (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1 992), it was only known
from Colorado and Utah with an historic record in Nevada. It is now known from
over twice as many states. The center of distribution is along the Rocky Mountains,

Figure 3. Spiranthes diluvialis distribution rangewide

Spiranthes diluvialis - Ute ladies'-tresses

= populations discovered in the
past 5 years, including ones
from ID, MT, NE, WA, and WY.

' populations discovered earlier,
all have been relocated except
the one in NV.

Prepared by R. Hartman 1997

with outliers in the Great Plains (Nebraska, Wyoming) and the Okanagan Highlands
(Washington). In 1993 it was first discovered in Wyoming (Fertig 1994), and in
1994 in Montana (Aderhold 1995, Heidel 1995, 1996a,b). In 1996 it was first
discovered in Idaho (Moseley 1996) and Nebraska (Hazlett 1996). In 1997 it was
discovered in Washington (Sheviak, Gamon pers. commun.). It is now known from
seven states and the historic record in Nevada. Figure 3 is a rangewide distribution
map by Ronald Hartman (University of Wyoming), differentiating between
occurrences documented prior vs. subsequent to the time that it was federally
designated. The distribution is highly discontinuous between the dots, and the
species is sparsely distributed throughout its range.

B.

Precise occurrences.

1. Populations currently known to be extant.

a. Montana: The distribution of Ute ladies'-tresses has been

circumscribed in Montana, where it is knovm from ten element
occurrences in four counties in intermontane valleys centered on the
Jefferson River, and confluent lower reaches of the Gallatin, Madison,
Beaverhead and Ruby rivers (Figure 4). They represent app. 80 miles
of connected intermontane valleys in the headwaters of the Missouri
River. It is highly restricted to a tiny microhabitat within meandered
wetlands within four restricted soil series. The occurrences are
represented in Table 1 and in occurrence printouts (Appendix I .)

Table 2. Spirant hes diluvialis locations in Montana

Element
Occur. No.

County

River Valley

Township
and Range

001

Jefferson

Jefferson

T.1NR.4W

002

Madison

Beaverhead

T.5S R.7W

004

Madison

Beaverhead

T.4S R.6W

005

Jefferson

Jefferson

T.1NR.4W

006

Madison

Ruby

T.6S R.4W

007

Madison

Jefferson

T.1SR.5W

008

Gallatin

Gallatin

T.2N R.4E

009

Gallatin

Jefferson

T.2NR.1E

010

Gallatin

Madison

T.2N R.2E

Oil

Beaverhead

Beaverhead

T.6S R.8

II

Initially, it was only known from the one site in the Jefferson River
valley (Heidel 1995). Subsequent surveys within app. 40 contiguous
miles of the Jefferson and Beaverhead River valleys were conducted
in 1996 using black and white aerial photographs of the Montana
Department of Natural Resources and the Farm Service Agency and
search images from the single known site to produce the interim status
report (Heidel 1997). A priority was placed on surveying public lands
with potential habitat, conducted under land use license No. 8102 of
the Montana Department of Natural Resources.

Surveys were expanded in 1997 using three effective search criteria.
First, a greatly-expanded aerial photointerpretation was conducted in
1997 among discrete areas of eight counties (Beaverhead, Broadwater,
Deerlodge, Gallatin, Granite, Jefferson, Madison and Silverbow
counties) that have broad, arid valley-bottoms with a Great Basin flora
and meandered wetlands. Black and white aerial photographs
(8"=lmile) were examined in the Farm Service Agency Offices in
Bozeman, Dillon, Deerlodge, and Whitehall. Xeroxes of the
photographs, representing almost 300 sections, were made for
consideration in groundtruthing and field evaluation. The meandered
wetlands are readily discerned on aerial photographs, but microhabitat
features corresponding with local species distribution can only be
identified on the ground. Second, available published soils maps were
available in Broadwater, Madison and parts of Silverbow counties to
look for areas wdth the two associated soil series in which all Montana
occurrences have been found. Note: The aerial photos that
accompany the Broadwater soils mapping (Olsen et al. 1977) were
used in place of Farm Service Agency photographs for that county.
Third, the southwestern Montana collection records of two closely-
associated species were also used as leads to potential habitat in these
counties.

In addition, a single riparian corridor survey was conducted along app.
20 miles of the Jefferson River in the center of its overall distribution
but beyond the bounds of the other search criteria. The species was
sought unsuccessfiiUy in the successional habitat which harbors it in
other states, i.e., river shoreline, sandbar meadows and swales,
seasonally-linked oxbows, and temporarily-inundated benches. The
Jefferson River corridor vegetation and flat landscape setting did not
resemble the places where the species was found in other states. Only
one shoreline segment offered the same vegetation and soil conditions
that resembled the other places where it is found in Montana, but the
site was degraded and imoccupied.

12

^

b

The ten occurrences may have historically represented five
metapopulations. In any case, they represent five areas where the
associated soil series occurs. They are all greater than 2 miles fi-om
one another and do not have continuous habitat, so they are treated as
separate occurrences.

2. Populations known or assumed extirpated,
a. Montana: None.

3. Historically known populations where current status is not known:
a. Montana: Not applicable.

4. Locations not yet investigated believed likely to support additional
natural populations. This report represents the results of systematic survey
across eight counties; roughly circumscribing species' distribution in western
Montana, doubling the number of occurrences since the interim report
(Heidel 1 997), adding two new counties of distribution, and diminishing the
likelihood of occurrences in other western Montana counties and along other
rivers. Landscapes in southwestern Montana with meandered wetland
complexes , the four soils series, and collection records of the associated
species have been evaluated to determine presence/absence. Compilation of
soils information is needed to critique completeness. Nor is the search for
occurrences within each setting to be considered exhaustive due to access and
time constraints, but the distribution is demarcated. The upstream extent of
the species on the Ruby River above Alder was treated in incomplete surveys,
the upstream extent on the Beaverhead River immediately upstream ft-om
Dillon was not investigated, nor were all associated species collection sites in
southern Beaverhead County evaluated (i.e.. Primula incana in the well-
studied settings of Carex parryana ssp. idahoa.)

There have been no surveys for it in eastern Montana. There is inadequate
background information for determining the appropriateness of such
investigation. It has been collected in the Great Plains of southeastern
Wyoming in a watershed that does not extend into Montana. There is one
Spiranthes specimen fi-om Sheridan County in the extreme northeastern
comer of Montana that represents a range extension for the Spiranthes genus
in Montana. Though it is unlikely to be S. diluvialis, it deserves special
mention. It was collected in 1923 and deposited at the Missouri Botanical
Gardens (Sheviak pers. commun.). The material is not useable for definitive
identification, and there are no other known collections of ladies '-tresses
fi-om eastern Montana, though both parent species are extant in highly
restricted peatland settings of North Dakota to the east.

14

5. Reports having ambiguous or incomplete locality information:

a. Montana: None. Herbaria in the state, including MONTU and

MONT, have been searched for specimens of Spiranthes diluvialis
which might be misidentified as S. romanzoffiana, and none were
found.

6. Locations known or suspected to be erroneous reports:

a. Montana: None.

C. Biogeographical and phylogenetic history: Spiranthes diluvialis is intermediate
between its putative parent species, hooded ladies '-tresses {S. romanzoffiana) and
Great Plains ladies'-tresses (5. magnicamporum). It is an allotetraploid (2n=74;
Sheviak 1984) which possesses a combination of alleles found within the putative
diploid parent species {S. romanzoffiana 2n=44 and S. magnicamporum 2n=30;
Sheviak 1984). It hypothesized to have evolved when the two parent species were
sympatric or parapatric during a relatively cool, wet Pleistocene pluvial period
(Sheviak 1984). These climatic conditions may have shifted the overall distribution
of 5. romanzoffiana relatively low in its elevation range on the Rocky Mountains,
and the distribution of 5". magnicamporum relatively far west across what are the
driest segments of the Great Plains, bringing the distribution of the two species into
overlap or proximity.

Genetic research on Spiranthes dilvialis in Colorado and Utah indicates that it
evolved from at least two separate hybridization events (Arft 1995a). The Montana
populations in the headwaters of the Missouri River may have a separate origin from
those in the rest of its range. Genetic analysis of the species at the northern and
eastern ends of its range are proposed for conservation planning purposes.

6. General environment and habitat description.

A. Concise statement of general environment and habitat: Spiranthes diluvialis is
restricted to a small, sporadic microhabitat represented by calcareous, wet-mesic,
temporarily-inundated meadow in shallow wetlands. The shallow meandered
wetlands are in alluvial fans (Boast & Shelito 1989) that correspond with two
imcommon soils series. They are part of broad, flat, arid, open, low-elevation valley
bottoms. The meandered wetlands include narrow channels and broader swales, both
of which parallel the existing river courses, and most are set back over a mile from
the river and without surface-water connections to the river. The valley cross-
sections where it occurs are depicted in Figure 5.

15

Figure 5.

Spiranthes diluvialis
Landscape Setting in Montana

Meandered Channel

-s^O^-

Meandered Terrace Meadow

\

\

jCJCg>^ jSo?iL

Meandered Floodplain Meadow

X^

- 1 mile -

Spiranthes diluvialis habitats

B. Physical characteristics.

1. Climate.

a. Koppen climate classification: Type Dfb, with average January
temperature below 0° C (32° F), average temperature of the warmest
month above 10° degrees C (50° F) and under 22° C (71.6° F), with
no dry season, and the driest month of summer receives more than 3
cm (1.2 in.) of rain (Visher, 1954).

b. Regional microclimate: The closest climatological station located
within the range oi Spiranthes diluvialis is in Dillon. Data for the
periods 1951-80 and 1961-90 are provided by the U.S. Department of
Commerce (NOAA 1982, 1992). At the Dillon Airport (elevation
5,216 ft), the mean annual temperature is 13.4° C (56.1 ° F) and the
highest mean monthly temperatures are in July at 27.9° C (82.7° F).
The annual normal precipitation is 23.8 cm (9.53 inches). Most
precipitation falls in May and June. Unlike the regional climate
characterization, there is a distinct dry season with hot temperatures.

Climate regimes in Spiranthes diluvialis settings over the past four
years have varied considerably from late season drought in 1994, to
season-long coolness and wetness in 1 997 that prevented some local
landowners from getting a mature grain crop in nearby fields.

c Local microclimate: Soils at Spiranthes diluvialis sites remain moist

through the summer in the shallow wetland settings. Almost all
occurrences are in frill sun. The patchy, intermittent shrubs along the
border provide negligible shade. The growing season diurnal
temperature extremes are at their peak when the plant is flowering.

2. Air and water quality requirements: The microhabitat is temporarily
inundated in spring, often located right below the outer wetland margin.
Susbsurface hydrological conditions are ameliorated by high organic content
at the surface, and coarse alluvial cobble directly below. Water chemistry as
inferred from soils data is moderately alkaline and high in calcium carbonate.

3. Physiographic province: The Montana occurrences are within the Northern
Rockies physiographic region that encompasses western Montana, as mapped
by Fenneman (1931).

4. Physiographic and topographic characteristics: The species is in broad,
open intermontane valleys that represent Cenozoic Basins with late
Quaternary alluvium in southwestern Montana. The valleys are flat and the

17

rivers have low gradient in these settings though they are fed by mountain
tributaries. The 130 km (80 mile) length of valleys supporting the species
have elevation ranges from 1224-1485 m (4080-4950 ft). The valleys are app.
5-8 km (3-5 miles) wide, with nearly-level floodplains across much of the
valley width. Intermittent segments contain alkaline flats having wetland
soils. In these flats it is restricted to meandered wetland channels and
meadow-filled swales that represent alluvial fans. In the meandered
wetlands, it is restricted to discrete bands in segments and zones with seeps or
at least subsurface moisture through the summer. The wetland complexes are
referred to as "alluvial fans" (Boast and Shelito 1989) and they are in areas
that appear to have structural/tectonic interference (Locke pers. comm.),
schematically presented by Reichmuth (1986).

Abandoned meandered wetlands represent one of two floodplain settings for
the species in the rest of its range, the other being successional river corridor
banks and backwaters (Jennings 1989, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1992.)

5. Edaphic factors: Soils are loamy calcareous wetland soils, with gley
features.

Orchid ecology is often closely linked with edaphic factors and mycorrhizal
fimgi (Wells 1981), so this study included collection of soils data to refine the
habitat description. Edaphic conditions were documented by collecting soil
samples at five of the sites that represent the array of habitats and includes
the three largest populations in Montana. There was no replicate sampling
but multiple samples were taken at two sites where Spiranthes diluvialis
occupied different microhabitats. Soils were collected during the August
flowering period to a depth of 10 cm, air-dried and color was recorded using
the Munsell color chart. Analysis of texture, pH (buffered 7.0), organic matter
(%), conductivity (mmhos/cm), cation exchange capacity (cmol/kg), and
nutrients in ppm (ammonia, nitrate, excess lime, potassium. Bray
phosphorus, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, sodium) were conducted by the
University of Nebraska Soils Testing Service in conjunction with soil sample
tests collected from Spiranthes diluvialis sites in Nebraska and Wyoming.
Results were compared with soils sample results previously compiled from
Spiranthes diluvialis sites in Colorado and Utah (Arft 1995a). Results are
summarized in Table 2 as reprinted from the report by Hildebrand (1998),
and the raw data for Montana sites is included in Appendix F.

Soils at Spiranthes diluvialis sites in general are high in micronutrients and
organic matter, but are low in phosphorus compared to average values for
agricultioral soils. The Montana soils generally overiap with the Nebraska and
Wyoming soils in having high potassium concentrations, and low zinc,
copper, and ammonia concentrations relative to the Colorado and Utah sites.

18

Table 3. Comparison of soil parameters at Spiranthes diluvialis sites

SOIL
PARAMETER

AVERAGE
VALUES FOR
AGRICULTUR.
SOILS

RANGE OF

VALUES at sites
in CO&UT (Arft
1995a)

RANGE OF
VALUES AND
MEAN at sites in
NE, WY & MT
(Hildebrand 1998)

pH

6.6-8.15

7.66-8.25 (7.88)

Kppm

60-120

65-160

102-586(292.53)

Bray P ppm

4.0-7.0

1-3.4

0-2.61(1.24)

% Organic Matter

2.5

7.0-16

2.24-26.35 (9.92)

ZN DTPA ppm

0-0.2

3.0-270

0.48-4.03 (2.66)

MN DTPA ppm

0-0.5

8.0-26

6.3-63 (27.76)

FE DTPA ppm

0-5

60-280

40.4-281.3
(110.35)

CU DTPA ppm

0-0.2

11.0-56.0

0.48-5.2(1.52)

Conductivity
mmhos/cm

0-2

0.37-1.9

0.3-1.5(0.72)

Ammonia ppm

6.5-12.8

2.81-6.4(4.26)

Nitrate ppm

19-36

2.0-29

1.94-5.53(3.44)

Soils at the Montana sites are typically light in color, chrome and hue (most
are 2.5Y 6/2), moderately alkaline (pH 7.6-8.07), and are all loamy (loam,
sandy loam, or silt loam) with exception of one exceptionally well-developed
marl deposit area (part of EO#004). It may have had so much soluble calcium
carbonate accumulation ("bog lime") that there was too little sediment to
place it in a textural class. Sand otherwise makes up the majority of the
sediment in all samples except in one sample classified as a silt loam
(EO#005). The marl sample and two other soil samples have 20% or more
organic content which is comparable to productive farmlands but which, if
composed of undecayed material, potentially classifies them as peat or
histosols. Coarse alluvial cobble was foimd below the soil horizon at each of
the five sites. In some cases the soil profile was thinner than the 10 cm depth
of the soil sample above the loose cobble, in which case the loose, smoothly-
rounded cobbles were excluded from textural classification.

19

The Jefferson County sites have substrates developed from late Quaternary
alluvium (Kuenzi and Fields 1971). The particular landscape segments that
have the wetland inclusions which provide habitat for Spiranthes diluvialis
are mapped as the Neen or Villy soil series among the seven western
occurrences (Beaverhead, Jefferson and Madison counties) and as the
Fairway-Threeriver-Rivra complex or the Saypo series among the three
eastern occurrences in Gallatin County. Note: The soil series of actual
wetland microhabitats has not been determined, and the following discussion
pertains to the terrain surrounding meandered wetlands.

Neen soils are fine silty mixed frigid Aquic Calciorthids, Villy soils are fine
silty mixed (calcareous) fiigid Typic Fluvaquents, and Fairway soils are fine,
laomy mixed Fluvaquentic Haploborolls. They are classified as wetland soils.
The meandered wetlands are just inclusions that are not mapped separately.
The distribution of at least the first these two of the soils series corresponds
with the distribution of alluvial fans laced by meandered wetlands (Boast and
Shelito 1989). It appears that soils mapping can be used with efficiency and
possibly accuracy exceeding that of aerial photointerpretation for pinpointing
areas with the microhabitat features that signify potential habitat. These first
two soil series make up small fractions of the land area in Madison County
(totaling 1.2 % and 0.3%, respectively) and are surrounded by other soil
series that represent aridisols and mollisols.

The soil series that make up the landscapes surroimding the Spiranthes
diluvialis habitat are all characterized in soil classifications as high in calcium
carbonate and "salt-affected" within the rooting zone. They are also all
classified as "subirrigated" range sites.

Soil temperature was measured at the five sites (1 cm. Depth) at places where
soil samples were collected in August. These were compared to air
temperature readings to investigate the groundwater source. Soil temperatures
ranged from 15.0 -20.8 degrees Celsius; not appreciably different from the
mean August air temperatures. It is inferred that deep water sources would
have constantly cold water temperatures (unless connected to thermal
features). The moderate soil temperature readings, presence of very coarse
unconsolidated alluvial cobble underlying the soil profiles, and likelihood of
accompanying impervious lenses in alluvial deposits supports the idea that
the groundwater draws from shallow rather than deep aquifers.

6. Dependence of this taxon on natural disturbance: This species has been
characterized as a colonizer of early successional riparian habitat; persisting
in those areas where successional conditions are perpetuated or competition is
constrained in some way (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995b.) In
keeping with this riverine habitat model of scouring and deposition, the

20

continued changes in stream channel position and encroachment of later-
successional vegetation may eventually result in a localized decline. But not
all occurrences are confined to riversides. It is also found in valley meadows
where agricultural practices (grazing and haying) reduce competition under
some conditions by an appropriately-timed removal of competing vegetation
(Arft 1995a).

In the cases of the Montana occurrences, its habitat is not directly associated
with riverside succession. Instead, they are along shallow, wetlands set back
from the rivers in broad, open valleys. They are highly meandered shallow
wetland complexes and they are part of alluvial fans possibly attributed to
structural/tectonic activity (Locke pers. conmiun.).

In Montana, it appears restricted to localized edaphic conditions rather than
serai stages in order to compete with other vegetation and persist. It was
most consistently found in small zones and meander segments where calcium
carbonate and possibly peat concentrations are high. The density and stature
of the vegetation in these locales was usually sparse and short compared to
surrounding wetland habitat. These meadow settings are analgous to those of
meadow occurrences in other states.

The Montana sites are in a landscape that was historically grazed by bison
and periodically burned by Native Americans. Abundant buffalo sign were
noted in what is now the Whitehall area, and recent fires set by Indians noted
both upstream and downstream by Lewis and Clark (Nell and Taylor 1996).
In the areas where Spiranthes diluvialis occurs, Lewis reported traversing the
high bordering plains rather than the "wide bottoms" because of the "meriads
of deep holes" where they also noted "mineral salts" and "some excellent terf
or peat" (Nell and Taylor 1996).

Wildfire burned throughout one segment of a population (EO#004) that was
also the only observed species' setting with extensive pools of standing water.
The fire was concentrated in the surrounding upland. It is believed to
correspond with newspaper reports of lightening-started fire in the drought-
conditions of 1994. The fire charred the few willows in the middle of the
wetland habitat, most of which resprouted. This suggests that fire can bum
the wetland meadow habitat and that the species survives fire under some
circumstances, but it is inadequate circumstantial information lacking in
details and controls for making any other inferences.

7. Other unusual physical features: The meandered wetland channels are

highly convoluted and found in parallel series, sometimes in high density.
The Spiranthes diluvialis is fovmd in discontinuous bands on either side of the
wetland margin. There can be several miles of potential habitat within a given

21

section, but the suitable microhabitat is magnitudes less extensive. A tracing
of the wetlands in a high-density section is provided in Figure 6. The origin
of these extensive wetland systems has not been studied.

C. Biological characteristics.

1. Vegetation physiognomy and community structure: All Montana
occurrences are within broad, open or semi-open intermontane valleybottoms
with grassland. In these settings, the occurrences are restricted to discrete
zones sporadically distributed along abandoned meandered wetlands. Most
occurrences are in broken bands along the outer margins of wetland channels
and a couple are also across the bottom of wet meadow swales. The occupied
habitat within these shallow wetland settings have emergent vegetation of
relatively sparse cover and short stature compared to other wetland vegetation
in the wetland meanders.

2. Regional vegetation types: There is no published mapping of the potential
natural vegetation of intermontane valleys in Montana at a scale finer than the
Kuchler map (1964). This map shows Intermountain shrub-steppe grassland
across the foothills and valleys vsithout a discrete valleybottom vegetation in
the ancient floodplains.

Landscapes containing Spiranthes diluvialis are small vegetation inclusions
in the vmdescribed valleybottom matrix, i.e. patches within the larger open
grasslands. The patches are dominated by the alkali sacaton plant association
(Sporobolus airoides p.a.). Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argented) contributes
more than trace coverage, particularly along the edge of the meandered
wetlands. Robbins milkvetch {Astragalus robbinsii) is common in alkali
sacaton uplands, and is often locally abundant at the wetland edges.
Cottonwoods (Populus spp.) and willows (Salix spp.) are intermittent or
absent on-site, though they are found along the nearby river banks. Water
birch (Betula occidentalis) is occasionally present in or near the same settings
as Spiranthes diluvialis. The Gallatin County upland vegetation has western
wheatgrass (Elymus smithii; syn. Agropyron smithii) as codominant with
alkali sacaton, and a discrete association apparently dominanted by
Muhlenbergia racemosa is also present. Halophytic vegetation types are
sometimes present in the nearby landscape, including the Sarcobatus
vermiculatus p.a.

Alkali sacaton p.a. is the surrounding upland vegetation at Montana's
Spiranthes diluvialis sites. This is different from associated upland vegetation
in the rest of its range, though many of the associated wetland species are
similar. Halophytic species also are present at Spiranthes diluvialis sites of
Nebraska (Hildebrand 1998) and Washington (Gamon pers. commun.) .

22

Figure 6. Meandered wetland complexes of a representative section with potential
Spiranthes diluvialis habitat

though the associations differ. By contrast, the nearest out-of-state sites in
Idaho they have steep canyon conifer communities and cottonwoods lining
the riparian corridor where the species occurs.

3. Frequently associated species: In the immediate vicinity of Spiranthes

diluvialis, the graminoid vegetation is often markedly short in height (less
than 20 cm) and with less than complete canopy cover (40-80%) exposing
more bare soil or litter compared to the surrounding wetland plant
associations. The local dominants and abundant species vary between sites,
but the species at Montana sites with cover of 10% or greater, include:
Agrostis stolonifera, Carex simulata, Eleocharis pauciflora, Elymus
trachycaulus, Juncus balticus, Muhlenbergia asperifolia, Muhlenbergia
filiformis, and Juncus longistylis.

Carex simulata distribution has the highest correlation with Spiranthes
diluvialis distribution within the study area. The relatively widespread exotic
species, Agrostis stolonifera, was also found with high consistency at
Spiranthes diluvialis occurrences. The plant associations dominated by Carex
simulata and Eleocharis pauciflora were at the short and sparse extreme in
vegetation structure. Juncus balticus is ubiquitous and other species of rush
are locally common compared to surrounding wetlands. Other species that
tend to be highly localized and associated with Spiranthes diluvialis at two or
more of the documented sites include: Castillej exilis, Primula incana,
Triglochin maritima, Sphenopholis obtusata, Habenaria hyperborea, and
Phlox kelseyi var. kelseyi.

At one extreme, it occurred in a relatively well-developed peatland setting
that included Triglochin palustre. Aster juncifor mis, and Salix Candida amid
pools of Chara spp. (in one segment of EO#004; the aforementioned bum
site). At the other extreme, it was in associations made up of relatively
widespread graminoids like Elymus trachycalus, Carex praegracilis and
Calamagrostis inexpansa (EO#001) as a wetland band that is preferentially
grazed to short heights early in the growing season.

Five sites were sampled in 1 x 1 m areas of relatively Spiranthes diluvialis
density to refine the vegetation description. The microplots appeared to
represent more extensive, repeating plant associations but were not expanded
because of the microhabitat discontinuity. In addition, two sites had two
samples representing two different associations, for a total of seven
microplots. Finally, a pair of microplots were sampled directly above and
below a Spiranthes diluvialis plot to profile the major shifts in wetland
vegetation composition over the short distance of three contiguous meters of
the moisture gradient (Figure 7). Canopy cover was estimated in 1 0%
increment categories for all vascular species within the area, and soil surface

24

cover was also estimated. The cover synthesis table for the plots is presented
in Appendix G. Plant assemblages recorded in the seven 1x1 m sampling
plots, from most to least common, are listed below:

Carex simulata p.a.

Agrostis stolonifera c.t. and intergradations with the above
Juncus balticus c.t. and intergradations with the above
Eleocharis pauciflora. p.a.

Plant associations of Carex simulata and Eleocharis pauciflora as
documented in Montana are not reported even in trace amounts at Spiranthes
diluvialis sites in other states. These communities have not been reported in
Montana apart from montane settings (Hansen et al. 1995) and thermal areas
(Lesica 1990). At the nearest out-of-state sites in Idaho, the dominants are
silverbery/redtop c.t. (Eleagnus commutat/Agrostis stolonifera cover type;
Moseley, pers. commun.).

Species that have a high constancy at Spiranthes diluvialis sites across its
range, not just in Montana, include: Agrostis stolonifera, Juncus balticus,
Juncus longistylis, Equisetum laevigatum, and Habenaria hyperborea. A
master list of the species associated with Spiranthes diluvialis across its range
is compiled in Appendix C following the nomenclatural conventions of Dom
(1984). This floristic compilation has inconsistencies between states in
representing one to many sites, and in representing either the immediate plant
association or including adjoining plant associations, yet it provides an initial
basis for comparisons.

The surroimding wetland vegetation in the rest of the meandered wetlands is
highly variable within and among the Montana sites. They are mainly
temporarily and seasonally inundated emergent wetland communities,
variously dominated by sedges including Carex aquatilis, C. praegracilis,
and C. lanuginosa. These sedges are all recognized as widespread wetland
dominants (Hansen et al. 1995). At adjoining wetland at the easternmost site
in Gallatin County were species more typical of montane wetlands, including
tufted hairgras (Deschampsia cespitosa) and Carex scirpiformis.

Mosses are present at all occurrences, but their cover on the soil surface
varies considerably (trace - 50%), probably varying with livestock use
patterns and leaf litter accumulation. The three moss species noted to date at
EO #001 are calciphilic wetland species. Mosses were identified by Joe
Elliott. This rudimentary associated moss flora at one site (#001) included:
Amblystegium serpens, Bryum capillare, and Campylium stellatum; two of
the three overlap with the moss flora associated with the species in Nebraska
(Hildebrandl998).

25

Figure 7. Vegetation gradient profiled through Spiranthes diluvialis habitat

2 AGRSTO

3 CARNEB

4 CARPAR

5 CARSIM

6 ELEPAR

7 ELYTRA

8 JUNBAL

9 JUNIOR

10 MUHFIL

11 SPHOBT

12 ASTERI

13 ASTROB

14 CASEXI

15 EQULAE

16 LYCASP

17 PARFIM

18 PLAERI

19 POTANS

20 SONASP

21 SPIDIL

22 TRIFRA

23 TRIMAR

24 TRIPAL

ABOVE SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS

*■ 3 1 S U V • ^ W II M II <V ir /* IT 't '« >• '• M V Jf

SPECIES

WITH SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS

i^rrrrro"

2 3 V f 0 T 8 4 !• II '» tf <« /r/* n 1% h m ^ if ay
SPECIES

BELOW SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS

UJ

>

O
o

>-

Q.

o

z
<
o

50

40
30
20
10
0

40

IQ 0

19

E§g|.ff B S S S S fl fl'lf Ig

SPECIES

lb 17

10

r

Presence and signs of sandhill crane, whitetail deer, and mallard were
consistently noted, in the same river reaches where Lewis and Clark noted
"crain", the transition from mule deer to "the fine venison" of "longtailed red
deer", and meals of "duckanmalla{r}d (Nell and Taylor 1996).

4. Dominance and frequency of the taxon: Flowering stems of iSp/rawZ/ze^
diluvialis are rare, uncommon or occasional in all Montana sites documented
to date. Low densities and population numbers are typical for the species
throughout its range with the exception of six large occurrences in Colorado,
Utah and Nebraska (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1995b, Hazlett 1996).

5. Successional phenomena: Spiranthes diluvialis has been characterized as a
riparian succession species (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995b). In
Montana, with the exception of EO#005 and EO#006 it seems that Spiranthes
diluvialis is restricted to stable settings with reduced competition as dictated
by soils; early-season grazing further reduces the standing crop of competing
vegetation. The only evidence of successional processes were in response to
man-made changes. Part or all of the EO#005 was inundated by irrigation
ditch seepage in the past before the ditch was plugged (owner pers.
commun.). All of EO#006 is confined to an excavated road ditch.

The exotic species component may reflect the dynamic habitat if not a
successional nature. Red-top (Agrostis stolonifera) is ubiquitous at Montana
sites and possible throughout its range (Appendix B). The rest of the exotic
species component varies widely between sites, including Canada thistle
(Cirsium arvense), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), clovers (Trifolium
frageriferum, T. repens) and others. Elsewhere in the range are other exotic
species (Appendix B). Noxious weeds are in the landscape at most of the sites
and adjoin species' habitat at two of the ten sites. Leafy spurge {Euphorbia
esula) is encroaching Spiranthes diluvialis habitat in EO#004, Russian
knapweed (Centaurea repens) is at wetland margins nearby in the same area,
and spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) is abundant along a travel
corridor bordering EO#001.

An unusual exotic flora has been also documented above these meandered
wetlands. Sandspurry (Spergularia media) was documented in Montana for
the first time from the same area where Spiranthes diluvialis was first
documented. It is a halophyte that is native to coastlines of Europe, verified
by J. Ratter, the Scottish expert in the genus. Montana and Wyoming have the
only known inland locations of sandspurry in North America.

In addition, a sedge (Carex spp.) was documented by Peter Lesica from the
same general area. It may represent an exotic species new to the continent

27

according to A. Reznicek (Lesica pers. commun.); the determination is in
progress. This same unknown species has been collected in the area of
Spiranthes diluvialis in Gallatin and Madison counties as part of the study
and submitted to Reznicek.

Finally, the exotic meadow fescue {Festuca elatior; Festuca arundinacea)
was often found in wetland margin and meadow. It occurred sporadically as
an adventive species rather than in abimdance as a planted species.

6. Dependence on dynamic aspects of biotic associations and ecosystem
features: The plants associations are made up of long-lived perennials, but
their vigor and flowering activity from year-to-year are variable with climate
and with livestock grazing. The wetland microhabitats are intrinsically
dynamic with changes in water availability and aerobic/anaerobic conditions.

7. Other endangered, threatened, rare, or vulnerable species occurring in
habitat of this taxon: Two peripheral Montana Species of Special Concern
were often found in association with Spiranthes diluvialis in Montana:
Castilleja exilis fannual paintbrush; G5 S2)), a Great Basin species, and
Primula incana (mealy primrose; G4G5 S2), a boreal species. Relocation of
collection sites for these two species was attempted as part of the survey,
including historic records, representing a visit to most of the collection areas
in southwestern Montana. The Castilleja exilis is present at the majority of
the wetland sites for Spiranthes diluvialis, but it is not restricted to these
wetland settings. Prior to Peter Lesica's collection of it in 1994, it was
known only from four historic records, the most recent of which was 1906.
This species has a broader ecological amplitude and geographic distribution
than Spiranthes diluvialis in Montana. New county records or relocated
historic records for it were documented as part of this study in Beaverhead,
Broadwater, Deerlodge, Gallatin, Granite, Madison, and Silverbow counties,
in addition to Jefferson County.

The Primula incana is a boreal species which is also present at the majority
of Spiranthes diluvialis occurrences, corresponding with the sites having the
greates amount of calcium carbonate deposition. It has a broader distribution
in Montana than Spiranthes diluvialis, but it is more restricted in its habitat to
soils that remain saturated throughout the growing season, and which are
consistently high in calcium carbonate. New county records or relocated
historic records for it were documented as part of this study in Beaverhead,
Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Gallatin, and Silverbow counties, in addition to
Jefferson County.

In addition, Eleocharis rostellata (beaked spikerush; G5 S2) has been
identified in the vicinity of Spiranthes diluvialis occurrences, and is suspected

28

but unconfirmed at one of them (EO#004). It is an associated species that is
locally dominant at one of the Idaho occurrences.

Population biology of the taxon.

A. General summary: Spiranthes diluvialis is an herbaceous perennial that is long-
lived and has fluctuations in flowering stem numbers from year to year; primarily
due to the shift between flowering and non-flowering states (Arft 1 995a). Most of
the non-flowering plants are in vegetative condition represented by basal leaves, but
they also persist underground in season-long dormancy (Arft 1995a, Riedel, in litt.,
1993), as has been documented for other species of plants including orchids (Tamm
1972, reviewed in Lesica and Steele 1994). The season-long dormancy state is
actually a mycotrophic state dependent on endocycorrhize (e.g. Gill 1996, in Allen
1996). Efforts to propagate Spiranthes diluvialis are underway by Denver Botanic
Gardens and the Red Butte Gardens of Salt Lake City, which will help elucidate early
stages of life history.

Monthly data collected in a Colorado population indicated that Spiranthes diluvialis
usually produced an overwintering rosette dviring late summer or fall (Arft 1995b).
Leaf growth occurred during the growing season following rosette formation.
Inflorescence buds were produced as early as June, followed by flowers fi-om mid-
July to mid-August (at least two weeks earlier than in Montana). Fruits matured and
dehisced fi-om mid- August into September. Mature vegetative plants average
between 10-15 cm in height. Mature plants may remain dormant for at least one
growing season without producing any above-ground shoot, but the vegetative shoot
condition was much more common than the dormant condition overall for
populations monitored in Colorado and Utah (Arft 1995a). Studies of Spiranthes
magnicamporum in western Kansas and Nebraska report that the incidence of orchid
flowering may be as infrequent as once in 20 years (Magrath 1973 in U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service 1995b). Studies of Cypripedium acaule energy allocation document
that flowering represents up to 18% of the plant dry weight, reducing the probability
of flowering the following year. A similar pattern is suggested for Spiranthes
diluvialis as supported by preliminary monitoring results in which only 30% of the
plants flowering in 1996 flowered in 1997 (Appendix D). Species' longevity has not
been determined.

B. Demography.

1. Known populations: The most important demographic parameters in long-

lived perennials, as identified in conservation of Spiranthes spiralis, are
recruitment, mortality, survivorship, longevity and turn-over (Wells 1981).
Preliminary population projections have been made for Spiranthes diluvialis
at Colorado and Utah occurrences with information to suggest that the "life
history bottleneck" may vary depending on the land management practice

29

(Arft 1995a). Much more work is needed to quantify these variables in the
Colorado and Utah sites, or apply them in the rest of its range.

The ten known occurrences of Spiranthes diluvialis in Montana total over
1,400 flowering plants observed. Survey of plant numbers was incomplete or
non-existent at two sites due to access restrictions but was comprehensive at
small sites. The numbers of flowering plants in the two largest populations
had a tally of over 500 plants in 1997, a favorable year for high flowering
levels. Only one plant could be found in the smallest population.

These one-time counts are hampered by three factors, so that flowering stem
coimts are to be taken as very conservative low estimates of population size.
First, mature plants may be in three alternate states, only one of which is
easily located. These are the flowering state, the vegetative state with basal
leaves and the seasonal dormancy state. The vegetative basal leaves are
shorter than the canopy of grasses, and the narrow, linear leaves are difficult
to discern among grass leaves (see photographs of plants as vegetative basal
leaves in Appendix B). The dormancy state has no above-ground growth.

The transition between states has been shown to fluctuate significantly. At the
City of Boulder site, flowering stem counts have varied fi-om 5,435 stems in
1986 to 131 stems in 1998 (U.S. Fish &, Wildlife Service 1992). Subsequent
monitoring has determined that the apparent decline is primarily attributable
to the non-flowering state changes rather than mortality (Arft 1995a).
Flowering stem counts were made at one Montana site (EO#001) in four
consecutive years, in a population estimated to have over 1 00 plants, but with
annual flowering stem numbers ranging from 26-71 between years.

Second, the emergence of flowering shoots can be staggered by about four
weeks, with some plants flowering in early August and fruiting by the end of
the month, while a few plants are just beginning to flower in September (pers.
obs. ). Even a count in peak flowering is apt to miss at least a trace of
population numbers.

The third factor hinges on fieldwork resources. The species habitat cannot
dependably be located without aerial photos to show the wetlands. It is
difficult for an investigator to gaze across a seemingly level plain and pick
out all of the channels less than 1 m deep snaking across it, particularly
channels lacking shrub borders or having high density. The set of over 300 .
aerial photo xeroxes that were carried into the field proved to be incomplete,
and four of the new occurrences were surveyed without benefit of aerials so
the surveys are to be considered incomplete.

30

2. General demographic details (Montana):

a. EO#001

1. Area occupied by population: Less than 1 acre.

2. Estimated number of individuals: Over 100+ plants have
een noted in the course of two years of observation and two
years of monitoring. Peak flowering stem count was 71 in
1994. The demographic monitoring was set up at this site in
1996 (Appendix D).

3. Density: Sparse. The entire population fits within an area that
is app. 25 X 35 m.

4. Presence of dispersed seeds: Capsules were maturing at the
time of monitoring but none had begun to dehisce (24 August
1996 and 4 September 1997). Undehisced capsules were
observed in November of 1997.

5. Evidence of reproduction: NA

6. Evidence of population expansion or decline: None

b. EO#002

1. Area occupied by population: Less than 1 acre.

2. Estimated number of individuals: Only 1 plant could be
found in four hours of searching. There are likely to be other
plants at least in nonflowering state, but this is the smallest of
occurrences.

3. Density: NA

4. Presence of dispersed seeds: NA

5. Evidence of reproduction: NA

6. Evidence of population expansion or decline: The
valleybottom condition reflects past habitat degradation.

c EO#003 - MERGED WITH EO#004

AND DELETED AS SEPARATE RECORD

d. EO#004

1. Area occupied by population: This area has high
microhabitat diversity and the most extensive population by
far. It spans four sections, though the extent of occupied
habitat is probably less than 10 acres.

2. Estimated number of individuals: This area had 58
flowering plants in 1996 based on over seven miles of
walking. Additional areas with about 30 plants were
documented in 1997. This is probably low relative to the total
population nvmibers for any given year.

3. Density: Sparse. There are few places where more than ten

31

plants can be found along channel bends.

4. Presence of dispersed seeds: NA

5. Evidence of reproduction: NA

6. Evidence of population expansion or decline: There is
much late-season irrigation water flowing through the site. It
is possible that this cold water or its influence on the water
table affects flowering activity, if not population trend.

e. EO#005

1. Area occupied by population: This area has high
microhabitat diversity over a relatively small area, with plants
in four topographically different settings, totaling app. 20
acres.

2. Estimated number of individuals: One segment of the
population that was observed two years in a row had app. 60
flowering plants in 1996 and 115 flowering plants in 1997.
This is the part of the basis for characterizing 1997 as a year of
high flowering activity. With the benefit of aerial photos, this
site was inventoried systematically in 1997 and three
additional areas with plants were found with a total of 500+
plants.

3. Density: The plants are very vddely scattered in extremely
low densities. Only one wetland segment of 100 m length had
greater or equal than 10 plants.

4. Presence of dispersed seeds: NA

5. Evidence of reproduction: NA

6. Evidence of population expansion or decline: NA

f. EO#006

1. Area occupied by population: Less than 1 acre in a narrow
corridor.

2. Estimated number of individuals: The complete population
count was 164, rounded up to 180 to cover plants that may
have been in differing phenological states.

3. Density: Sporadic

4. Presence of dispersed seeds: NA

5. Evidence of reproduction: NA

6. Evidence of population expansion or decline: NA

g. EO#007

1. Area occupied by population: Unknown.

2. Estimated number of individuals: Undetermined because
access was not obtained. Five plants could be seen from the
road.

32

3. Density: Unknown.

4. Presence of dispersed seeds: NA

5. Evidence of reproduction: NA

6. Evidence of population expansion or decline: NA

h. EO#008

1. Area occupied by population: Less than 1 acre of suitable
habitat was found in cursory survey across a much larger area.

2. Estimated number of individuals: Only two plants found.
Systematic survey with aerial photos is needed.

3. Density: Low

4. Presence of dispersed seeds: N A

5. Evidence of reproduction: NA

6. Evidence of population expansion or decline: NA

i. EO#009

1. Area occupied by population: Less than 1 acre.

2. Estimated number of individuals: Actual coimt of 32.

3. Density: Sparse.

4. Presence of dispersed seeds: NA

5. Evidence of reproduction: NA

6. Evidence of population expansion or decline: NA

j. EO#010

1. Area occupied by population: Less than 1 acre.

2. Estimated number of individuals: Actual count of 1 5.

3. Density: Sparse.

4. Presence of dispersed seeds: NA

5. Evidence of reproduction: NA

6. Evidence of population expansion or decline: NA

k. EO#011

1. Area occupied by population: The population spans app. 20
acres but its full extent was not determined.

2. Estimated number of individuals: Actual count of 500+.
This is the site most seriously in need of extended inventory
with aerial photos, and additional access permission.

3. Density: Occasional-sparse.

4. Presenceof dispersed seeds: NA

5. Evidence of reproduction: NA

6. Evidence of population expansion or decline: NA

33

C. Phenology.

1. Patterns: Flowering begins in early August and usually peaks around the
third week. It may persist into early September barring frost or drought. The
onset of flowering in Montana is late relative to the rest of its range, with at
least one exception in that Idaho populations are later. Idaho populations
were just beginning to flower by mid August in 1997 when Montana
populations were in peak flowering (pers. obs.).

Flowering has been found to vary significantly among individuals of an
occurrence (EO#001), with up to a four- week offset. In the early or late
portions of the flowering period, there are some plants in peak flower while
others are fully in bud or fiilly senesced, respectively. This staggered
flowering may be an adaptive phenological offset, or reflection of
microhabitat parameters unique for the individual plants. The great majority
of plants at this site appeared to reach peak flowering within a week of one
another.

2. Relation to climate and microclimate: Flowering started in the first week
of August at least a week early in 1994 compared to the three following years.
The 1994 season had exceptionally high July temperatures and low rainfall
compared to the more average conditions of the following years.

It is reported that the species sets its floral primordium when it forms an
overwintering rosette in fall (Arft 1995a). Flowering in other orchid species
is determined with the formation of the perennating bud the season prior to
anthesis. If this were the case, then a mild, long fall as occurred in 1996 may
correlate with high flowering stem numbers in 1997, and the high number of
flowering stems in 1994 may correspond vsdth the exceptionally wet, mild
1993 season.

Conditions for seed set at the end of the growing season are also climate-
dependent. None of the mature capsules had dehisced to shed their seeds at
the time of monitoring on September 4 in 1997. Conditions rarely get drier
after this time for rupturing the capsule, so perhaps the capsules dehisce in
response to temperature. It is likely that the minute seeds have a very short
time to reach a safe site and become established before the growing season
comes to a close. Unshattered capsules were found at the monitoring site in
November long after the growing season ended.

D. Reproductive ecology.

1. Types of reproduction: Reproduction is sexual in the strict sense, though
each year's plant comes from a separate lateral bud. Most orchids produce

34

new tubers every year by lateral buds, thereby "spending their perennial life
in a state of perpetual somatic youth" (Harper 1977, in Wells 1981). There
was no evidence that lateral buds produced underground shoots, but in the
course of collecting a voucher specimen, it was observed that the multiple,
tuberously-thickened roots have high turgidity, without internal or external
structure to prevent breakage, and they snap easily. While the great majority
of plants are single-stemmed, a small number of multi-stemmed plants or
small clumps were noted in settings that are trampled by livestock,
presumably as a result of vegetative reproduction.

Outcrossing is promoted by protandrous flowers, the sequence of flowering
that always begins with the bottom flower of the infloresence, and by
acropetal movement of the bee pollinator on infloresences; though the
flowers are fully self-compatible (Sipes and Tepedino 1995).

2. Pollination.

a. Mechanisms: Insect pollen vectors are required for sexual

reproduction; primarily taking place through geitonogamy and
xenogamy (Sipes and Tepedino 1995). The members of the Orchid
Family are adapted to increase the likelihood of insect pollination by
offering special attractions to a restricted set of potential pollinators,
and to have the pollen stick together in masses so that many grains are
transported and the many thousands of ovules in each flower are
pollinated at once (Cronquist 1968, Stebbins 1974).

The species is in the late-season guild of flowering plant activity,
which includes such late-blooming genera as Aster, Gentian, and
Solidago. It is usually in low numbers and density and is pollinated
by a generalist, perhaps depending on this guild and the earlier guilds
to support its pollinator (after Buchmann and Nabhan 1996). The only
occurrence where bumblebee visits were noted (EO#001) had high
densities of spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculata) flowering at the
same time, a species also visited by bumblebees.

Most of the fiiiits that were observed in the Montana monitoring site
appeared to be fertile. The only fruits observed during monitoring
which may not have been fertile were the terminal infloresences
which were late to mature. This contrasts with the high incidence of
plants with infloresences made up of aborted fruits in, e.g., the Deer
Creek population monitored by Arft (1995), ascribed to low pollinator
activity. Additional cursory pollinator observations and fruit
examinations may be warranted.

35

b. Specific known pollinators: The only pollinator visits observed
were late afternoon visits made by bumblebees {Bombus spp.),
selectively visiting the species at EO#001. This is also a site with
extensive spotted knapweed, also visited by the bumblebees. Long-
tongued bumblebees are the most important pollinators elsewhere in
its range (Sipes and Tepedino 1995). The bees are provided with
nectar rewards, but the pollen are in "pollinia" (pollen masses) that
are not available to them for food. The distinctive "coumarin" odor of
the species (Sheviak 1984) suggests that there may be other rewards
or benefits that flowers potentially offer their pollinators besides food
such as sources of critical chemicals, e.g., for producing pheromes
(after Buchmann and Nabhan 1996).

c. Other suspected pollinators: Only bumblebees have been noted to
date visiting Spiranthes diluvialis flowers at one site in Montana.
Elsewhere, an anthophorid bee, and hawkmoth were seen in single
instances of also carrying the pollinaria oi Spiranthes diluvialis (Sipes
and Tepedino 1995).

d. Vulnerability of pollinators: The bumblebees are vulnerable to
pesticides, and to land management practices that destroy available
nest sites. There are both above ground and below groimd nesting
species of bumblebees (Sipes and Tepedino 1995, Arft 1995a), and
the specific bumblebee pollination vector in Montana and its habitat
vulnerability have yet to be identified.

3. Seed dispersal.

a. General mechanisms: The dust-like seeds of Orchid Family
members are adapted to being carried by the wind (Cronquist 1968).

b. Specific agents: NA

c. Vulnerability of dispersal agents and mechanisms: NA

d. Patterns of propagule dispersal: The minute seeds may be carried
great distances on the wind. If the capsules dehisce under cold
temperatures, then the prevailing dispersal winds would be north
winds.

4. Seed biology.

a. Amount and variation of seed production: Orchids have abundant,
tiny "dust-like" seeds. Pollinators rarely visit a flower more than once.

36

but carry pollen in masses called "pollinaria" so the many thousands
of ovules per capsule are fertilized at once. Variation in seed
production is conditioned by the effectiveness of the pollinators, as
well as by the physiological state of the plant.

b. Seed viability and longevity: Seeds of orchids are very short-lived,
with an undifferentiated embryo and little or no endosperm (Cronquist
1968). They have limited time span for germination after seeds
dehisce and are generally considered to require endomycorrhizae to
germinate in the field (Wells 1981).

c. Dormancy requirements: Seeds of orchids lack carbohydrate storage
and thus lack the capacity for seed dormancy.

d. Germination requirements: Orchids seeds are very small and
require a narrow range of moisture and temperature conditions to
germinate. It is likely that they require direct contact with the mineral
substrate.

e. Percent germination: Unknown.

5. Seedling ecology: Orchid seedlings are usually unable to continue growth
without endomycorrhizal symbionts, the hyphae of which usually enters
through the suspensor end to penetrate the germinating embryo (Dressier
1990). Species of Spiranthes initially become established as saprophytic,
underground plants, dependent on the fimgi for carbohydrates as well as
nutrients and water. The ensuing underground stage is reported to last for 8
years in Spiranthes spiralis until a vegetative shoot is produced, and flowers
are not produced until 13-14 years after germination (Wells 1967). By
contrast, green leaves are produced in 2 years after germination by S.
honkonganense (Sun 1 995).

6. Survival and mortality: Stochastic and deterministic modeling of the
monitored populations in Colorado and Utah projected population extinction
for almost all of the populations under most agricultural practices except the
"grazed only" population segment and to a lesser extent the "twice clipped"
population segment under the deterministic model; and the urmianaged
riparian populations under both the deterministic and stochastic models (Arft
1995a).

Species' longevity and the primary causes of mortality are unknown. The
mean life span expectancy oi Spiranthes spiralis plants studied by Wells
(1967) was calculated to be more than 50 years.

37

7. Overall assessment of taxon's reproductive success: Seed set is high in

one and possibly all Montana populations, but dispersal and recruitment may
be limiting factors in the narrow autumn window for dispersal and
establishment.

Ecology of the taxon.

A. General summary: Interspecific competition with other vascular plants and
obligatory mycotrophic symbiosis appear to be the most significant biological
interactions for the species.

B. Positive and neutral interactions: The root system has little surface area for
adsorption and the species may have an obligate dependence on endomycorrhizae for
adsorption of phosphorus and water as well as carbohydrates at certain stages and at
some level. Blue green algae have also been noted within the roots of orchids.

The symbiotic fiingi have been classified as members of the genus Rhizoctonia
(Wells 1981), considered a "taxonomic nightmare" (Zettler 1997) because most do
not produce stable forms with fruiting structures in pure cultures. More recent
taxonomic work has recognized three new general formerly included in Rhizoctonia
(Moore 1987), with the genus Epulorhiza most frequently associated with temperate
terrestrial orchids (Currah and Zelmer 1992).

Part of the success of the Orchid Family may be ascribed to mycotrophic relation
(Zettler 1997). The symbiotic relation between fiingi and orchids has been examined
more closely in recent decades and some have concluded that it is a form of
parasitism on the part of the orchids, of little or no benefit to the fiingi. Fungal
hyphae proliferate within cortical cells forming extensive coils called "pelotons".
The orchids digest the pelotons at a controlled rate balanced between digestion and
re-infection, so that they are effectively "fungus managers" (Zettler 1997). This
symbiosis may be particularly critical during the underground seedling stage, during
the years in which mature plants remain belowground ("season-long dormancy" of
Lesica and Steele 1 994), and possibly at critical pheno logical stages in the season.

It has been noted that more common species of orchids may serve as "refiigia" for the
symbiotic fiingi that sustain rarer orchid species of the same habitat (Zettler and
Hofer 1997), though the fungi may also live separate from orchids. Presence of the
northern bog orchid {Habenaria hyperborea) was documented at many sites of
Spiranthes diluvialis in Montana and rangewide (Appendix B), the most likely fungal
"refugia" if there is such a thing for its endomycorrhizae.

Pollination by bumblebees may not be an obligate interaction, but results in greater
seed production as represented by fruiting capsule mass than does self-pollination
(Sipes and Terpedino 1995).

38

Negative interactions.

1. Herbivores, predators, pests, parasites and diseases: Leaves of Spiranthes
diluvialis at most sites showed signs of browse. Even those plants
represented by immature rosette leaves under a continuous canopy cover of
grass, located in the monitoring study, had browse on one or more leaves,
though sometimes only the tip of the leaf. Some of the browsing may be
caused by whitetail deer because their numbers are high in the general area
and there is evidence (scat, bedding, tracks, direct observation) that they use
the same habitat. Alternatively, it may be caused by smaller mammals. In any
case, there are not the accompanying swathes of vegetation removal
characteristic of grazing livestock as was seen when livestock were in
pastures at the same time as Spiranthes diluvialis flowering.

Livestock grazing takes place at almost all of the occurrences though it tends
to be earlier in the growing season when the uplands are still green rather than
during flowering when only the wetlands are green. Clear signs of trampled
plants were found at the monitoring site where livestock grazing overlapped
with the flowering period in part of one season. This species has a fragile
stem and leaves which are readily broken or damaged. The substrate is also
subject to trampling when it is wet.

Browsing of the flowering stem has not been observed in Montana. By
contrast, vole herbivory of infloresences was identified as a significant threat
to the long-term survival of Spiranthes diluvialis at one Colorado site (Arft
1995a).

Weevils were observed browsing some infloresences in one Gallatin and one
Jefferson Coimty occurrence.

2. Competition.

a. Intraspecific: Individual plants are unlikely to compete with one
another and may in fact aid in cross-pollination. Plant densities in
Montana are low compared to those documented in a Colorado
monitoring site (Arft 1995) . A relatively high density in Montana is
five plants per 1 x 1 m. Two of the ten occurrences had no more than
a total of one or two plants flowering in the entire survey area that
year.

39

b. Interspecific: Species in similar zones which appeared to be

negatively correlated with local Spiranthes diluvialis distribution are
likely competitors, including: Calamagrostis inexpansa,Carex
praegracilis Elymus trachycaulus and others. Some monoculture
species like cattail (Typha latifolia) probably represented hydrological
alteration of habitat from mowing and irrigation rather than direct
competition. Exotic species that appeared to be significant
competitors include at least Festuca elatior, but exotic species like
Agrostis stolonifera are strongly associated with it.

3. Toxic and allelopathic interactions: None are known. It is often in locales
where Trifolium frageriferum is present, and sometimes Trifolium repens, but
it is absent from the immediate vicinity of these exotic nitrogen-fixing
legumes. The exotic legumes may affect the rhizosphere nutrient condition,
competition, and/or mycorrhizae as required by Spiranthes diluvialis, though
they are not known to be allelopathic. ; ; ^:\ ^^

D. Hybridization.

1. Naturally occurring: There was no evidence of hybridization. It is parapatric
with S. romanzoffiana in some of the same counties, though it is in far
different settings and habitats such that they are unlikely to be even in the
same townships for cross-pollination to take place.

2. Artificially induced: No record.

3. Potential in cultivation: Research into seed germination, propagation and
transplanting was being conducted by the Red Butte Gardens of Salt Lake
City, and the Denver Botanic Gardens.

E. Other factors of population ecology: None known.
9. Current land ownership and management responsibility.

A. General nature of ownership: The ten occurrences include 1-6 different ownerships
per occurrence. The species is found primarily on privately-owned land, but part or
all of three occurrences are on state-administered land.

B. Specific landowners (Montana): Landowner information is summarized on the next
page.

40

No. of owners State agency

001 1

002 1

004 6 MT Dept. Natural Resources

005 1

006 1 MT Dept. Transportation

007 2

008 1

009 1

010 2 MT Dept. Fish, Wildlife, and Parks
Oil 1

C. Management responsibility: Private, with the exception of state-administered tracts
referenced above.

D. Easements, conservation restrictions, etc.: None.
10. Management practices and experience.

A. Habitat management.

1. Review of past management and land use experiences.

a. This taxon: Indirect information is available from the management
response research of Arft (1995a) with regard to grazing, haying, and
idleness for the species in Colorado and Utah (Note: there were no
controls). Inferrence can also be made through Montana observations.

Livestock grazing is the historic land use throughout this species'
habitat in Montan. The species' persistence within suitable habitat
coincides with the persistence of ranching. It was not found in
settings with intense grazing where there had been a conversion in
vegetation type to exotic grasses. It was not found in pastures grazed
season-long by horses even though the range was in good condition.

41

The only place where it was found under late-summer grazing was in
a lightly-stocked bull pasture. The two largest species' populations at
the time of listing had a history of winter-grazing, more notable for
their intact vegetation condition than for signs of grazing (U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service 1992).

There were no mowing activities observed in its habitat because the
setting remains wet and is oriented in winding narrow bands.
Mowing takes place in some of the adjoining uplands, and those
meandered wetlands surrounded by hayland were particularly choked
with exotic grasses or cattails compared to nearby sites supporting
Spiranthes diluvialis, . Mowing may have historically taken place
within the few occurrences in swale wetlands when machinery was
smaller and lighter, but there were no signs of it.

Irrigation and water diversions are common in the area, and some sites
adjoin active or plugged man-made ditches. They are part of a system
for providing water to agricultural lands that are mainly higher up in
the landscape. Some of the natural meandered wetlands provide
overflow for irrigation water. The net affect on Spiranthes diluvialis
habitat appears to be the raising of the water levels because filtration
takes place from the ditch or natural channel out to the surroundings.
The occurrence that seems most affected by irrigation water discharge
is also the most extensive occurrence (#004). It is interesting to note
that one terrace swale area formerly innundated by ditch seepage
(owner pers. commxm.) now has the ditch plugged and a large
numbers of Spiranthes diluvialis (#005) in the swale below. Some
road ditches are hydrologically tied to the meandered wetlands,
though there was not evidence that they contribute to the dewatering
or innundation of the natural wetland habitat.

Roads and railroads lace the valleybottoms in which the species
occurs, and several occurrences are partially or wholly within 0. 1 mile
of county road. This proximity is not a management conflict, except
insofar as the roads become corridors for the spread of noxious weeds.
One occurrence is restricted to a roadside right-of-way but the present
level of use by dirt-bikers and horse-back riders traveling along the
road is light or absent and damage was not found among plants.

b. Related taxa: There have been many management response studies
and literature reviews pertaining to orchid species and their response
to various land management practices. The most closely-related
species and species' habitat for comparison with Spiranthes diluvialis
is S. magnicamporum. A literature review of its management

42

responses may help in designing management response studies for
Spiranthes diluvialis.

c Other ecologically similar taxa: Literature searches on other orchid

species of the Great Plains and Great Basin may also provide a
resource for designing and conducting management response research,
as mentioned above. In addition, Habenaria hyperborea frequently
occurs with Spiranthes diluvialis in Montana, occupies similar
microhabitats, and may provide a possible study surrogate.

2. Performance under changed conditions: There is limited basis for
commenting on this among Montana populations. One swale area formerly
innundated by ditch seepage (owner pers. commvm.) now has the ditch
plugged and a large numbers of Spiranthes diluvialis (#005) in the swale
below.

3. Current management policies and actions: There are no current agency
management policies or actions involving this species in Montana.

4. Future land use: All of the current EOs occupy settings which can readily be
degraded, if not also plowed. Mapping of wetland habitat for tax credit
purposes is underway at least in Gallatin Coimty, but it is not known whether
the narrow channels as occupied by the species are consistently demarcated.

B. Cultivation.

1. Controlled propagation techniques: None. Efforts to propagate Spiranthes
diluvialis are underway at Denver Botanic Gardens and the Red Butte
Gardens of Salt Lake City.

2. Ease of transplanting: Salvage operations involving several hundred plants
at a Utah site were carried out. The were transplanted into raised beds with
drip irrigation and subsurface drainage at the Red Butte Gardens (Meyer
1995).

3. Pertinent horticultural knowledge: Propagation of orchids is of
considerable horticultural interest (Allen 1996) and has usually usually been
done without the symbiosis. But some species like Spiranthes diluvialis have
never been successfully propagated apart from their endomycorrhizae.

4. Status and location of presently cultivated material:

a. Specimen plants: None.

43

b. Self-sustaining breeding populations: None.

c. Stored seed: None. The value of saving orchid seeds in a seedbank
without the fungal symbiont has been debated by mycologists (Zettler
1997).

11. Evidence of threats to survival.

A. Present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of habitat or
range: Alteration of river flow regimes does not directly threaten the species in the
same way or magnitude as the riverside occurrences in much of the rest of its range
where charmelization and impoundment are major threats (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service 1992). Yet the Montana occurrences may still fit within the pattern of
imperilment shared by many Western species of declining under altered surface
waters (Flather et al. 1994). Its highly restricted microhabitats are linked to shallow,
stable groundwater in temporarily inimdated emergent wetlands. These may be
affected at some level by small water diversions, ditches, and irrigation discharges
which are widespread.

The soils are marginally suited to crop production, v^ndbreaks, and homestead
development. Nevertheless, its habitat is being cultivated, often with use of
irrigation, altered by neighboring water diversions or inflows, and affected by
valleybottom developments including roads systems and buildings. There is not the
threat of urbanization as identified for Colorado occurrences (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service 1992), except for one occurrence that lies directly outside of city limits
where development could occur. The spread of noxious weeds that often
accompanies developments is a more pervasive, if not more severe threat for
Montana occurrences.

Noxious weeds including leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), spotted knapweed
(Centaurea maculosa) and Russian knapweed (Centaurea repens) are the most
pervasive immediate threats. They are threats as competitors, and in the
indiscriminate spraying of herbicides to treat them. Fortimately, noxious weed
invasion is absent or at early stages in the Spiranthes diluvialis habitat of the ten
occurrences, though a couple have severe weed infestation problems nearby. The
invasion of knapweeds is concentrated mainly along roads and irrigation canals. The
invasion of leafy spurge is most serious along water courses, but it is also spreading
in a patchy, more difficult to predict pattern that may reflect the influence of v^ldlife
vectors like whitetail deer and mourning doves that are common in the bottomlands.
The indiscriminate treatments of noxious weeds and rangeland pests with herbicides
and pesticides also pose a potential threat.

B. Overutilization for commercial, sporting, scientific, or educational purposes:

Collecting of this species is regulated under authority of the Endangered Species Act

44

(16 USF 1539 [a] and 1533 [d]). It is to be discouraged except to initially document
new county records at large populations, or for approved non-destructive collection
in conjunction with priority research.

The largest one-time collecting of this species in Montana took place for collecting
five plants for chromosome counts (inflorescence and stalk). This initial Jefferson
County collection is documented by specimens at NYS and MONTU. The largest
Madison County occurrence was documented by a specimen at MONTU. The only
Beaverhead County occurrence is documented by a specimen at MONT. There is
only one Gallatin Co. occurrence which might be considered adequately large for
collecting a voucher specimen in the future, in keeping with conservation-minded
collecting guidelines (Montana Native Plant Society 1993), but it has not been
collected. Collecting of the Jefferson, Madison, and Beaverhead voucher specimens
was conducted under subpermit 95-39.

Collection labels should not include location information beyond the township.
Location information for this species is treated as sensitive in Montana to protect the
species, its readily-accessible habitat, and the private property owners. Its element
occurrence printouts do not include location information beyond the tovmship, and
fine-scale GIS map products simply note its presence on the area of consideration
without showing location.

This species is the showiest and among the most conspicuous in the local late-season
flora. Any activities which draw local attention to the Montana sites may elevate
collection pressure however innocent the motives.

C. Disease, predation, or grazing: Almost all sites are currently used for cattle
grazing as part of a pasture rotation, and it appears that the persistence of the species
in Montana hinged on the presence of private rangeland. However, livestock were
not found in the pastures during the time of flowering, and grazing is considered to
have a potential impact under certain conditions. Late-season grazing and season-
long grazing correlate with low flower production (Arft 1995a), and any intense
grazing when soils are saturated has the potential to trample the species if not convert
the vegetation cover and intensify competition. The sites of two occurrences are idle;
one is a roadside right-of-way disturbance setting that is somewhat analogous to the
natural habitat, and the other is a small pocket of natural habitat surrounded by roads
and tamegrass plantings.

Information on the nest requirements of the bumblebee pollinator is seriously needed,
along with consideration of the potential affects of grazing on the bimiblebee.

D. Inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms: Only one of the ten populations
has statutory protection because it occurs on state lands administered in part with
federal highway fluids.

45

However, removal of plants in knowing violation of any state laws, including
criminal tresspass laws, is addressed under the Endangered Species Act. Thus,
continued posting of privately-owned occurrences, presenting all pertinent
information to the landowners, and maintaining location data as sensitive affords a
small measure of protection.

E. Other natural or man-made factors: None known.

ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

12. General assessment of vigor, trends, and status: All Montana populations have potential
threats and are vulnerable, but imminent threats were not identified. There are no Montana
occurrences in natural settings which are protected. Local land use patterns suggest that the
species habitat has declined, but there is no site-specific trend data.

13. Recommendations for listing or status change

A. Recommendation to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Status recommendations for
plants hinge on rangewide conditions, so that any state status report is necessary but
insufficient grounds for recommending status change unless it represents all of the
range or it provides the sole basis for status change. This status report represents 10
occurrences (over 10 % of the rangewide total) and numbers of over 1,400 flowering
plants (less than 10% of the rangewide total) in one of eight states. When the species
was originally listed, it was known from 10 extant sites and 7 historic sites, with the
total number of plants among extant occurrences conservatively estimated at 6,000
plants (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1992).

The Montana information does not provide grounds for making a rangewide status
decision for de-listing. It is a state update to be incorporated in rangewide status
update.

B. Recommendations to other U.S. federal agencies: It will be brought to the
attention of Federal Highway Administration contacts because of its proximity to the
1-90 interstate corridor. In addition, federal agencies like NRCS that work with
private landowners need sound information on the species.

C. Other status recommendations.

1. Counties and local areas: None.

2. States: It is recommended that this information be pooled with the most
current rangewide status information including at least a summary of
distribution, abundance, threats, and protection; and that global rank be re-
evaluated.

46

The three state agencies in Montana that administer lands with this species
have been informed of its occurrence.

3. Other nations: None.

4. International: None.

14. Recommended critical habitat: Critical habitat was not designated for this species and it
was not addressed in the survey.

15. Conservation/recovery recommendations.

A. General conservation recommendations.

1. Recommendations regarding present or anticipated activities.

a. Draft Section 7 guidelines have been prepared for the species in Montana
(Appendix E). There is need for a map of potential habitat to accompany it.

b. The state agencies administering land with this species do not have
botanists on staff working with rare species, nor do the federal and state
agencies working with private landowners. A species workshop is being
planned for 1 998 to provide a framework and coordination for addressing the
species.

c. Monitoring was initiated at one site with landowner permission in 1996. A
review of monitoring objectives and design is needed, with special regard to
results from the previous monitoring conducted by Arft (1995a), along with
analysis of data collected to date.

2. Areas recommended for protection: The two largest populations (EO #005
and #011) and the most extensive population (EO#004) are the highest
priorities for landowner contact and protection consideration.

3. Habitat management recommendations: Interim management guidelines
have been prepared for the first site at which the species was discovered, at
the request of the landowner.

4. Publicity sensitivity: The presence of this species in Montana was first
publicized in the Montana Outdoors Magazine (Aderhold 1995) and a short
article in the Montana Native Plant Society Newsletter (Heidel 1 996b) as well
as in a technical publication (Heidel 1996a). It will be profiled in a Montana
Audubon fact sheet in a series on Montana's threatened and endangered
species. It was the topic of a technical presentation at the Montana Rare Plant

47

Conservation Conference and a general audience presentation at a Montana
Native Plant Society program.

Its conservation planning and occurrences are treated as sensitive data
because they are on highly accessible land, they have no protection, and
private landowners are to be spared unwelcome publicity. It may also be a
sensitive topic because of the controversy associated with threatened and
endangered animals in Montana.

5. Other recommendations: Coordination is needed between botanists working
on Spiranthes diluvialis and considering its status, recovery, and Section 7
guidelines. Genetic comparison of the new range extensions with the
Colorado and Utah material would be useful in considering conservation
priorities.

Additional information is needed on the habitat requirements and may also
be needed on the status of its pollinator(s) and on the levels of fruit set among
Montana occurrences.

Systematic survey work needs to be completed on tracts adjoining four EOs
(#007, #008, #009 and #011).

Noxious weed control is needed at almost half of the occurrences, including
two of the three largest (#001, #004, #005, #009). These are a high priority
for consultation involving the landowners and the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, and for cost-sharing with landowners.

Preliminary hydrological consultation on the groundwater source and stability
is also recommended. The origin of the wetlands may also shed light on the
habitat specificity and hydrology.

B. Monitoring activities and research needs: Continued monitoring of EO#001 is
recommended pending literature synthesis and statistical consultation.

16. Interested parties:

Office of Endangered Species
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 25486
Denver Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225

48

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
ATTN: Lori Nordstrom, Dale Harmes
Federal Building, 301 S. Park
P.O. Box 10023
Helena, MT 59626

Office of Endangered Species
ATTN: Dr. John Fay
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Washington, D.C. 20240

The Nature Conservancy
ATTN: Dr. Larry Morse
1815 North Lynn Street
Arlington, VA 22209

The Nature Conservancy
Montana Field Office
ATTN: Jamie Williams
32 South Ewing
Helena, MT 59601

Montana State Library

Montana Natural Heritage Program

ATTN: Sue Crispin, Bonnie Heidel

State Library Building

1515 E. 6th Ave.

Helena, MT 59620-1800

Montana Department of Transportation
ATTN: Joel Marshik, Larry Urban
2701 Prospect Ave.
Helena, MT 59620-1001

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Headquarters Region 3
ATTN: Ray Heagney
1400 S. 19^^
Bozeman,MT 59715

49

Montana Department of Natural Resources
Dillon Unit Office
ATTN: Stan Vlahovich
730 N. Montana
Dillon, MT 59725

Montana Native Plant Society
P. O. Box 8783
Missoula, MT 59807-8783

Montana Audubon Society
324 Fuller Avenue
Helena, MT 59601

INFORMATION SOURCES

17. Sources of Information.

A. Publications.

1. References cited in report: See Literature Cited (pp. 52-55).

2. Other publications/sources: The species is featured in state sensitive species
guides of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming in addition to the Montana guide
posted on the Internet.

B. Museum collections: Montana specimens are deposited at the New York Biological
Survey (NYS), University of Montana (MONTU) and Montana State University
(MONT) as follows: B. Heidel #1245 NYS, MONTU representing Jefferson Co; B.
Heidel #1523 MONTU representing Madison Co., and B. Heidel #1600 MONT
representing Beaverhead Co. All were collected under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service collecting permit authority PRT-704930. No voucher material has been
collected from Gallatin Co. to date.

C. Fieldwork.

1. Surveys conducted: B. L. Heidel (MTNHP): August 6-7, 12-13, 15-16, 24,

1996; and August 11-14, 18-21, 23, 25, 28-29, Sept. 4
and 20, 1 997 (includes monitoring)

50

D. Knowledgeable individuals:

(technical contacts re. Montana occurrences)

Dr. Charles Sheviak
Biological Survey
3132 CEC

New York State Museum
Albany, NY 12230

Bonnie Heidel

Montana Natural Heritage Program

1515 £.6'" Ave.

Helena, MT 59620-1800

Lori Nordstrom
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
lOON. Park Ave., Suite 320
Helena, MT 59601

Dr. Lucy Jordan
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
145 East 1300 South, Suite 404
Sah Lake City, UT 84115

18. Summary of materials on file: Field survey forms, field maps, and photos are filed at the
Montana Natural Heritage Program. Most of the references cited in this report are compiled
and stored in the element file, botany reprint files and book shelves, and cross-referenced in
the Source Abstract data files.

AUTHORSHIP

19. Initial authorship:

Bonnie L. Heidel

Montana Natural Heritage Program
1515 East Sixth Avenue
Helena, MT 59620-1800

20. Maintenance of status report:

The Montana Natural Heritage Program will maintain occurrence information and may
update the status report as needed.

51

NEW INFORMATION

21. Record of revisions: This final status report replaces the interim status report, updating
chapters 1-7 and completing chapters 7-21.

Literature Cited

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Allen, C, ed. 1996. Proceedings of the North American Native Terrestrial Orchid Propagation and
Production Conference. Washington, D. C.

Arft, A. M. 1995a. The genetics, demography, and conservation management of the rare orchid
Spiranthes diluvialis. PhD thesis. University of Colorado, Boulder. 170 pp.

Arft, A. M. 1995b. The demography and conservation management of the rare orchid Spiranthes
diluvialis (Orchidaceae). Unpublished report to the Colorado Natural Areas Program.
University of Colorado, Boulder. 17 pp. + app.

Boast, R. R. and R. G. Shelito. 1989. Soil Survey of Madison County Area, Montana. USDA Soil
Conservation Service, Bozeman, MT. 384 pp. + maps.

Buchmann, S. and G. Nabhan. 1996. The Forgotten Pollinators. Island Press. Washington, D.C.
292 pp.

Clements, M. A. 1988. Orchid mycorrhizal associations. Lindleyana 3:73-86.

Cronquist, A. 1968, 1st ed. The evolution ad classification of flowering plants. Houghton Mifflin
Co., Boston. 396 pp.

Dom, R. D. 1984. Vascular Plants of Montana. Mountain West Publishing, Cheyenne, WY. 276 pp.

Dressier, R. L. 1990. The Orchids, Natural History and Classification. Harvard University Press,
Cambridge, MA. 332 pp.

Fenneman, N. M. 1931. Physiography of Western United States. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New
York. 534 pp.

Fertig, W. 1994. Spiranthes diluvialis (Ute Lady's Tresses) - Wyoming's First Listed Threatened
Plant Species. Castilleja 13(2): 3. Wyoming Native Plant Society Newsletter.

Flather, C. H., L. A. Joyce, and C. A. Bloomgarden. 1994. Species endangerment patterns in the

United States. Washington (DC): USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range
Experimental Station. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-241.

52

Great Plains Flora Association, 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. University of Kansas Press,
Lawrence. 1392 pp.

Hansen, P. L., R. D. Pfister, K. Boggs, G. J. Cook, J. Joy and D. K. Hinckley. 1995. Classification
and management of Montana's riparian and wetland sites. Montana Forest and Conservation
Experiment Station Misc. Pub. No. 54. Missoula. 646 pp.

Hazlett, D. L. 1996. The discovery of Spiranthes diluvialis along the Niobrara River in Wyoming
and Nebraska. Unpublished report to the Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming. 16 pp.

Hazlett, D. L. 1997. A 1997 Search for Spiranthes diluvialis in Southeastern Wyoming and

Western Nebraska. Unpublished report for the Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming.
12 pp.

Heidel, B. L. 1995. Whitehall botanical site evaluation, Jefferson County, Montana. Unpublished
report. 26 pp. + app.

Heidel, B. L. 1996a. New additions to the Montana flora. Madrono 43(3):436-440.

Heidel, B. L. 1996b. Spiranthes diluvialis - A Threatened orchid in Montana. Kelseya 9(3) -
Newsletter of Montana Native Plant Society.

Hildebrand, T. 1998. 1997 Inventory for Spiranthes diluvialis Sheviak in western Nebraska.
Unpublished report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Nebraska Game & Parks
Commission, Lincoln. 25 pp. + app.

Hitchcock, C. L., A. Cronquist, M. Ownbey and J. W. Thompson. 1994, 6th ed. Vascular Plants of
the Pacific Northwest, Vol. 1 .

Jennings, W. F. 1 989. Species studies: Eustoma grandiflorum, Spiranthes diluvialis, Malaxis
brachypoda, Hypoxis hirsuta, Physaria bellii, Aletes humilis. Unpubl. Rep. to Colorado
Office of The Nature Conservancy. 48 pp.

Kuchler, A. W. 1964. The potential natural vegetation of the conterminous United States. Amer.
Geogr. Soc. Special Rep. No. 36. American Geographical Society, New York.

Kuenzi, W. D. and R.W. Fields. 1971. Tertiary stratigraphy, structure, and geologic history,
Jefferson Basin, Montana. Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 82:3373-3394.

Lesica, P. 1990. Vegetation and sensitive plant species of wetlands associated with geothermal

areas in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in Montana. Unpublished report to The Nature
Conservancy. 8 pp. plus app.

53

Lesica, P. and B. M. Steele. 1994. Prolonged dormancy in vascular plants and implications for
monitoring studies. Natural Areas Journal 14(3): 209-212.

Meyer, T. 1995. Red Butte Garden and Arboretum - Spiranthes diluvialis update, February 1995.
Unpublished abstract provided to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Moseley, R. K. 1997. Ute ladies' tresses {Spiranthes diluvialis): Preliminary status in Idaho.

Unpublished report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Boise. 1 1 pp. plus appendices.

Moseley, R. K. 1997. Memo of 7 October and preliminary information packet summarizing 1997
Spiranthes diluvialis survey results. Idaho Conservation Data Center, Boise.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1982. Monthly normals of temperature,

precipitation, and heating and cooling degree days, 1951-1980 - Montana. Climatography of
the United States No. 81. U.S. Department of Commerce, (by state).

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1992. Monthly station normals of temperature,
precipitation and heating and cooling degree days, 1961-1990 - Montana. Climatography of
the United States No. 81. U.S. Department of Commerce.

Nell, D. F. and J. E. Taylor. 1996. Lewis and Clark in the Three Rivers Valleys, Montana 1805-
1806. Headwaters Chapter of the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. and The
Patrice Press, Tucson, AZ. 284 pp. + map.

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Montana. USDA Soil Conservation Service, Bozeman, MT.

Reichmuth, D. R. 1986. Fluvial systems in the wetland environment. Pp. 23-59. In: Great

Basin/Desert and Montana Regional Wetland Functions. Proceedigs of a National Wetlands
Technical Council Workshop held in Logan, UT.

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54

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Register 57: (12):2048-2054.

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orchid {Spiranthes diluvialis) recovery and fulfilling Section 7 consultation responsibilities.
Utah Field Office, Salt Lake City. 19 pp. + app.

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draft recovery plan. Utah Field Office, Salt Lake City. 46 pp.

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(Orchidaceae) and Pinus contorta (Pinaceae). Can. J. Bot. 73: 862-866.

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55

Appendix A. Element Occurrence Printouts

Scientific Name: SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Common Name: UTE LADIES' TRESSES

Global rank: G2
State rank: SI

Forest Service status;
Federal Status;

LT

Element occurrence code:
Element occurrence type:
Survey site name:
EO rank:
EO rank comments :
County: JEFFERSON

PMORC2B100.001

WHITEHALL

BC

SMALL POPULATION SIZE.

uses quadrangle: WHITEHALL

Township: Range: Section: TRS comments;

OOIN 004W 00

Precision:

Survey date:

First observation:

Last observation:

1994-08-15
1994-08-03
1996-08-24

Elevation: 4350
Slope/aspect:
Size (acres) : 1

Location:

CONTACT THE MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM.

Element occurrence data: 100+ PLANTS AS DETERMINED FROM FOUR YEARS OF

OBSERVATION AND MONITORING.

71 FLOWERING STEMS IN 1994; 26 FLOWERING STEMS IN 1995 THAT WERE ALL
SHORTER HEIGHT AND FEWER- FLOWERED COMPARED TO 1994; 49 FLOWERING STEMS
IN 1996; 32 FLOWERING PLANTS IN 1997 PLUS 18 VEGETATIVE PLANTS.

General site description:

LOCALIZED WET MEADOW BORDER IN VALLEY BOTTOM SURROUNDED BY ALKALINE
HABITAT. ASSOCIATED WITH CALAMAGROSTIS INEXPANSA, CAREX PRAEGRACILIS,
AGROPYRON CANINUM, JUNCUS NODOSUS, GENTIANELLA AMARELLA, ASTER
HESPERIUS, JUNCUS LONGISTYLIS. THE MOIST SETTING IS INUNDATED EARLY IN
THE GROWING SEASON.

Land owner/manager:

PRIVATELY OWNED LAND

[INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE)

Comments :

C. SHEVIAK CONFIRMED CHROMOSOME COUNT 2n = 74 IN UNPUBLISHED LAB
ANALYSIS OF SPECIMENS FROM THE SITE. AT LEAST 3 PLANTS COUNTED IN 1995
TRAMPLED BY LIVESTOCK.

Information source:

HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL
HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX
201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009.

Specimens: HEIDEL, B. (1245). 1994. MONT.
HEIDEL, B. (1316). 1994. MONTU.

Montana Natural Heritage Program
Element Occurrence Record

Scientific Name: SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Common Name : UTE LADIES ' TRESSES

Global rank: G2 Forest Service status:
State rank: SI Federal Status: LT

Element occurrence code: PMORC2B100 . 002
Element occurrence type:

Survey site name: BEAVERHEAD RIVER

EO rank: DC
EO rank comments: HABITAT ALTERED BY LIVESTOCK

County: MADISON

uses quadrangle: BEAVERHEAD ROCK

Township: Range: Section: TRS comments:
005S 007W 00

Precision: S

Survey date: 1996-08-16 Elevation: 4785 -

First observation: 1996-08-16 Slope/aspect: LEVEL

Last observation: 1996-08-16 Size (acres): 5

Location:

CONTACT THE MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM

Element occurrence data:

ONLY 1 PLANT FOUND IN LARGEST LOCAL AREA OF POTENTIAL HABITAT. IN PEAK
FLOWERING 16 AUGUST 1996.

General site description:

BROAD MARL FLATS ALONG PART OF A SPRING -FED MEANDER THAT FEEDS INTO
THE BEAVERHEAD RIVER. IN ELEOCHARIS PAUCIFLORA H.T. WITH ABUNDANT
GLAUX MARITIMA, JUNCUS BALTICUS AND TRIGLOCHIA MARITIMA, AS WELL AS
JUNCUS LONGISTYLIS, J. NODOSUS , MUHLENBERGIA RICHARDSONIS . SOILS ARE
MARLY PEAT WITH A FIBRIC BROWN UPPER CALCAREOUS LAYER AND AN
UNDERLYING BLACK, MORE HUMIC LAYER.

Land owner /manager :

PRIVATELY OWNED LAND (INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE)

Comments :

LONG HISTORY OF GRAZING AND HAYING ON THE BOTTOMS. MOST NATIVE ALKALI
SACATON PLAINS ARE HEAVILY INVADED AND CODOMINATED BY QUACKGRASS .

Information source: HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL

HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX
201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009.

Specimens:

Scientific Name: SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Common Name: UTE LADIES' TRESSES

Global rank: G2
State rank: SI

Forest Service status:
Federal Status:

LT

Element occurrence code: PMORC2B100. 004
Element occurrence type:
Survey site name: TWIN BRIDGES

EO rank: AB
EO rank comments: EXTENSIVE HABITAT, MOSTLY GOOD CONDITION, WITH

MANY SMALL SUBPOPULATIONS .
County: MADISON

USGS quadrangle: BEAVERHEAD ROCK NE

Township: Range: Section: TRS comments:

004S 006W 00
004S 007W

BEAVERHEAD ROCK

Precision:

Survey date:

First observation:

Last observation:

1996-08-12 Elevation: 4700 -

1996-08-12 Slope/aspect: 0-1% / VARIABLE

1997-08-29 Size (acres) : 10

Location:

CONTACT THE MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM.

Element occurrence data:

58 PLANTS COUNTED IN 1996; CA. 30 FOUND IN NEW SEGMENT IN 1997 FOR
ACTUAL COUNT OF CA. 100+ ALONG MANY MILES OF MEANDERED WETLAND.

General site description:

EXTENSIVE MARL FLAT MARGINS ALONG SLOUGH AND OTHER ADJOINING MEANDERED
WETLANDS IN THE BUFFALOBERRY BOTTOMS OF THE BEAVERHEAD RIVER VALLEY.
HABITAT TYPES INCLUDE CAREX SIMULATA AND TYPES DOMINATED OR
CODOMINATED BY ELEOCHARIS PAUCIFLORA. OTHER ASSOCIATED SPECIES INCLUDE
PRIMULA INCANA, HABENARIA HYPERBOREA, TRIGLOCHIN PALUSTRIS,
MUHLENBERGIA FILIFORMIS, M. RICHARDSONIS, JUNCUS NODOSUS, AND
SPHENOPHOLIS OBTUSATA.

Land owner/manager:

PRIVATELY OWNED LAND (INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE)
STATE LAND - UNDESIGNATED

Comments:

EXTENSIVE HABITAT WITH MANY SMALL POPULATIONS. THE OCCUPIED HABITAT IS
IN GOOD CONDITION BUT THE EXTENT OF HABITAT MAY BE AFFECTED BY
IRRIGATION AND LIVESTOCK GRAZING. EUPHORBIA ESULA IS BEGINNING TO
INVADE NEARBY.

Information source:

HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL
HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX
201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009.

Specimens: HEIDEL, B. (1523)

1996.

MONTU .

Montana Natural Heritage Program
Element Occurrence Record

Scientific Name: SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Common Name : UTE LADIES ' TRESSES

Global rank: G2 Forest Service status:
State rank: SI Federal Status: LT

Element occurrence code: PMORC2B100 . 005

Element occurrence type:

Survey site name: JEFFERSON RIVER VALLEY

EO rank: AB
EO rank comments: SMALL POPULATION AREA, RELATIVELY HIGH DENSITY;

GRAZING, SOME NON-NATIVE SPECIES.

County: JEFFERSON

USGS quadrangle: VENDOME

Township: Range: Section: TRS comments:
OOIN 004W 00

Precision: S

Survey date: 1996-08-15 Elevation: 4395 - 4400

First observation: 1996-08-15 Slope/aspect: 0% / LEVEL

Last observation: 1997-08-11 Size (acres) : 20

Location:

CONTACT THE MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM.

Element occurrence data:

OVER 500 PLANTS IN FOUR SUBPOPULATIONS AND IN RELATIVELY HIGH DENSITY.
MOST PLANTS NEAR PEAK FLOWERING ON 15 AUGUST 1996, BUT A FEW ENTIRELY
IN BUD AND A FEW NEAR SENESENCE . THE THREE WESTERN SUBPOPULATIONS HAD
OVER 100 PLANTS IN 1997 (ACTUAL COUNT) , WITH 175 IN THE BIGGEST MEADOW
AREA.

General site description:

MARL PEATLAND COMPLEX ASSOCIATED WITH SEEP-FED MEADOWS AT THE EDGE OF
THE JEFFERSON RIVER VALLEY. THE PLANT COMMUNITY WEST OF THE OXBOW IS
LOCALLY DOMINATED BY DIMINUTIVE SPECIES INCLUDING ELEOCHARIS
PAUCIFLORA, MUHLENBERGIA RICHARDSONIS , CAREX SIMULATA AND GLAUX
MARITIMA. THE REST OF THE HABITAT HAS CO-DOMINANCE THAT INCLUDES
AGROSTIS STOLONIFERA AND JUNCUS BALTICUS . OTHER ASSOCIATED SPECIES
INCLUDE TRIFOLIUM FRAGERIFERUM AND HABENARIA HYPERBOREA. SOILS ARE
MARLY PEAT WHICH ARE FIBRIC AND BROWN IN UPPER INCH BUT BLACK AND MORE
HUMIC BELOW.

Land owner /manager :

PRIVATELY OWNED LAND (INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE)

Comments :

LANDOWNER NOTED THAT THE DITCH TO THE WEST OF THIS OCCURRENCE FORMERLY
INUNDATED MUCH OF THIS HABITAT WHEN THE DITCH WAS IN USE.

Information source: HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL

HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX
201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009.

Specimens :

Montana Natural Heritage Program
Element Occurrence Record

Scientific Name: SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Common Name: UTE LADIES' TRESSES

Global rank: G2
State rank: SI

Forest Service status;
Federal Status:

LT

Element occurrence code;
Element occurrence type;

PMORC2B100.006

Survey site name:

EO rank:

EO rank comments:

ALDER

CD

GOOD POPULATION SIZE IN DISTURBED SETTING

SIMULATING NATURAL CONDITIONS.

County: MADISON

USGS quadrangle: ALDER

Township: Range: Section:
006S 004W

TRS comments :

Precision:

Survey date :

First observation:

Last observation:

1997-08-14 Elevation: 5080 -
1997-08-14 Slope/aspect: 0-10% /
1997-08-14 Size (acres) :

Location:

CONTACT THE MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM.

Element occurrence data:

CA. 180 PLANTS IN LESS THAN 0.
8-14-97.

2 MILE OF HABITAT. IN FULL FLOWER

General site description:

BASE OF DITCH SLOPES IN HIGHWAY RIGHT OF WAY, WITH SEASONALLY
SATURATED SOILS IN VALLEY BOTTOMS. ASSOCIATED SPECIES INCLUDE AGROSTIS
STOLONIFERA, EQUISETUM LAEVIGATUM, POA PRATENSIS, FESTUCA ELATIOR, AND
HABENARIA HYPERBOREA.

Land owner /manager :

STATE LAND - UNDESIGNATED

Comments :

THE LOCAL SURVEY HAS NOT BEEN EXHAUSTIVE, BUT THERE ARE NO DIRECT
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE OCCUPIED ROAD DITCH AND POTENTIAL NATURAL
HABITAT. ROAD DITCH SEGMENTS TO THE NORTH, SOUTH, AND OPPOSITE SIDE OF
THE HIGHWAY HAVE BEEN SURVEYED AND RULED OUT.

Information source;

Specimens ;

HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL
HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX
201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009.

Montana Natural Heritage Program
Element Occurrence Record

Scientific Name: SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Common Name: UTE LADIES' TRESSES

Global rank: G2 Forest Service status:
State rank: SI Federal Status: LT

Element occurrence code: PMORC2B100 . 007
Element occurrence type:

Survey site name: PARSONS SLOUGH

EO rank:
EO rank comments :

County: MADISON

USGS quadrangle: WATERLOO

Township: Range: Section: TRS comments:
OOIS 005W

Precision: S

Survey date: Elevation: 4460

First observation: 1997-08-20 Slope/aspect: LEVEL

Last observation: 1997-08-20 Size (acres) : 1

Location:

CONTACT MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM.

Element occurrence data:

FIVE FLOWERING PLANTS COULD BE SEEN FROM THE ROAD.

General site description:

ALKALINE PLAINS WITH SHALLOW WETLANDS; BELOW TOESLOPES BETWEEN THE
TOBACCO ROOT MOUNTAINS AND JEFFERSON RIVER.

Land owner /manager :

PRIVATELY OWNED LAND (INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE)

Comments :

LANDOWNER DENIED PERMISSION TO SURVEY ON FOOT.

Information source: HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL

HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX
201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009.

Specimens :

Montana Natural Heritage Program
Element Occurrence Record

Scientific Name: SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Common Name: UTE LADIES' TRESSES

Global rank: G2
State rank: SI

Forest Service status:
Federal Status;

LT

Element occurrence code:
Element occurrence type:

PMORC2B100.008

Survey site name:

EO rank:

EO rank comments :

BULLRUN CREEK

County: GALLATIN

USGS quadrangle: NIXON GULCH

Township: Range: Section: TRS comments:
002N 004E

Precision:

Survey date :

First observation:

Last observation:

M

1997-08-28
1997-08-28

Elevation: 4220
Slope/aspect :
Size (acres) : 1

Location:

CONTACT MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM.

Element occurrence data:

SPARSE. ONLY 2 PLANTS FOUND IN ONE AREA.

IN PEAK FLOWERING 8-28-97,

General site description:

WET SWALE IN SUBIRRIGATED WET MEADOW WITH HUMMOCKS BUT HIGH SPECIES
DIVERSITY THROUGHOUT. BUFFALO BERRY ARE CONSPICUOUSLY COMMON
THROUGHOUT THE SURROUNDING GALLATIN VALLEY BOTTOM. DOMINANTS INCLUDE
MUHLENBERGIA RICHARDSONIS . COMMON ASSOCIATED SPECIES INCLUDE CAREX
SCIRPOIDEA, DESCHAMPSIA CESPITOSA, AGROSTIS STOLONIFERA, CAREX
PARRYANA AND ASTER FALCATUS . SOILS ARE SILTY CLAY LOAM.

Land owner /manager :

PRIVATELY OWNED LAND (INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE)

Comments :

FIELD SURVEY NOT SYSTEMATIC DUE TO LACK OF AERIAL PHOTOS.

Information source: HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL

HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX
201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009.

Specimens :

Montana Natural Heritage Program
Element Occurrence Record

Scientific Name: SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Common Name: UTE LADIES' TRESSES

Global rank: G2
State rank: SI

Forest Service status:
Federal Status :

LT

Element occurrence code:
Element occurrence type:

PMORC2B100.009

Survey site name: THREE FORKS

EO rank: C

EO rank comments: LIMITED POPULATION SIZE AND EXTENT.

County: GALLATIN

USGS quadrangle: THREE FORKS

Township: Range: Section: TRS comments:
002N OOIE

Precision:

Survey date :

First observation:

Last observation:

1997-08-27
1997-08-27
1997-08-27

Elevation: 4080 -
Slope/aspect: 0-2,
Size (acres) : 1

LEVEL

Location:

CONTACT MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM.

Element occurrence data:

32 PLANTS IN ONE SMALL SEGMENT OF POTENTIALLY SUITABLE HABITAT.
LATE FLOWER 8-27-97.

IN

General site description:

SHALLOW MEANDERED WETLAND IN THE MOSTLY OPEN JEFFERSON VALLEY
FLOODPLAIN, WITH MOST OF THE PLANTS CONCENTRATED IN A VERY SMALL LOBE
OFF OF THE MAIN CHANNEL. SOILS ARE SILTY CLAY LOAM. DOMINANTS INCLUDE
CAREX SIMULATA AND AGROSTIS STOLONIFERA. OTHER COMMON SPECIES ARE
MUHLLENBERGIA RICHARDSONIS, GLYCORRHIZA LEPIDOTA, ASTRAGALUS ROBBINSII
AND ASTER FALCATUS .

Land owner /manager :

PRIVATELY OWNED LAND (INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE)

Comments :

Information source:

Specimens;

HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL
HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX
201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009.

Montana Natural Heritage Program
Element Occurrence Record

Scientific Name: SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Common Name : UTE LADIES ' TRESSES

Global rank: G2
State rank: SI

Forest Service status;
Federal Status;

LT

Element occurrence code;
Element occurrence type ;

PMORC2B100.010

Survey site name: THREE FORKS

EO rank: CD

EO rank comments: SMALL POPULATION; DEGRADED HABITAT SETTING.

County: GALLATIN

USGS quadrangle: THREE FORKS

Township: Range: Section: TRS comments:
002N 002E

Precision:

Survey date :

First observation:

Last observation:

M

1997-08-27
1997-08-27
1997-08-27

Elevation: 4050 -
Slope/aspect: 0-2 /EAST
Size (acres) : 1

Location:

CONTACT MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM.

Element occurrence data:

15 PLANTS, IN PEAK FLOWERING 8-27-97.

General site description:

SEEPAGE ZONE ABOVE BACKWATER SLOUGH OF MADISON RIVER, BELOW A
TAMEGRASS MEADOW. SOILS ARE SILTY CLAY LOAM. COMMON SPECIES INCLUDE
AGROSTIS STOLONIFERA, AGROPYRON CANINUM, EQUISETUM LAEVIGATUM,
POTENTILLA ANSERINA, ASTER FALCATUS .

Land owner /manager :

PRIVATELY OWNED LAND (INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE)

Comments :

Information source:

Specimens :

HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL
HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX
201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009.

Scientific Name: SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Common Name: UTE LADIES' TRESSES

Global rank: G2
State rank: SI

Forest Service status;
Federal Status ;

LT

Element occurrence code: PMORC2B100. Oil

Element occurrence type:

Survey site name: BEAVERHEAD RIVER VALLEY

EO rank: AB
EO rank comments: GOOD POPULATION SIZE, EXTENSIVE HABITAT, FAIR-GOOD

CONDITION.

County: BEAVERHEAD

USGS quadrangle: GLEN SE

Township: Range: Section:
006S 008W

TRS comments;

Precision:

Survey date:

First observation:

Last observation:

1997 08 13 Elevation: 4950 -
1997 08 13 Slope/aspect: 0 / FLAT
1997 08 13 Size (acres):

Location:

CONTACT THE MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM.

Element occurrence data:

OVER 500 INDIVIDUALS DISPERSED ACROSS LARGE AREA; OVER HALF IN LOOSE
AGGREGATES ALONG SOME GENTLE WETLAND MARGIN SLOPES; THE REST WIDELY
DISPERSED ACROSS BOTTOMS.

General site description:

SHALLOW, VERY BROAD MEANDERED SWALE MEADOWS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE
BEAVERHEAD RIVER VALLEY, THAT HAVE CALCIUM CARBONATE ACCUMULATION AT
THE SURFACE AND SEASONALLY SATURATED SOILS. DOMINATED BY CAREX
SIMULATA. ASSOCIATED WITH MUHLENBERGIA FILIFORMIS, ASTER OCCIDENTALIS,
JUNCUS LONGISTYLIS, HABENARIA HYPERBOREA.

Land owner/manager:

PRIVATELY OWNED LAND (INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE)

Comments:

Information source:

HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL
HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX
201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009.

Specimens: HEIDEL, B. (1600). 1997. MONT,

Appendix B. Close-up and habitat photos

No. Slide Photographer

1 Spiranthes diluvialis close-up Krisi DuBois

2 Spiranthes diluvialis whole plant Bonnie Heidel

3 Spiranthes diluvialis vegetative plant Bonnie Heidel

4 Spiranthes diluvialis vegetation microplot (Plot #6) Bonnie Heidel

5 Spiranthes diluvialis typical wet meadow habitat (EO#004) Bonnie Heidel

6 Spiranthes diluvialis habitat, early in growing season (6 June) Bonnie Heidel

7 Spiranthes diluvialis habitat, extreme marl pool development; Bonnie Heidel
also part of the site of a recent wildfire

8 Typical surrounding upland habitat ofSporobolus airoides h.t. Bonnie Heidel
and abundant Shepherdia argentea and Astragalus robbinsii

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Appendix C. Species associated with Spiranthes diluviaiis in Montana and rangewide

MT' ID^ NE^ CO* UT' UT' WY'

(Uinta) (Wasatch)
(Note: Exotic species are asterisked. The preliminary WA information is not included.)

Scientific name

Achillea millefolium

X

Agalinus tenuifolia

X

Agrostis stolonifera*

XXX

Alisma trivale

X

Alnus incana

X

Ambrosia psilostachya

X

Ambrosia trifida

Andropogon gerardii

X

Artemisia ludoviciana

X

Asclepias incamata

X

Asclepias speciosa

X

Asclepias viridiflora

X

Aster ascendens

X

Aster brachyactis

X

Aster canadensis

X

Aster chilensis

X

Aster ericoides

X X

Aster falcatus

X

Aster hesperius

X

Aster junciformis?

X X

Aster lanceolatus

Aster occidentalis

X

Aster pansus

X

Aster praealtus

X

Astragalus cicer

X

X

X

X
X

^Unpublished information collected in the course of this survey.

^Unpublished information collected in 1996 and 1997 field surveys (Idaho Conservation
Data Center 1996, 1997).

^From Hazlett 1996; and Hildebrand 1998 (excluding the terrestrial and deepwater species)
'From Arft (1995a) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995b
'From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995b.
'From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995b.
^Froni Hazlett 1997

MT

ID

NE

CO UT UT WY

(Uinta) (Wasatch)

Astragalus robbinsii

X

Atriplex subspicata

X

Berula erecta

X

Betula occidentalis

X

X

Bidens cemua

X

Bidens comosa

X

Bidens frondosa

X

X

Bromis ineriiiis*

X

X

Calamagrostis canadensis

X

Calamagrostis inexpansa

X

X

X

Calamagrostis stricta

X

X

Calamagrostis spp.

X X

Carex aurea

X

X

X

Carex brevior

X

Carex comosa

X

Carex douglasii

X

Carex emoryi

X

Carex lanuginosa

X

X

Carex nebrascensis

X

X

X

Carex parryana

X

Crex pellita

X

Carex praegracilis

X

X

Carex prairea

X

Carex scirpiformis

X

Carex scoparia

X

Carex simulate

X

Carex vulpinoidea

X

Carex spp.

X

X X

Castilleja exilis

X

X

X

Catabrosa aquatica

X

Centaurea maculosa*

X

Cerastium vulgatum

X

Chenopodium album*

X

Chenopodium rubrum

X

Circaea lutea

X

Cirsium arvense*

X

X

X

X X

Cirsivmi flodmanii

X

Cirsium spp.

X

Comus sericea

X

X

Crepis runcinata

X

Cuscuta indecora

Cyperus diandrus

X

Dactylis glomerata*

X

Descurainia sophia*

X

Dianthus armeria*

X

MT

ID

NE

CO UT UT WY

(Uinta) (Wasatch)

Dodecatheon pulchellum

X

Elaeagnus angustifolia*

X

Elaeagnus commutata

X

Eleocharis acicularis

X

X

Eleocharis elliptica

X

Eleocharis erythropoda

X

Eleocharis palustris

X

X

Eleocharis pauciflora

X

X

Eleocharis parvula

X

Eleocharis rostellata

X

Elymus canadensis

X

Elymus repens*

X

Elymus trachycalus

X

X

Elymus vamensis*

X

Epilobium coloraUom

X

Epilobium leptophyllum

X

Epilobium palustre

X

Epipactis gigantea

X

Equisetum arvense

X

X

Equisetum hyemale

X

Equisetimi laevigatum

X

X

X

X X

Equisetum variegatum

X

Equisetum spp.

X X

Erigeron lonchophyllus

X

X

Eupatorium maculatum

X

Euphorbia esula*

X

Eustoma grandiflorum

X

Euthamnia gymnospermoide

;s

X

Festuca arundinacea*

X

X

Festuca pratensis*

X

Galium boreale

X

Galium trifidum

X

Gaura parviflora

X

Gentiana andrewsii

X

Gentianella amarella

X

Geum canadense

X

Glaux maritima

X

X

Glyceria grandis

X

Glyceria striata

X

Glycyrrhiza lepidota

X

X

X

Habenaria hyperborea

X

X

X

X

Habenaria unalaskensis

X

Helianthus maximilianii

X

Helianthus nuttallii

X

X

MT

ID

NE

CO UT

(Uinta)

UT WY

(Wasatch)

Helianthus petiolaris

X

Hippuris vulgaris

X

Hordeum jubatum

X

Impatiens capensis

X

Iris pseudacorus

X

Iva axillaris

X

Juncus balticus

X

X

X

X

Juncus bufonis

X

Juncus casteanus

X

Juncus confusus

X

Juncus dudleyi

X

X

Juncus ensifolius

X

Juncus longistylis

X

X

X

X

Juncus marginatus

X

Juncus nevadensis

Juncus nodosus

X

X

Juncus tenuis

X

Juncus torreyi

X

X

X

Juncus spp.

X

Lactuca pulchella

X

Liatris lancifolia

X

Linum perenne

X

Linum rigidum

X

Lobelia siphilitica

X

X

Lotus tenuis*

X

Lupinus plattensis

X

Lycopus americanus

X

Lycopus asper

X

X

Machaeranthera tanacetifolia

X

Medicago sativa*

X

X

Melilotus alba*

X

X

Melilotus officinalis*

X

Melilotus spp.*

3

Mentha arvensis

X

X

Mimulus glabratus

X

Mirabilis hirsuta

X

Muhlenbergia asperifolia

X

X

X

Muhlenbergia filiforrnis

X

Muhlenbergia glomerata

X

Muhlenbergia mexicana

X

Muhlenbergia racemosa

X

Muhlenbergia richardsonis

X

Musineon tenuifolium

X

Myosotis scorpioides

X

Nasturtium officinale

X

X
X

X
X

MT

ID NE

CO UT UT WY

(Uinta) (Wasatch)

Oenothera data

X

Orobanche multiflora

X

OrthocaqDus luteus

X

Panicum capillare

X

Panicum virgatum

X

X

Parietaria pensylvanica

X

Pamassia fimbriata

X

Pamassia palustris

Pascopyrum smithii

X

X

Pedicularis crenulata

X

Phalaris arundinacea*

X

Phleum pratense*

X

X

Phlox kelseyi var. kelseyi

X

Pilea fontana

X

Plantago eriopoda

X

X

X

Plantago lanceolata

X

Plantago major*

X

X

Platanthera dilatata

Poa arida

X

Poa pratensis*

X X

X X

Polygonum amphibium

X

Polygonum coccineum

X

Polygonum lapathifolium

X

Polygonum pensulvanicum

X

Polygonum persicaria

X

Polygonum ramosissimum

X

Polygonum sagittatimi

X

Polypogon monspeliensis

X

Populus angustifolia

X

X

X

Populus deltoides

X

Potentilla anserina

X

X

Potentilla arguta

X

Potentilla gracilis

X

Potentilla pensylvanica

X

Primula incana

X

Prunella vulgaris*

X

X X

Prunus virginiana

X

Ranunculus cymbalaria

X

Ranunculus longirostris

X

Ranunculus populago

X

Ranuculus spp.

X

Ratibida columnifera

X

Rosa woodsii

X X

Rudbeckia hirta

X

Rumex mexicanus

X

X
X

Rumex orbiculatus x

Sagittaria latifolia x

Salix amygdaloides x

Salix bebbiana x

Salix Candida x

Salix exigua x x

Salix lutea x? x x

Salix spp. X

Schizachyrium scoparium x

Scirpus pungens x x

Scirpus validus x

Scutellaria galericulata x

Scutellaria lateriflora x

Senecio riddellii x

Shepherdia argentea x
Sidalcea neomexicana

Sisymbrium altissimum* x

Sisyrinchium montanum x x

Siimi suave x

Smilacina stellata x x

Solidago canadensis x

Solidago gigantea x

Solidago rigida x

Solidago missouriensis x
Solidago occidentalis
Solidago spp.

Sonchus asper x

Sonchus arvensis x

Sonchus uliginosus x

Sorghastrum nutans x

Spargarium eurycarpum x

Sparganium emersum x

Spartina gracilis x x

Spartina pectinata x

Sphenopholis obtusata x

Spiranthes cemua x

Sporobolus airoides x x

Stachys palustris x

Suaeda calceoliformis x

Suaeda depressa x

Symphoricarpos occidentalis x

Taraxacum laevigatum x

Taraxacum officinale x

Thalictrum dasycarpum x

Thelypodium integrifolium x

MT ID NE CO UT UT WY

(Uinta) (Wasatch)

MT

ID

NE

CO UT

(Uinta)

UT WY

(Wasatch)

Thelespemia filifolium

X

Thelypteris palustris

X

Tragopogon dubius*

X

Trifolium frageriferum*

X

Trifolium pratense*

X

X

X

X

Trifolium repens*

X

X

X

Triglochin maritima

X

X

X

Triglochin palustris

X

X

Triglochin spp.

X

Typha latifolia

X

Urtica dioica

X

Utricularia intermedia

X

Verbena hastata

X

X

Verronica anagallis-aquatica

X

Viola nephrophylla

X

Viola spp.

X

Appendix D. Demographic monitoring

Introduction

Ute ladies '-tresses {Spiranthes diluvialis) is a threatened plant species at the northern end of its
range in Montana. The purpose of this monitoring study is to document the demographic trends in
the population represented by EO#001, and to identify critical life history stages. It may serve in the
future for management response monitoring at a site where management practices are under review.

Mature plants may be in any of three stages from year-to-year, including flowering, non-flowering
(vegetative) and seasonally dormant (persisting belowground). They are only dependably located
when they are in flower, or when precise locations are recorded, so that repeat years of monitoring
will establish base population numbers. Mature plants do not remain in a vegetative state for more
than one year (Arft 1995b, Riedel et al. 1995), but the unknown duration of seasonal dormancy has
not been determined. Reports in the literature indicate that Spiranthes magnicamporum may go for
20 years without flowering (Magrath 1979 in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995a).

Arft (1995b) identified the flowering stage as the critical life history phase among mature plants in
plots subject to early-season haying and grazing, as well as to vole herbivory. The information from
this previous monitoring study warrants further consideration in its application to this monitoring
project.

Methods

The monitoring quadrat was established to track the entire population represented in EO#001 . One
meter rebar stakes povmded to within 0.3 m of the surface mark the four comers of the plots above
the wetland margins. The northern pair of rebar stakes do not quite extend as far north as the
population, but are placed within 2 m of the maximum population extent at locations selected for
their inconspicuousness among the shrubs in casual observation and non-interference with livestock
movement.

The plot is read like an x,y graph with a 30 meter tape spread along the southern boundary as the "x
axis" (facing north), and a 30 m stretched along the northern boundary, for consistent orientation of
the "y axis" between tapes. A single tape was moved along the y axis and a meter stick was used to
delimit 1 x 1 m areas. Individual plants are mapped by their coordinates to within at least 0.1m
within each occupied 1 x 1 m subplot. The numbers of buds (unopened flowers; B), open flowers
(F), and fruits (R), and any aborted flowers (a) were recorded per flowering stem. Stems closer than
2 cm together were treated as shoots from the same plant. The total number of basal leaves for
vegetative plants was noted. Any browsing (b) or trampling (t) were also noted.

Emergence and bolting of flowering stalks in the population have been staggered over 3-4 weeks
(pers. obs.) so monitoring was timed at the end of the emergence period when all late stalks have
emerged in bud, and flowering or already matured stalks are still visible (August x, 1996 and
September 4, 1997). Some of the plants flowering at the beginning of the period were browsed by
the end of the period, but remnants of the plants were still discernible.

The species is restricted to relatively narrow wetland margin bands at the site. The plot layout
requires care that the investigator avoid trampling the plant in moving up the Y axis. The most
prudent measure is for the investigator to avoid placing any steps in the wetland margin habitat.

The raw data is presented below.

1996 DEMOGRAPHIC MONITORING OF UTE LADIES '-TRESSES

1996

1997

1x1

subplot #R,F,B

#R,F,B

0, 6

a

B-very immat.

6R,7F

b

7R, IF, la

0, 7

a

lOF, 3B

-

b

IF, 8B

ILb

c

8F,5B

5Lb

1,8

a

7R,2a

2,3

a

OF, IIB

7R,2a

b

3F, 8B

4R,7F

c

12R, 3a

2,4

a

IF, lOB

9F

b

IF, lOB

2R,5a

c

7L

d

2R, IF+brows.

2,8

a

7F, 2B

-

4,2

a

13F

B-very immature

4,3

a

OF, 15B

3L

b

2F, 9B

-

c

3L

4R, la

d

11F,2B

3L

e

9F

2L

f

9F

-

4,4

a

(browsed stem)

-

b

3F, 8B

?R, la

c

IIR, la

5,2

a

15F

-

5,3

a

(two stems

-

from one hasi

; - browsed)

b

(browsed stem)

-

5,4

a

2L

b

llR,4a

6,4

a

(browsed stem)

-

6,17

a

15R

10R,7a

a2

9R,6a

7,2

al

IIR

-

a2

17F,

7,3

a

10R,3F, OB

3R, la

b

8F, 5B

5R, IIF

c

6R,3a

7,14

a

OF, 7B

10R,3a

b

OF, 8B

2L

c

7R,2a

7,17

a

2F, IIB

101,4a

b

8R

9,5

a

OF, IIB

3Lb

11,5

a

12R, 3a

13,5

a

7F, 4B

-

14,6

a

5F, 4B

6L

14,22

a

9F

-

17,6

a

17F

-

17,19

a

5F, 6B

-

18,2

a

lF,4a-

b

15F, 2B

-

c

lOF, 5B

-

18,3

a

15F

6L

b

5F, 4B

R15

18,4

a

13F

-

19,2

a

4F, 13B

-

19,5

a

15F, OB

IL

b

9F, 2B

-

20,21

a

12F, 5B

3L

21,2

a

8R, 3F, 2a

21,20

a

11F,0B

stem browsed

b

6F,7B

2L

c

2F, 5B

2L

d

0F,9B

llR,2a

25,5

a

stem browsed

bl

lOR, lA

b2

8R,3a

c

8F,3a

25,6

a

F6

26,4

a

stem browsed

26,7

a

lOR, la

27,13

a

IIF

2Lb

28,17

a

IIF

9R,3a

Total No. of Plants: 52 documented

Appendix E. DRAFT Section 7 Guidelines for Spiranthes diluvialis in Montana

The following text represents new information for consideration in Section 7 consultation guidelines
for Spiranthes diluvialis in Montana, added to existing draft guidelines (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service 1995).

Recommendations and Guidelines for Section 7 Consultation

Category 1 : Surveys Required

In Montana, it is recommended that the conditions for requiring surveys be narrowed to include only
those counties from which the species is documented (Beaverhead, Gallatin, Jefferson and
Madison), and only those soil series (Neen, Villy, Saypo and the Fairway-Threeriver-Rivra
complex) from which it is documented. Published and unpublished soil series data is to be used
until such time as a multi-county soil series map representing potential habitat is prepared. It is
appropriate to narrow down the conditions to include only landscapes with wetland/riparian habitat.

Category 2: Surveys Encouraged

In Montana, there are no historical records, but surveys are recommended within the counties,
watersheds, and intermontane valley settings not otherwise meeting the soil survey criteria above.
They include the following watersheds, between 4000-5000 feet:

1002002-050 and 070 Lower Beaverhead River
10020003-050 Lower Ruby River
10020005-010 and 040 and 080 Jefferson River
Possibly 10020007-170 Lower Madison River
and 10020008-1 10 Lower Gallatin River

Category 3. Surveys Optional

In Montana, there is little basis for setting standards outside of southwestern Montana, and no

optional survey standards are proposed.

Survey procedures

In Montana, the ftill extent of shallow meandered channels and swales occupied by the species
cannot be reliably discerned on the ground without aerial photographs, which are necessary for
systematic survey. Survey must be conducted during flowering (second week of August thru first
week of September) to be considered effective.

Disqualified habitat

Comment: The 1995 Section 7 criteria for ruling out habitat as potential habitat do apply in
Montana, though it is to be stressed that these criteria refer to the actual wetland habitat and not to
the surrounding uplands. This is important because all of the surrounding uplands are in soil series
that are characterized in their profile descriptions as "salt-affected."

Appendix F. Soils data analysis from Spiranthes diluvialis sites

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA- lANR
SOIL & PLANT ANALYTICAL LABORATORY
139 KEIM HALL: LINCOLN, NE 68583-0916
TEL: (402)472-1571 FAX: (402)472-1396

i

F : \DAQSMART\LABSRC\M- 15 8 . LAB
File Descriptors

Printed;
As;

11-12-1997
CUSTRPT

01) JOB

NO.

M-158

11) DATE

RECEIVED

10/21/97

12) PROJECT LEADER

BONNIE HEIDEL

13) PROJECT ID

MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE :

14) ADDRESS

1515 E 6TH AVE.

15) MATERIAL TYPE

SOILS

(116)

(457)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Lab

CUSTOMER

CUSTOMER

WATER

BUFFERED

EXCESS

No.

DESC.

DESC. 2

PH

PH

LIME

22976

1

EO#001

7.

78

7.00

5

22977

2

EO BEAV

8.

07

7.00

5

22978

3

EO GALL

7.

,80

7.00

4

22979

4

EO#004 MAR

7.

,66

7.00

4

22980

5

EO#005 MAR

7.

,87

7.00

5

22981

6

EO#004 MEA

7.

,97

7.00

5

22982

7

EO#005 MEA

8.

,01

7.00

4

(7)

(410)

(411)

(16)

(17)

Lab

POTASSIUM

BRAY P.

ORG. MATTER ZN DTPA

FE DTPA

No.

PPM

PPM

%

PPM

PPM

22976

311.0

1.840

7.

.92

3.00

92.80

22977

192.0

0.930

25,

.00

2.72

133.20

22978

302.0

1.660

10,

.45

2.08

115.20

22979

248.0

2.020

25,

.35

2.88

136.80

22980

530. 0

1.130

9,

.50

2.60

190.00

22981

277.0

1.670

9,

.63

1.20

40.40

22982

193.0

2.190

20,

.52

3.52

118.80

(18)

(19) (6)

(28) (40)

(41)

Lab

MN DTPA

CU DTPA SODIUM

CONDUCT . CEC

K (EXCH)

No.

PPM

PPM PPM

[

MMHOS/CM CMOL/KG CMOL/KG

PROG.

i

22976
22977
22978
22979
22980
22981
22982

22.8
55.2
36.0
62.0
26.8
10.8
33.6

2.04
0.76

3

1
2
1
5

96
76
52
44
20

282.0
400.0
354.0
184.0
356.0
375.0
186.0

0.90
0.85
1.06
1.24
1.50
1.15
0.68

19
45
37
44
22
27
46

97
46
52
52
42
20
56

0.87
1.32

1
1
1

08
71
77

0.96
0.86

F : \DAQSMART\LABSRC\M- 158 . LAB

Page

(42)

(65)

(66)

(70)

(372)

(375)

Lab

NA

(EXCH)

MG EXCH

CA EXCH

PSA

FLAG

AMMONIA

NITRATE

No.

CMOL/KG

CMOL/KG

CMOL/KG

PPM

PPM

22976

1.45

9.09

51.99

??

3.60

2.50

22977

4.66

24.70

62.22

??

INSUF

INSUF

22978

2.16

15.04

60.49

??

6.40

5.30

22979

2.14

14.97

68.51

??

INSUF

INSUF

22980

2.18

14.72

52.59

??

5.50

2.60

22981

2.15

15.42

58.02

??

4.70

2.60

22982

1.43

29.20

59.92

77

5.10

2.30

NAME. . .
ADDRESS

SAMPLE
IDENT.

AGRONOMY DEPARTMENT ANALYTICAL LABORATORY
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN
Montana Natural Heritage Program REF M-1 58

1 51 5 E. 6th Ave PA

Helena, MT

59620
PERCENT PERCENT PERCENT PERCENT PERCENT TEXTURAL

SAND COARSE FINE VERY FINE CLAY CLASS

SILT SILT SILT

1

1

1

64.14

13.26

10.20

2.04

10.36

SANDY LOAM

2

2

51.16

16.93

15.34

2.65

13.93

LOAM

3

3

42.76

23.35

15.56

2.59

15.73

LOAM

4

4

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

not enough soil

5

5

59.95

17.39

9.20

1.53

11.93

SANDY LOAM

6

6

60.72

12.35

12.35

2.06

12.52

SANDY LOAM

7

7

32.20

32.76

20.08

2.11

12.85

SILT LOAM

■

■K

OO

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1 m

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+

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