MONTANA STATE This "cover" page added by the Internet Archive for formatting purposes s 581.529 N11VFLC 1993 MONTANA STATE LIBRARY S581.529W11vflcc.1Les.ca Vegetation and flora ot the 3 0864 00089779 6 VEGETATION AND FLORA OF THE LINE CREEK PLATEAU AREA( CARBON COUNTY, MONTANA Prepared by Peter Lesica 929 Locust Missoula, Montana 59802 and Montana Natural Heritage Program 1515 E. Sixth Ave. Helena, Montana 59620 STATE DOCUMENTS COLLECTION JUN 22 1994 HELENA, MONTANA 59620 Prepared for USDA Forest Service Intermountain Research Station Missoula, Montana December 1993 ■ © 1993 Montana Natural Heritage Program This report is to be cited as follows: Lesica P 1993. Vegetation and flora of the Line Creek Plateau Area Carbon County, Montana. Unpublished report to US. Forest Service. Montana Natural Heritage Program. Helena. 30 pp. Justification The Beartooth Mountains of south-central Montana and adjacent Wyoming are one of the most extensive and significant alpine areas of North America. The range contains the highest peaks and the largest representation of tundra in Montana and Region One of the U.S. Forest Service. Numerous alpine plant communities, from wetlands to dry turf are well developed here. Many species of arctic plants with disjunct populations in the Beartooth Mountains are considered rare in Montana (Johnson 1962, Lesica and Shelly 1991) . As a result, this area is one of the most significant floristic areas in the state (Lesica et al. 1984) . A large proportion of this alpine area is contained in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area on Custer, Gallatin and Shoshone national forests. The Line Creek Plateau occurs on the eastern edge of the range, separated from the wilderness area to the west by the Beartooth Highway. The top of the plateau is gently rolling alpine tundra and turf with extensive moist snowbed vegetation but little actual wetland or permanent surface water features. Slopes of the plateau on the north and east sides fall off steeply and are clothed in coniferous forest or nearly barren talus. Drainages are narrow with steep sides and little or no riparian areas. A high narrow ridge of Madison limestone occurs along the east foothills below the plateau where the uplift has raised the sedimentary beds on edge. Sagebrush steppe and limber pine woodland dominate these foothills. The Line Creek Plateau supports large representations of many of the common alpine plant communities found throughout the Beartooth Mountains but is more accessible than most other parts of the range that occur in the wilderness. The Beartooth Range is higher and farther east than any other high alpine range in Montana or Region One. As such it is f loristically more similar to the high ranges of Wyoming, Utah and Colorado than other ranges in the state. Two alpine plant communities, Festuca idahoensis/Geum rossii and Salix glauca/Deschampsia cespitosa c.t.s are well-developed on the Line Creek Plateau but are not otherwise reported for Montana. In addition, two alpine communities found in southwest Montana have unigue forms in the Beartooth Mountains. Moist tundra in the Carex scirpoidea/Geum rossii c.t. is often dominated by Deschampsia cespitosa; additional sampling may warrant recognition of a Deschampsia cespitosa/Geum rossii c.t. Some areas of fellfield now placed in the Carex elynoides c.t. are dominated by Kobresia bellardii , and this type may also warrant recognition as a separate community type. Both of these communities are not otherwise reported for Montana and are more similar to vegetation found in Wyoming and Colorado. The slopes of the Line Creek Plateau support a number of subalpine and montane forest communities. The eastern foothills at the base of the Line Creek Plateau support good-condition grasslands, sagebrush steppe and limber pine woodlands developed on calcareous soils derived from Madison limestone (Veseth and Montagne 1980) . Sixteen species of vascular plants listed as species of special concern by the Montana Natural Heritage Program are known to occur on the Line Creek Plateau. Fourteen of these are found near or above timberline; two more are found in sagebrush steppe in the eastern foothills of the plateau. One species is a candidate for listing as a threatened or endangered species; five others are listed as sensitive by Region One of the U.S. Forest Service. Many areas of the Beartooth Mountains have been explored botanically; nonetheless, four species of plants have been found in Montana only on the Line Creek Plateau or the adjacent Hellroaring Plateau. The earlier snow-release occurring on the Line Creek Plateau may provide conditions more amenable to species that evolved in low-elevation arctic environments suggesting ways in which this easternmost and warmest plateau may be biologically unigue. Most of Montana's Beartooth Mountains are included in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area and are thus protected from most human-caused disturbances. The area of limestone scarps and desert foothills on the east face of the mountains along Grove and Gold creeks forms the proposed Meeteetse Spires Preserve (Lesica 1988) , a cooperative project of The Nature Conservancy, The Bureau of Land Management and private landowners. The Line Creek Plateau, one of the five largest alpine plateaus of the Beartooth Mountains, lies between Meeteetse Spires Preserve and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. The Meeteetse Spires area adjoins the Pryor Mountain Desert region, a large area of primarily public land supporting a spectacular array of desert communities and rare plants (DeVelice and Lesica 1993, Kratz 1988, Lesica and Achuff 1992, Lesica et al. 1992). On the eastern margin of the Pryor Mountain Desert lies the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. Thus, the Line Creek Plateau is the missing link in the chain that connects the Bighorn-Pryor Mountains and the Pryor Mountain Desert with the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This system of reserves and wildlands captures an unprecedented degree of the habitat diversity present in the Northern Rocky Mountains (Lesica 1991) . The most significant nature reserves are those that encompass the broadest range of environments (Hunter et al. 1988). There are three reason why habitat diversity is important: (1) high species diversity is associated with many different communities and their ecotones, (2) habitat diversity provides conditions necessary for continued evolution of locally-adapted ecotypes and species, and (3) large environmental gradients will allow species to persist during periods of climatic stress or change. Protection of the Line Creek Plateau will help preserve biological diversity by securing connectivity among major wildlands ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains. Principal Distinguishing Features Alpine Communities The Line Creek Plateau occurs on the eastern edge of the range, separated from the wilderness area to the west by the Beartooth Highway. This plateau supports large pristine representations of many of the common alpine plant communities found throughout the Beartooth Mountains, but it is more accessible than most other parts of the range that occur in the wilderness. The Salix qlauca/Deschampsia cespitosa and Festuca idahoensis/Geum rossii community types considered rare in the Beartooth Range and the rest of Montana (Cooper and Lesica 1992) are common on the Line Creek Plateau. Alpine communities occur between 9,300 and 10,500 ft. Classification of alpine community types is based on Cooper and Lesica (1992) and data acguired in 1993 using ECODATA methodology. (1) Festuca idahoensis/Geum rossii c.t. Warm slopes with well-developed soil at elevations near timberline support herbaceous vegetation dominated by Festuca idahoensis, Aqropyron caninum, Poa rupicola and Koeleria cristata. Common forb species include Geum rossii , Lupinus arqenteus, Solidaqo multiradiata , and Aqoseris glauca . This community was not described by Johnson and Billings (1962) but similar vegetation in southwest Montana was described by Cooper and Lesica (1992) and classified as the alpine grassland physiognomic type. Southwest Montana communities have Potentilla diversif olia as a dominant forb; Geum rossii was not present. Potkin and Munn (1987) described a Festuca ovina c.t. from the Wind River Range alpine zone that is similar to this type. Their F. ovina is probably a small form of F\_ idahoensis. (2) Carex elynoides c.t. Gravelly, poorly developed soils of upper slopes, ridge crests and other wind-exposed areas were dominated by Geum rossii , Carex rupestris , Kobresia bellardii and Poa rupicola as well as many cushion-forming species such as Arenaria obtusiloba , Silene acaulis and Trif olium parryi . Luzula spicata, Festuca ovina and Lupinus arqenteus were other common species. Similar turf communities dominated by either C^ rupestris or C_^ elynoides have been described for southwest Montana (Cooper and Lesica 1992) . Johnson and Billings (1962) referred to this vegetation as the cushion plant community in Geum turf vegetation, and Bamberg (1961) described two similar communities, fellfield and dry Carex from the Beartooth Mountains that are probably referable to this type. Similar vegetation has also been described for Idaho (Moseley 1985, Caicco 1983), Wyoming (Potkin and Munn 1987), Utah (Lewis 1970) and Colorado (Willard 1979, Komarkova and Webber 1978) . Turf dominated by Kobresia bellardii was described from the Colorado and may warrant recognition as a separate community type in Montana. (3) Carex scirpo idea /Geum rossii c.t. Gentle to moderate, cool slopes with intermediate soil development support vegetation dominated by Carex scirpoidea. C. paysonis, Deschampsia cespitosa and Luzula spicata. Dominant forbs included Geum rossii, Artemisia scopulorum, Lloydia serotina and Solidaqo multiradiata . Moister sites had higher coverages of EK. cespitosa , while in more xeric examples dominance shifted to Carex paysonis. This community type has been described for southwest Montana (Cooper and Lesica 1992) and Utah (Lewis 1970). Potkin and Munn (1987) described a similar community in the Wind River Range of Wyoming as the Geum rossii /Deschampsia cespitosa c.t. Johnson and Billings (1962) and Bamberg (1961) described a Deschampsia meadow vegetation which is probably referable to moister stands of this type. Additional sampling may warrant recognition of a Deschampsia cespitosa /Geum rossii c.t. for Montana (4) Dryas octopeta la /Carex rupestris c.t. Moist, north-facing, gentle slopes dominated by Dryas octopetala occurred in one area at the head of Quad Creek. Silene acaulis, Geum rossii, Trifolium nanum, Calamagrostis purpurascens and Carex rupestris were common associated species. This association is found throughout Montana (Bamberg 1961, Bamberg and Major 1968, Cooper and Lesica 1992) south to Colorado (Komarkova and Webber 1979, Willard 1978). (5) Juncus drummondii/Antennaria lanata c.t. Late snowmelt areas on lee slopes and in shallow accumulation areas develop vegetation dominated by Antennaria lanata, Carex paysonis and Juncus drummondii . Other common species include Deschampsia cespitosa , Carex scirpoidea, Luzula spicata, Sibbaldia procumbens and Antennaria umbrinella. Stands in the study area were usually dominated by either A^. lanata or J. drummondii rather than a mixture of the two. The community type also occurs in the Madison Range of southwest Montana (Cooper and Lesica 1992). Potkin and Munn (1987) described a similar community for the Wind River Range of Wyoming. (6) Salix qlauca/Deschampsia cespitosa c.t. Broad, gently concave, cool upper slopes often support vegetation dominated by dense thickets of Salix glauca with lesser amounts of S± planifolia. Common ground layer species included the graminoids, Deschampsia cespitosa, Carex paysonis, C. scirpoidea and Luzula spicata and the forbs, Lupinus argenteus, Geum rossii, Artemisia scopulorum and Solidago multiradiata. Soils are saturated early in the growing season but become dry later in the year. These communities combined with the next type were described for this same area by Johnson and Billings (1962). Potkin and Munn (1987) described a Salix qlauca/Deschampsia cespitosa c.t. for the Wind River Range of Wyoming. Other communities dominated by S^ glauca have been described for the Canadian Rockies (Achuff and Corns 1982), southwest Montana (Cooper and Lesica 1992) and Colorado (Komarkova and Webber 1978) , but the associated species in these types are appreciably different. (7) Salix planifolia /Carex paysonis c.t. Stream terraces and seep areas often display vegetation dominated by Salix planifolia. The ground layer was dominated by Carex paysonis, Deschampsia cespitosa, Caltha leptosepala, Sedum rhodanthum and Senecio cymbalarioides . Soils are usually saturated throughout the growing season. Johnson and Billings (1962) described similar communities from the same area. This community is found in many areas of the Beartooth Range (Lesica pers. obs.). Subalpine and montane communities dominated by S^ planifolia have been described for Montana by Hansen et al. (1991), but the ground layer is different. Potkin and Munn (1987) described three communities dominated by S_^ planifolia in the Wind River Range of Wyoming. Lewis (1970) mentioned colonies of S^ planifolia in the alpine zone of the Uinta Range of Utah. (8) Deschampsia cespitosa /Caltha leptosepala c.t. Subirrigated stream terraces near timberline may support wet meadows dominated by Deschampsia cespitosa and Carex macloviana. Common forbs include Caltha leptosepala. Potentilla diversifolia and Polygonum bistortoides. Soils are moist throughout most of the growing season. Both Mueggler and Stewart (1980) and Hansen et al. (1991) described meadow vegetation dominated by EK. cespitosa for the subalpine and montane zones, but their types were drier and warmer than the alpine community described for southwest Montana by Cooper and Lesica (1992) and for the Wind River Range of Wyoming by Potkin and Munn (1987) . Alpine meadows dominated by D^ cespitosa but with fewer wet-site forbs occur in Colorado and Utah (Willard 1979, May and Webber 1982, Lewis 1970) . Coniferous Forests The slopes of the plateau support a number of subalpine and montane forest communities typical of southwest and south-central Montana (Pfister et al. 1977). These forest types are all prone to fire (Fischer and Clayton 1983) and most stands are in serai stage as evidenced by the presence or dominance of Pinus contorta and Pseudotsuqa menziesii at all but the highest elevations. Coniferous forest occurs between 6,000 and 9,500 ft. Forest habitat types for Montana have been described by Pfister et al. (1977) . The following types were observed in the study area, and common types are vouchered by plot data acguired using ECODATA methodology. Due to the predominance of steep slopes in the forest zone, extensive representations of riparian communities are rare or absent. (9) Pinus albicaulis h.t. Ridge crests, warm slopes and other exposed sites near timberline (8,500-9,500 ft) support forests dominated by Pinus albicaulis. Picea enqelmanii and Abies lasiocarpa were scarce and of small stature. The ground layer was dominated by Festuca idahoensis, Carex phaeocephala , Lupinus arqenteus and Trif olium parryi . Numerous species of forbs were common but had low cover. Many stands of P^. albicaulis supported large trees that were 150+ years old, and most stands appeared healthy. I observed no extensive areas of beetle kill or blister rust. (10 Abies lasiocarpa -Pinus albicaulis/Vaccinium scoparium h.t. Cool slopes near timberline on the north side of the Line Creek Plateau support forests dominated by Abies lasiocarpa , Pinus albicaulis, P. contorta and Picea enqelmannii . Lodgepole pine was more common at the lower reaches of the type, while spruce became more common above. Vaccinium scoparium was the dominant shrub, although Spiraea betulifolia and Shepherdia canadensis may be common in lower stands. The ground layer was generally sparse with Arnica cordif olia , A. latifolia and Potentilla diversif olia the most common species. This type merges into the Abies lasiocarpa /Vaccinium scoparium h.t. below, and the two may be difficult to distinguish over large portions of the study area. (11) Abies lasiocarpa /Vaccinium scoparium h.t. Between 7,600 and 9,200 ft on the north side of the Line Creek Plateau, forests are dominated by Pinus contorta and Abies lasiocarpa . Pinus albicaulis was common only in more exposed positions, and Pseudotsuqa menziesii occurred in warmer stands. These successional stands generally had a dense shrub layer of Vaccinium scoparium with Juniperus communis and Shepherdia canadensis often present. Colonies of Alnus sinuata may persist in seep areas. Arnica cordif olia and Antennaria racemosa were common ground layer plants. (12) Abies las iocarpa /Arnica cordifolia h.t. North and east-facing slopes between 7,000 ft and 8,000 ft support forests dominated by Pinus contorta , Pseudotsuqa menziesii , Abies lasiocarpa and Picea enqelmannii. Steep slopes and poorly developed soils commonly underlie these sites. Juniperus communis, Shepherdia canadensis and Physocarpus malvaceus were common shrubs. Arnica cordifolia and Antennaria racemosa were common members of the sparse ground layer. Abies lasiocarpa /Vaccinium scoparium usually occurs upslope and along drainage courses, while Pseudotsuqa menziesii sites occur below. (13) Pseudotsuqa menziesii /Physocarpus malvaceus h.t. Foothills between 6,500 and 7,000 ft on the north and east sides of the Line Creek Plateau support forest stands dominated by Pseudotsuqa menziesii and Pinus contorta. The under story was dominated by Physocarpus malvaceus and Juniperus communis. Other common shrubs included Spiraea betulif olia , Rosa acicularis and Shepherdia canadensis. Common forbs were Aster conspicuous. Arnica cordifolia , Antennaria racemosa Clematis columbiana, and Viola canadensis. This habitat type is common on limestone- derived soils on the east side of the Line Creek Plateau but is rare on the crystalline-derived soils found on the north side. (14) Pseudotsuqa menziesii/ Juniperus communis h.t. This habitat type is found on cool and warm slopes at 6,500- 8,4 00 ft on the north and east sides of the Line Creek Plateau. Stands were dominated by Pseudotsuqa menziesii and Pinus contorta. Pinus f lexilis was common in serai stands at lower elevations on the east side of the study area. The shrub layer was dominated by Juniperus communis with minor amounts of Spiraea betulif olia. Arnica cordifolia and Antennaria racemosa were common ground layer species. Low-elevation serai stands often have many components of the Pinus f lexilis /Festuca idahoensis type, but Pseudotsuqa menziesii is the indicated climax. This is the most common lower montane habitat type in the study area. (15) Pinus f lexilis /Festuca idahoensis h.t. Foothills along the east slope of the Line Creek Plateau at 6,200-7,200 ft have soils derived from limestone and support savannah dominated by Pinus f lexilis. Juniperus scopulorum and Pseudotsuqa menziesii were present in some stands. Artemisia tridentata and Juniperus horizontalis were the common shrubs. Festuca idahoensis, Agropyron spicatum and Koeleria cristata were abundant. Balsamorhiza incana , Cerastium arvense and Antennaria microphylla were some of the many common forbs present in this type. Pinus f lexilis stands with a dense understory of shrubs such as occur in the study area are prone to severe crown fires with high P_s_ f lexilis mortality (Fischer and Clayton 1983) . It is likely that much of what is now limber pine woodland was sagebrush steppe before active fire suppression (see discussion below under Arttri/Fesida) . A large proportion of the limber pine occurring on the limestone ridge at the north end of the study area had infections of dwarf mistletoe. In some areas administered by BLM, ca. 50% of the limber pine were dead or dying. Shrublands and Grasslands Shrub steppe dominated by species of Artemisia occur in the lower foothills at the base of the Line Creek Plateau on the east side and, to a limited extent, on the north side along Rock Creek. Elevations range from 5,700 ft to 7,500 ft. These communities have undoubtedly been affected by livestock grazing and fire suppression, both of which would result in an increase of shrubs. Portions of this area have experienced fire in the past five years. Studies are currently underway to elucidate the role of fire in structuring vegetation of the region (K. Reid, pers. comm.). Classification of shrublands follows Mueggler 'and Stewart (1980) . These authors place Artemisia nova in synonymy under A^_ arbuscula. Most authorities recognize these taxa as separate species, and I have followed their treatment (e.g., Dorn 1984) . (16) Artemisia tridentata/Festuca idahoensis h.t. Lower slopes along the foothills on the north and east sides of the Line Creek Plateau are occupied by shrublands dominated by Artemisia tridentata and cool season bunch grasses such as Festuca idahoensis, Aqropyron spicatum, A. dasystachyum and Stipa comata. Common forbs included Artemisia friqida, Cerastium arvense , Lupinus sericeus and Balsamorhiza incana . This community occurs intermixed with Pinus f lexilis woodland. Fire destroys both the P^_ f lexilis and the understory of A^ tridentata. The resultant Festuca -Aqropyron grasslands are then reinvaded by A^ tridentata and eventually P^. f lexilis. Thus, the Pinus f lexilis /Festuca idahoensis, Artemisia tridentata/Festuca idahoensis, Artemisia nova/Festuca idahoensis, and Festuca idahoensis /Aqropyron spicatum "habitat types" in the east foothills of the Line Creek Plateau form a dynamic mosaic dependent on fire frequency . It may be that the entire area would be considered potential P_^ f lexilis woodland under atypically long fire-free intervals. (17) Artemisia nova/Festuca idahoensis h.t. Soils derived from limestone in the foothills on the east side of the Line Creek Plateau support shrublands dominated by Artemisia nova and A^. tridentata. Common grasses included Festuca idahoensis, Aqropyron spicatum and Stipa comata. Common forbs were Phlox hoodii , Astragalus adsurgens and Artemisia f rigida. This community generally occurs on sites with more exposure and/or shallower soils than the Artemisia tridentata /Festuca idahoensis h.t. However, the two types intermingle with Pinus f lexilis woodland throughout much of the area. Note: It lies southeast of tentative RNA boundaries. (18) Hesperocloa kingii c.t. Steep high-subalpine slopes with poorly developed soils support communities dominated by Hesperocloa kingii , Poa secunda, Agropyron spicatum and forbs such as Eriogonum umbel latum. Aster sibiricus , Cirsium tweedyi and Trif olium haydenii . These associations have not been described for Montana. They seem to occur on recently stabilized talus and could be considered a very early serai stage of the Abies lasiocarpa/Vaccinium scoparium habitat type. Festuca idahoensis probably occurs in at least some stands; however, only one stand of this minor type was sampled. Plant Species of Concern Sixteen species of vascular plants listed as species of special concern by the Montana Natural Heritage Program are known to occur on the Line Creek Plateau. Five species, Agoseris lackschewitzii , Kobresia macrocarpa , Salix barrattiana, Selaginella watsonii and Thlaspi parvif lorum, are listed as sensitive by Region One of the U.S. Forest Service. These five species as well as Castilleja longispica , Draba porsildii, Senecio amplectens and Stellaria crassifolia are considered sensitive in Montana (Lesica and Shelly 1991) . In addition to these eight species, Eriophorum callitrix was discovered for the first time in Montana on the Line Creek Plateau in 1991, and Haplopappus carthamoides var. subsquarrosus . previously known only from Park Co. , Wyoming, was discovered in the east foothills of the Beartooth Range in Montana in 1993. Seven other species, Erigeron f label lifolius , Gent iana prostrata, Gentianella tenella, Juncus triglumis var. triglumis , Koenigia islandica , Phippsia algida and Senecio fuscatus, have a limited distribution in Montana (Lesica and Shelly 1991) . These species are common or locally common in the Beartooth Mountains but are rare or absent in the rest of the state. They are arctic species disjunct in the Beartooth Mountains. Erigeron f labellif olius and Haplopappus carthamoides var. subsguarrosus are endemic to the mountains of south-central Montana and adjacent Wyoming. The latter species is a candidate for listing as a threatened or endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USDI-FWS 1993). Many areas of the Beartooth Mountains have been explored botanically ; nonetheless, K^ macrocarpa , S. barrattiana , Senecio amplectens and Eriophorum callitrix have been found only on the Line Creek Plateau or the adjacent Hellroaring Plateau. The earlier snow- release occurring on the Line Creek Plateau may provide conditions more amenable to species that evolved in low-elevation arctic environments such as Kobresia macrocarpa and Eriophorum callitrix. These observations suggest ways in which this easternmost and warmest plateau may be biologically unique. AGOSERIS LACKSCHEWITZII Hend.S Mos. (Pink agoseris) [G3/S2S3] Geographic Range: Western Montana, adjacent Wyoming and east- central Idaho. Habitat: Moist to wet meadows in the upper montane to subalpine zones. Occurrence: This newly-described species can be found in many of the Montana mountain ranges east of the Continental Divide. In the Beartooth Mountains it is currently known only from a single moderate-size population on the Line Creek Plateau. CASTILLEJA LONGISPICA Nels . (White paintbrush) [G4/S1] Geographic Range: California and Nevada across eastern Oregon and central Idaho to western Montana and Wyoming. Habitat: Grasslands, meadows and sagebrush steppe in the valleys and montane zones. Occurrence: In Montana this species is known from the Sapphire, Pryor and Beartooth ranges. In the Beartooth area, the species is currently known from a single moderate-size population on the east side of the Line Creek Plateau. DRABA PORSILDII Mulligan (Porsild's draba) [G3/S1] Geographic Range: Alaska south to British Columbia and Alberta and disjunct in southern Montana and Wyoming. Habitat: Stony or gravelly soil among sparse vegetation, often on steep, cool slopes near or above timberline Occurrence: In the Continental U.S. this species is known only from the Beartooth and Wind River ranges. Montana populations are small. Two of three known locations in Montana are on the Line Creek Plateau. ERIGERON FLABELLIFOLIUS Rydb. (Fan-leaved daisy) [G3G4/S3] Geographic Range: Southwest Montana and northwest Wyoming Habitat: Barren gravelly soil or talus slopes near or above timberline. Occurrence: In Montana this species occurs in the Beartooth, Absaroka and Crazy mountain ranges. One population is known from the north slope of the Line Creek Plateau. Much available habitat occurs in relatively inaccessible areas of the Beartooth Range, and the plant may be more common than is currently known. ERIOPHORUM CALLITRIX Cham. (Beautiful cottongrass) [G5/S1] 10 Geographic Range: Circumpolar , south in western North America to British Columbia and Alberta, disjunct in Beartooth and Wind River ranges of Montana and Wyoming. Habitat: Wet boggy soil of seeps and stream terraces above timberline. Occurrence: This species was known from the Beartooth Mountains of Wyoming, but was not collected in Montana until 1991. As of 1993, there are four known sites for the plant in Montana, three in the Line Creek Plateau study area and one on the Hellroaring Plateau. Populations are very small and local, and the wetland habitat is fragile and easily disturbed. GENTIANA PROSTRATA Haenke (Moss gentian) [G5/S1] Geographic Range: Circumboreal , south in western North America to California and Colorado; South America. Habitat: Moist tundra and gravelly soil in the alpine zone. Occurrence: This inconspicuous plant is locally common in Glacier National Park, the Anaconda Mountains and the Beartooth Mountains. It has been observed in at least six places in seep areas and wet tundra on the Line Creek Plateau and probably occurs in many others. GENTIANELLA TENELLA Rottb. Borner (Slender gentian) [G4/S2] Geographic Range: Circumboreal, south in western North America to California, Arizona and New Mexico. Habitat: Moist tundra and wet organic soils above timberline. Occurrence: This species occurs in the Beartooth, Absaroka, and Gravelly ranges. It is locally common in the Beartooth Mountains, but its habitat is fragile and easily disturbed. It is a small, short-lived species that is easily overlooked. HAPLOPAPPDS CARTHAMOIDES (Hook.) Gray var. SDBSQDARROSDS (Greene) Dorn (Columbia goldenweed) [G5T2/S1] Geographic Range: The range of the species as a whole is eastern Oregon and Washington east to central Montana and western Wyoming and south to Nevada and California. The variety is known only from Park Co., Wyoming and adjacent Carbon Co., Montana. Habitat: Sagebrush steppe in the lower montane zone. Occurrence: This variety is not recognized by A. Cronguist, but has a disjunct range and is quite morphologically distinct from other Montana collections of this species. In Montana it is currently known from only one large population in the foothills on the east side of the Line Creek Plateau. JUNCOS TRIGLUMIS L. var.TRIGLUMIS (Three-flowered rush) [G5T5/SU] Geographic Range: Circumpolar, south in western North America to Wyoming and Colorado. Habitat: Wet, open, gravelly soil around seeps and streams and organic soil of boggy areas above timberline. Occurrence: In Montana, this species is found only in the Beartooth Mountains, where it is locally common. There are two small populations on the Line Creek Plateau. Its habitat is fragile and easily disturbed. KOBRESIA MACROCARPA Clokey (Large-f ruited kobresia) [G5/S1] Geographic Range: Circumpolar, south in western North America and disjunct in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana and Wyoming and in Colorado. Habitat: Wet, boggy soil of seeps and stream terraces, often on hummocks . Occurrence: In the Northern Rocky Mountains this species is known only from on or near the Line Creek Plateau in the Beartooth Mountains. Two small populations are currently known. The habitat of this species is fragile and easily disturbed. KOENIGIA ISLANDICA L. (Koenigia) [G4/S2] Geographic Range: Circumboreal , south in western North America to disjunct locations in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. Habitat: Saturated gravelly soil of seeps and other wet areas. Occurrence: In the Northern Rocky Mountains this species is known only from the Beartooth and Wind River ranges. It is locally common throughout the Beartooth Mountains; however, there is only one location for it on the Line Creek Plateau. The habitat of this species is fragile and easily disturbed. PHIPPSIA ALGIDA (Phipps) R. Br. (Ice grass) [G5/S2] Geographic Range: Circumpolar; disjunct in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana and Wyoming and in Colorado. Habitat: Wet gravel of seep areas above timberline Occurrence: Although this arctic species is widely disjunct, it is locally common throughout the Beartooth Mountains. There is one known location on the Line Creek Plateau. The habitat of this species is fragile and easily disturbed. SALIX BARRATTIANA Hook. (Barratt's willow) [G5/S1] Geographic Range: Alaska and Yukon and Northwest Territories south to British Columbia and Alberta and Glacier National Park, Montana and disjunct in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana and Wyoming. Habitat: Cold, moist soil near or above timberline. Occurrence: This species is known from only two locations in Montana. The one site on the Line Creek Plateau is the only known location in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana. It consists of one male clone ca . 100 m2 on the Wyoming border. The habitat of this species is fragile and easily disturbed. SELAGINELLA WATSONII Dnderw. (Watson's selaginella) [G4G5/S2] Geographic Range: Northeastern Oregon and south-central Montana south to Utah, Nevada and California. Habitat: Rock crevices and rocky tundra above timberline (Montana) . Occurrence: This species is common in tundra habitats in the East Pioneer Range of Beaverhead County. It also occurs in the Tobacco Root Range. The only sites in the Beartooth Mtns . are from the west end of the Line Creek Plateau; however, it likely occurs in other areas as well. SENECIO AMPLECTENS Gray var. HOLMII (Greene) Harr. (Clasping groundsel) [G4T7/S1] Geographic Range: Beartooth Mountains of Montana, south to Nevada and New Mexico. Habitat: Talus slopes of the alpine and subalpine zones. Occurrence: The only known location for this species in Montana is on slopes of the Line Creek Plateau. The population is on a steep slope, so the extent and number of plants are not known. Additional populations may occur on nearby inaccessible slopes. STELLARIA CRASSIFOLIA Ehrh. (Thick-leaved chickweed) [G4/S1] Geographic Range: Circumboreal , south in western North America to Montana, Idaho and Colorado. Habitat: Moist or wet meadows and tundra in the montane to alpine zone. Occurrence: This plant has been collected once in the Centennial Valley of Beaverhead County and once on the Line Creek Plateau in the Beartooth Mtns. It is very similar to the widespread S. longipes. The collection made by botanists working for Bitterroot Native Growers in 1991 were in fruiting condition and could not be identified positively. All Stellarias I found on the Line Creek Plateau during 1993 surveys appeared to be S_=_ longipes. Conseguently , the distribution of this species on the Line Creek Plateau is not known. THLASPI PARVIFLORUM A. Nels. (Small-flowered pennycress) [G3/S2] Geographic Range: Central Idaho, northwest Wyoming and southwest Montana. Habitat: Moist to dry meadows and limestone cliffs in the montane to alpine zones. Occurrence: Known populations of this species are generally small; the plant occurs sporadically in small colonies throughout large areas of apparently appropriate habitat. At least six colonies are known from the Line Creek Plateau. Physical and Climatic Conditions Geology The Beartooth Mountains are a large uplifted fault block of precambrian crystalline rock, trending from southeast to northwest. Most of the rocks are gneisses; however, small amounts of other types of metamorphosed granitics also occur (Alt and Hyndman 1986) . The Line Creek Plateau is the easternmost 13 alpine area of the range. It is separated from the Hellroaring Plateau on the west and north by the deep valley of Rock Creek. The Line Creek Plateau falls off sharply on the east side into the valley of the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone River. The east face is formed of the same metamorphic basement rock and a steep ridge of vertically tilted Paleozoic Madison limestone (Alt and Hyndman 1986) . The limestone weathers to form calcareous soils very different from the coarse-textured soil derived from the predominant crystalline parent material. The highest portion of the Line Creek Plateau occurs in Wyoming, south of the study area and is bounded by the canyon of Littlerock Creek. The surface of the Line Creek Plateau is gently arched but relatively level. Massive faulting and glacial action has created very steep sides that fall precipitously 2,000-3,000 ft to the Rock Creek Valley on the north and more gentle foothills on the east. Elevations range from 10,427 ft at the west end of the study area adjacent to the wilderness to ca . 5,700 ft at the southeast corner of the study area. Permafrost, permanently frozen soil, has been reported from the Beartooth Mountains of Montana and Wyoming (Johnson and Billings 1962, Alt and Hyndman 1986). This typically arctic feature results in permanently saturated soils that have a tendency to slump. It seems unlikely that there is any permafrost on the Line Creek Plateau at this time, but it may have played a roll in forming the level plateau landscape that exists today (Alt and Hyndman 1986) . Solifluction terraces, slowly moving wet slumping soil, can be found on the Line Creek Plateau, usually on steeper north slopes. Frost boils, stone nets and stone stripes are also common in the Beartooth Mountains. These features are caused by the action of frost heaving and do occur on the Line Creek Plateau; however, they are more common in the wetter and higher areas of the range. Johnson and Billings (1962) provide a thorough description of these soil features from near the Line Creek Plateau. Soils Soil surveys have not been conducted in the study area. Throughout most of the area soils are derived from hard coarse- grained metamorphic rocks. Typical soils of various landforms in the Beartooth Mountains have been described by Veseth and Montagne (1980) : Loamy skeletal, mixed Dystric Cryochrepts develop in coarse residium on moderately sloping to steep, glacially scoured ridges at elevations above 8,000 ft. Soils are well-drained with 20-30% boulders and 25-35% gravel and cobbles. Soils have base saturations of less than 60% and generally support the Abies lasiocarpa/Vaccinium scoparium habitat type. Sandy skeletal, mixed Typic Cryochrept formed in coarse glacial till on steep valley and mountain slopes. This is a deep well- drained soil containing 20-35% boulders and 25-35% gravel and cobbles. Base saturation is greater than 60%. These soils also generally support the Abies lasiocarpa/Vaccinium scoparium habitat type. Sandy skeletal, mixed Typic Cryorthent developed in coarse glacial till and colluvium on steep slopes at elevations of 9,000-10,500 ft. The soil is deep and well-drained and supports the Abies lasiocarpa/Vaccinium scoparium or Pinus albicaulis habitat types. Loamy skeletal, mixed Typic Cryumbrept formed in coarse residuum or glacial till on frost-churned, glacially-scoured plateaus and ridge tops at 8,500 -11,000 ft. It is a well-drained soil with coarse fragment content ranging from 10-15% gravels in the A horizon to greater than 60% in the C horizon. The soil supports mainly high elevation grassland and alpine tundra vegetation. Along the east slope of the Line Creek Plateau is a long, narrow ridge of Madison Limestone. Veseth and Montagne (1980) describe typical soils formed from Madison Limestone from the Big Snowy Mountains north of the study area: Moderately deep soils form from colluvium and residuum on moderate to very steep slopes at 5,000-8,000 ft. Soils are well- drained. B and C horizons contain 25-35% clay and greater than 40% silt in the fine fraction. Typical vegetation is dominated by Pseudotsuqa menziesii, Juniperus scopulorum and JL_ communis. Alpine soils for the Beartooth Mountains were described by Nimlos and McConnel (1962, 1965). The Ptarmigan Series underlies most of the turf and grassland communities. Soils are well- drained and medium to strongly acidic loams or sandy loams without marked clay increase in the B horizon. The Vasquez (Beartooth) Series occurs along stream terraces and on solifluction lobes. Soils are poorly drained and acidic with a peaty organic horizon. Lower horizons display iron oxides and gley indicating prevailing anoxic conditions. Textures are loam and clay loam. Associated vegetation is willow and Deschampsia cespitosa/Caltha leptosepala community types. Lesica and Antibus (1986) report pH, percent organic matter, textural classes and available nutrients for soil supporting cushion plant communities in the Beartooth Mountains. Johnson and Billings (1962) provide general morphological descriptions of alpine turf, meadow and bog soils as well as a lengthy discussion of cryopedogenic patterns and processes. Bamberg (1961) also provides descriptions of representative soil profiles from the Beartooth Mountains. 15 Hydrology Much of the annual precipitation falling on the Line Creek Plateau occurs as snow. Snow tends to be blown free of windward slopes and deposited on the lee side of ridges. The resultant differential snowpack is important in structuring the mosaic of plant communities in the alpine zone. Seep areas tend to form in shoulder positions below snow deposition areas at the very heads of drainages before they fall from the plateau into the canyons dissecting it. These seep areas harbor some of the rare plants found on the plateau. There are two alpine lakes in the study area at the west end of the Line Creek Plateau. Line Lake occurs in a cirque at the head of the North Fork of Line Creek, and an unnamed lake (mainly in Wyoming) occurs in a cirque at the head of Wyoming Creek. There are no permanently flowing streams above 9,600 ft. Most water from the alpine zone flows through boulder fields underlying the soil and beneath talus slopes to reappear in the major streams formed in the canyons that dissect the margins of the plateau. Wyoming Creek on the west margin of the Line Creek Plateau and Rock Creek are glacially carved valleys. Other streams fall off steeply to the montane zone and the margins of the study area. There are small calcareous seep areas along the base of the limestone scarp face near North Line Creek. Climate There are no permanent weather stations on the Line Creek Plateau or above timberline in the Beartooth Mountains. During the growing seasons of 1958 and 1959, mean temperature near the west edge of the Line Creek Plateau was ca . 47° F with the lowest temperature of 24° F and the highest temperature of 68° F (Johnson and Billings 1962). Average weekly precipitation was 0.3 in. Prevailing winds are from the west. While the main portion of the range receives ca. 70 in annual precipitation (USDA-SCS 1981) . However, the Line Creek Plateau receives an average of 40 in because it is in the rain shadow of the main massif. Consequently the Line Creek Plateau is drier and warmer with earlier snow-release than other plateaus in the range. Red Lodge, the weather recording station closest to the Line Creek Plateau is at 5,575 ft and ca. 13 miles northeast of the study area. From 1950 to 1980, mean July and January temperature was 64.9° and 21.8°, and mean annual precipitation was 25.0 in. Wettest months were April, May and June (NOAA 1982). 16 Table 1. C] Limatic summary for Red Lodge wea- Month Mean Temp. Mean Precip TO (in) January 21.8 1. 48 February 26.8 1.15 March 29.8 2.53 April 39.2 3 .83 May 49.2 3.51 June 57.2 2.93 July 64.9 1.31 August 63.3 1.53 September 53.9 2.23 October 45.2 1.65 November 32.0 1.69 December 26.3 1.18 Management Considerations The study area is generally in pristine condition. There are roads only on the periphery, and these are closed or little used with two exceptions. The Beartooth Highway on the north and west periphery is a major thoroughfare between eastern Montana and Yellowstone National Park and is touted as one of the most beautiful highways in America. The Robinson Draw Road along the southeast periphery is used by hunters, recreationists and ranchers with some regularity. The presence of these roads and their associated traffic and maintenance activities have little impact on the main portion of the study area. There was a road from the Beartooth Highway to the Line Creek Plateau along the Wyoming border. This road is still apparent in some places, but mainly in Wyoming. The road on the plateau is no longer visible in most places. There are a number of trails in the study area that provide access. These appear to be little used except perhaps during hunting season. There is a hunting camp at the head of corral creek just at the ecotone between forest and tundra. This area has been impacted by trampling and livestock grazing. I observed evidence of a number of mountain bikes on the main trail from the Beartooth Highway to the plateau. Damage to the trail was apparent in places where the trail crossed streams or seep areas. Limited use of the area by mountain bikes probably poses little threat to the biological values, but heavy use could cause degradation of the vegetation and erosion. Line Lake in the southwest corner of the area attracts a small number of people to the fishery. There is some use of the plateau by snowmobiles during winter and early spring months. There has been some small-scale mining and associated timber harvest activity at the head of Grove and Gold creeks on the eastern periphery of the study area. There is also a small amount of private land with a couple of old cabins. The Maurice Creek-Sheridan Creek area on the north flank of the plateau was logged for mine timbers many years ago. The Line Creek Plateau 17 is thought to be underlain by oil and natural gas deposits, but no drilling has occurred. There is an old road and gravel pit near Hwy 212 in the northwest corner of the area, and there is an old jade mine somewhere in the area. The timber harvest and roads have caused minimal degradation of the vegetation, and most evidence has healed over to a large extent. There is an old ditch diverted from North Line Creek and at least one building at a spring near the head of North Line Creek. It is likely that there has been livestock grazing in the southeast portion of the study area along Mill and Robinson draws in the past. However, it does not appear that this area has been grazed in the recent past. There appears to be some degradation of grassland communities along lower treeline especially in the area of North Line Creek. Livestock are currently grazed along Rock Creek in the northeast corner of the area. There are relatively few exotics present in the study area, and few of these species are considered a problem. Phleum pratense is locally common in some areas in the North Line Creek drainage. Cirsium arvense is common along the irrigation ditch diverting North Line Creek. Small colonies of Centaurea maculosa and Carduus nutans occur in the burned area along upper Robinson Draw, and Phleum pratense and Bromus inermis are common in the creek bottom. At this time, infestations of pernicious exotics are still small enough to be contained or eliminated. Mapping along roads and other areas of disturbance, especially in the low-elevation burn areas, should be completed followed by control measures. Nearly all of the forest communities in the study area experienced frequent fires before commencement of fire suppression. Low intensity, stand-thinning fires were common in the Psemen/Phymal, Psemen/ Juncom and Abilas/Arncor habitat types (Fischer and Clayton 1983) . Absence of fire has lead to overstocked stands and increased hazard of stand-replacing fire in some areas. The absence of fire in the Abilas/Vacsco habitat type during the recent past has probably not yet had a major impact as mean stand-replacing fire interval is ca. 50-100 years (Fischer and Clayton 1983), and growth is slow enough that Pinus contorta still dominates many stands. Much of the area on the eastern periphery of the study area is Pinus f lexilis woodland with increasing numbers of Pseudotsuqa menziesii in the higher stands. These shrubland-f orest ecotone areas likely had high fire frequencies (Arno and Gruell 1983), and trees and shrubs were probably much less common. Studies on the role of fire in the east portion of the study area are currently under way (K. Reid, pers. comm.). Literature Cited Achuff, P. L. and I. G. W. Corns. 1982. Vegetation. In W. D. Holland and G. M. Coen (eds.), Ecological (biophysical) land classification of Banff and Jasper National Parks Vol. 1. Alberta Institute of Pedology Publication No. SS-82-44. Alt, D. and D. W. Hyndman. 1986 Mountain Press, Missoula, MT. Roadside geology of Montana. Arno, S. F. and G. E. Gruell. 1983. Fire history at the forest- grassland ecotone in southwestern Montana. Journal of Range Management 36: 332-336. Bamberg, S. A. 1961. Plant ecology of alpine tundra areas in Montana and adjacent Wyoming. M.A. Thesis, University of Colorado, Boulder. Bamberg, S.A. and J. Major. 1968. Ecology of the vegetation and soils associated with calcareous parent materials in three alpine regions of Montana. Ecological Monographs 38:127-167. Caicco, S. L. 1983. south-central Idaho. 99 pp. Alpine vegetation of the Copper Basin area M.S. thesis, University of Idaho, Moscow. Cooper, S. V. and P. Lesica. 1992. Plant community classification for alpine vegetation on Beaverhead National Fores, Montana. Unpublished report to Beaverhead National Forest, Dillon, Montana. DeVelice, R. L. and P. Lesica. 1993. Plant community classification for vegetation on BLM lands, Pryor Mountains, Carbon County, Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 78 pp. Dorn, R. D. 1984. Vascular plants of Montana. Mountain West Publishing, Cheyenne, WY . Fischer, W. C. and B. D. Clayton. 1983. Fire ecology of Montana forest habitat types east of the Continental Divide. USDA Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station General Technical Report INT-141, Ogden, UT. Hansen, P., K. Boggs, R. Pfister and J. Joy. 1991. Classification and management of riparian and wetland sites in Montana. University of Montana School of Forestry, Missoula, MT. Hunter, M. L. , G. E. Jacobson and T. Webb. 1988. Paleoecology and the coarse-filter approach to maintaining biological diversity. Conservation Biology 2: 375-385. 19 Johnson, P. L. 1962. The occurrence of new arctic-alpine species in the Beartooth Mountains, Wyoming-Montana. Madrono 16: 229-233. Johnson, P. L. and W. D. Billings. 1962. The alpine vegetation of the Beartooth Plateau in relation to cryopedogenic processes and patterns. Ecological Monographs 32: 105-135. Komarkova, V. and P. J. Webber. 1978. An alpine vegetation map of Niwot Ridge, Colorado. Arctic and Alpine Research 10: 1-29. Kratz, A. 1988. Preliminary descriptions of Great Basin-type vegetation occurring in Carbon County, Montana, U.S.A. Proceedings of the Montana Academy of Sciences 48: 47-55. Lesica, P. 1988. Montana preserve design package: Meeteetse Spires. Unpublished manuscript to The Nature Conservancy, Helena, MT. Lesica, P. 1991. The importance of the Line Creek Plateau for protecting biological diversity in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Report prepared for The Nature Conservancy, Helena, MT. Lesica, P. and P. L. Achuff. 1992. Distribution of vascular plant species of special concern and limited distribution in the Pryor Mountain Desert, Carbon County, Montana. Unpublished report to USDI Bureau of Land Management, Montana State Office, Billings, MT. Lesica, P., P. Achuff and R. L. DeVelice. 1992. Mapping the distribution of rare plants and plant communities for reserve design in the Pryor Mountain Desert, Montana. Northwest Environmental Journal 8: 180-181. Lesica, P and R. K. Antibus. 1986. Mycorrhizae of alpine fellfield communities on soils derived from crystalline and calcareous parent materials. Canadian Journal of Botany 64: 1691-1697. Lesica, P. G. Moore, K. M. Peterson and J. H. Rumely. 1984. Vascular plants of limited distribution in Montana. Monograph No. 2, Supplement to the Proceedings of the Montana Academy of Sciences Vol. 43. Lesica, P. and J. S. Shelly. 1991. Sensitive, threatened and endangered vascular plants of Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program Occasional Publication No. 1, Helena, MT. Lewis, M. E. 1970. Alpine rangelands of the Uinta Mountains, Ashley and Wasatch national forests. USDA Forest Service, Ogden Utah. 20 May, D. E. and P. J. Webber. 1982. Spatial and temporal variation of the vegetation and its productivity, Niwot Ridge, Colorado. In J. C. Halfpenny (ed.), Ecological studies in the Colorado alpine. University of Colorado Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research Occasional Paper 37. Moseley, R. K. 1985. Synecological relationships of alpine spike-fescue grasslands in east-central Idaho. M.S. thesis, University of Idaho, Moscow. Mueggler, W. F. and W. L. Stewart. 1980. Grassland and shrubland habitat types of western Montana. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report INT-66, Ogden, Utah. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. 1982. Monthly normals of temperature, precipitation and heating and cooling degree days. Montana, 1951-1980. National Climate Center, Ashville, North Carolina. Nimlos, T. J. and R. C. McConnell. 1962. The morphology of alpine soils in Montana. Northwest Science 8: 99-112. Nimlos, T. J. and R. C. McConnell. 1965. Alpine soils in Montana. Soil Science 99: 310-321. Pfister, R. D., B. L. Kovalchik, S. F. Arno and R. C. Presby. 1978. Forest habitat types of Montana. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report INT-34, Ogden, Utah. Potkin, M. and L. Munn. 1987. Subalpine and alpine plant communities in the Bridger Wilderness, Wind River Range, Wyoming. Unpublished report to the Bridger-Teton National Forest, University of Wyoming Department of Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences, Laramie. USDA Soil Conservation Service. 1981. Average annual precipitation, Montana. USDA-SCS, Bozeman, MT. USDI-Fish and Wildlife Service. 1993. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; review of plant taxa for listing as endangered or threatened species; notice of review. Federal Register 58: 51144-51190. Veseth, R. and C. Montagne. 1980. Geologic parent materials of Montana soils. Montana Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 721, Bozeman, MT. Willard, B. E. 1979. Plant sociology of the alpine tundra, Trail Ridge, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Colorado School of Mines Quarterly 74: 1-119. 21 Appendix A. Vascular plant species observed in the Line Creek Plateau study area in 1991 and 1993. Species occur in one or more of three elevation/vegetation zones: alpine (Al), coniferous forests (CF) and woodland- shrubland-grassland (WSG). An asterisk (*) indicates an introduced species. Abie Betu Juni Pice Pinu Pinu Pinu Popu Popu Pseu Trees s lasiocarpa la occidentalis perus scopulorum a englemannii s albicaulis s contorta s flexilis lus tremuloides lus trichocarpa dotsuga menziesii Subalpine fir Water birch Rocky Mtn. juniper Englemann spruce Whitebark pine Lodgepole pine Limber pine Quaking aspen Black cottonwood Douglas fir Al WSG Shrubs Acer glabrum Alnus incana Alnus sinuata Amelanchier alnifolia Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Artemisia frigida Artemisia nova Artemisia tridentata Berberis repens Betula glandulosa Ceanothus velutinus Chrysothamnus nauseosus Chrysothamnus viscidif lorus Clematis columbiana Dryas octopetala Juniperus communis Juniperus horizontalis Kalmia microphylla Ledum glandulosum Menziesia ferruginea Penstemon fruticosa Phyllodoce empetrif ormis Phyllodoce glandulif lora Physocarpus malvaceus Potentilla fruticosa Prunus virginiana Ribes cereum Ribes lacustre Ribes montigenum Ribes setosum Rosa acicularis Rosa woodsii Rubus idaeus Rubus parviflorus Salix arctica Salix barratiana Salix bebbiana Salix commutata Salix exigua Salix glauca Salix lutea Salix nivalis Rocky Mtn. maple Thinleaf alder Sitka alder Western serviceberry Kinnikinnick X Fringed sagewort X Black sagebrush Big sagebrush Creeping oregongrape Bog birch Mountain balm Rubber rabbitbrush Green rabbitbrush Columbia clematis White dryas X Common juniper X Creeping juniper Small-leaved laurel X Bog Labrodor tea Fool's huckleberry Shrubby penstemon Red mountain-heather X Yellow mountain-heather X Mallow ninebark Shrubby cinquefoil X Chokecherry Wax currant Swamp currant X Mountain gooseberry Bristly gooseberry Prickly rose Wood's rose Red raspberry Thimbleberry Arctic willow X Barratt ' s willow X Bebb willow Undergreen willow X Sandbar willow Greenleaf willow X Yellow willow Snow willow X Salix planifolia Salix pseudomonticola Salix scouleriana Salix wolfii Shepherdia canadensis Spiraea betulifolia Symphoricarpos albus Symphoricarpos oreophilus Vaccinium scoparium Graminoids Agropyron cristatum* Agropyron dasystachyum Agropyron scribneri Agropyron smithii Agropyron spicatum Agrostis humilis Agrostis scabra Agrostis stolonifera* Bromus ciliatus Bromus inermis* Bromus pumpellianus Bromus tectorum* Calamagrostis canadensis Calamagrostis purpurascens Calamagrostis rubescens Carex albonigra Carex atrata Carex aurea Carex canescens Carex capillaris Carex capitata Carex deweyana Carex douglasii Carex elynoides Carex filifolia Carex haydeniana Carex hoodii Carex illota Carex macloviana Carex microptera Carex misandra Carex nebrascensis Carex nigricans Carex norvegica Carex nova Carex obtusata Carex pachystachya Carex paysonis Carex petasata Carex phaeocephala Carex pyrenaica Carex rossii Carex rostrata Carex rupestris Carex scirpoidea Carex scopulorum Danthonia intermedia Danthonia unispicata Deschampsia cespitosa Planeleaf willow Mountain willow Scouler willow Wolf's willow Canada buffaloberry Shiny-leaf spiraea Common snowberry Mountain snowberry Grouse whortleberry Crested wheatgrass Thick-spiked wheatgrass Spreading wheatgrass Western wheatgrass Bluebunch wheatgrass Alpine bentgrass Rough bentgrass Redtop Fringed brome Smooth brome Pumpelly brome Cheatgrass brome Bluejoint reedgrass Purple reedgrass Pinegrass Black Si white scaled sedge Blackened sedge Golden sedge Pale sedge Hairlike sedge Capitate sedge Dewey's sedge Douglas' sedge Blackroot sedge Thread-leaved sedge Cloud sedge Hood's sedge Sheep sedge Thickheaded sedge Small-winged sedge Few- flowered sedge Nebraska sedge Black alpine sedge Scandanavian sedge New sedge Obtuse sedge Chamisso sedge Payson sedge Liddon's sedge Dunhead sedge Pyrenaean sedge Ross sedge Beaked sedge Curly sedge Northern single-spike sedge Holm's Rocky Mtn. sedge Timber danthonia Onespike danthonia Tufted hairgrass Eleocharis pauciflora Elymus cinereus Elymus glaucus Eriophorum callitrix Festuca baffinensis Festuca idahoensis Festuca occidentalis Festuca ovina Festuca pratensis* Helictotrichon hookeri Hesperocloa kingii Juncus balticus Juncus biglumis Juncus castaneous Juncus drummondii Juncus ensifolius Juncus longistylis Juncus mertensianus Juncus parryi Juncus triglumis Kobresia bellardii Kobresia macrocarpa Koeleria cristata Luzula hitchcockii Luzula parviflora Luzula spicata Oryzopsis hymenoides Phippsia algida Phleum alpinum Phleum pratense* Poa alpina Poa annua* Poa compressa* Poa cusickii Poa interior Poa leptocoma Poa nervosa Poa pratensis* Poa reflexa Poa rupicola Poa sandbergii Sitanion hystrix Stipa comata Stipa occidentalis Trisetum spicatum Forbs Achillea millefolium Actaea rubra Agoseris aurantiaca Agoseris glauca Agoseris lackschewitzii Allium cernuum Alyssum alyssoides* Anaphalis margaritacea Androsace septentrionalis Anemone cylindrica Anemone multifida Anemone patens Angelica arguta Few-flowered spikesedge odsin wiiarye Al CF X WSG Blue wildrye X Cottonsedge X Baffin fescue X Idaho fescue X x X Western fescue X Sheep fescue X Meadow fescue x Spike oat X Spike-fescue X X Baltic rush X Two-flowered rush X Chestnut rush X Drummond's rush X Swordleaf rush X Longstyle rush X Merten's rush X Parry's rush X Three-flowered rush X Bellard's alpinesedge X Large-fruited kobresia X Prairie junegrass X X Smooth woodrush X Small-flowered woodrush X Spike woodrush X X Indian ricegrass X Ice grass X Alpine timothy X X Common timothy X X Alpine bluegrass X X Annual bluegrass X Canada bluegrass X Cusick's bluegrass X X Inland bluegrass X Bog bluegrass X Wheeler's bluegrass X Kentucky bluegrass X Nodding bluegrass X Thimble bluegrass X Sandberg's bluegrass X Bottlebrush squirreltail X Needle-and- thread X Western needlegrass X Spike trisetum X X Common yarrow Baneberry Orange agoseris Pale agoseris Pink agoseris Nodding onion Pale alyssum Common pearly-everlasting Northern fairy-candelabra Candle anemone Cliff anemone Pasqueflower Sharptooth angelica Antennaria alpina Antennaria aromatica Antennaria lanata Antennaria microphylla Antennaria parvifolia Antennaria racemosa Antennaria umbrinella Aquilegia flavescens Arabis drummondii Arabia holboellii Arabis lyallii Arabis nuttallii Arenaria capillaris Arenaria congesta Arenaria hookeri Arenaria lateriflora Arenaria nuttallii Arenaria obtusiloba Arenaria rossii Arenaria rubella Arnica cordifolia Arnica fulgens Arnica latifolia Arnica longifolia Arnica mollis Arnica rydbergii Artemisia campestris Artemisia ludoviciana Artemisia michauxiana Artemisia scopulorum Aster alpigenus Aster conspicuus Aster eatonii Aster foliaceus Aster occidentalis Aster sibiricus Astragalus aboriginum Astragalus adsurgens Astragalus agrestis Astragalus alpinus Astragalus drummondii Astragalus gilviflorus Astragalus kentrophyta Astragalus miser Astragalus robbinsii Astragalus vexiliflexus Balsamorhiza incana Balsamorhiza sagittata Besseya wyomingensis Bupleurum americanum Calochortus gunnisonii Calochortus nuttallii Caltha leptosepala Campanula rotundifolia Campanula uniflora Carduus nutans* Castilleja angustifolia Castilleja hispida Castilleja 1 inear iif olia Castilleja longispica Alpine pussytoes Aromatic everlasting Woolly pussytoeB Rosy pussytoes Littleleaf pussytoes Raceme pussytoes Umber pussytoes Yellow columbine Drummond's rockcress Holboell's rockcress Lyall's rockcress Nuttall's rockcress Fescue sandwort Ballhead sandwort Hooker's sandwort Bluntleaf sandwort Nuttall's sandwort Arctic sandwort Ross's sandwort Reddish sandwort Heartleaf arnica Orange arnica Broadleaf arnica Longleaf arnica Hairy arnica Rydberg's arnica Pacific sagewort Prairie sagewort Michaux sagewort Rocky Mtn. sagewort Alpine aster Showy aster Eaton's aster Leafy aster Western aster Siberian aster Indian milkvetch Standing milkvetch Field milkvetch Alpine milkvetch Drummond's milkvetch Three-leaved milkvetch Thistle milkvetch Weedy milkvetch Robbin's milkvetch Bent-flowered milkvetch Hoary balaamroot Arrow-leaved balsamroot Wyoming kittentail American thorough-wax Gunnison's mariposa Sego lily Elkslip marshmarigold Lady' s-thimble Arctic bellflower Musk thistle Northwestern paintbrush Harsh paintbrush Narrow-leaved paintbrush White paintbrush WSG X X Castilleja miniata Castilleja nivea Castilleja pallescens Castilleja pulchella Scarlet paintbrush Snow paintbrush x Palish Indian-paintbrush x Showy Indian-paintbrush x Centaurea maculosa* Cerastium arvense Cerastium beeringianum Cerastium vulgatum* Chaenactis alpina Chaenactis douglasii Chamaerhodos erecta Chenopodium fremontii Chimaphila umbellata Chrysopsis villosa Cirsium arvense* Cirsium hookerianum Cirsium tweedyi Cirsium undulatum Cirsium vulgare* Claytonia lanceolata Claytonia megarhiza Collomia linearis Commandra umbellata Corallorhiza trifida Crepis accuminata Crepis occidentalis Cryptantha ambigua Cryptantha celosioides Cryptantha Bobolifera Cryptantha spiculifera Cymopterus hendersonii Cymopterus terebinthinus Delphinium occidentale Disporum trachycarpum Dodecatheon pulchellum Douglasia montana Draba aurea Draba crassifolia Draba incerta Draba lanceolata Draba lonchocarpa Draba oligosperma Draba porsildii Draba reptans Dracocephalum parviflorum Epilobium alpinum Epilobium angustif olium Epilobium glaberrimum Epilobium palustre Erigeron acris Erigeron caespitosus Erigeron compositus Erigeron divergens Erigeron f labellif olius Erigeron lonchophyllus Erigeron ochroleucus Erigeron peregrinus Erigeron radicatus Erigeron rydbergii Erigeron simplex Spotted knapweed Field chickweed Alpine chickweed Common chickweed Alpine chaenactis Douglas chaenactis Chamaerhodos Fremont's goosefoot Common prince ' s-pine Hairy goldenaster Canada thistle Hooker's thistle Tweedy 's thistle Wavyleaf thistle Bull thistle Lanceleaf springbeauty Alpine springbeauty Narrowleaf collomia Bastard toadflax Yellow coral-root Slender hawksbeard Western hawksbeard Obscure cryptantha Northern cryptantha Sprout cryptantha Pointed cryptantha Henderson's cymopterus Turpentine cymopterus Western larkspur Wartberry fairybell Few-flowered shooting star Rocky Mtn. douglasia Golden draba Hairy whitlow grass Yellowstone draba Lance-leaved draba Lancefruit draba Few-seeded draba Porsild's draba Carolina draba American dragonhead Alpine willow-herb Fireweed Smooth willow-herb Swamp willow-herb Bitter fleabane Tufted fleabane Cut-leaved daisy Spreading fleabane Fan-leaved daisy Spearleaf fleabane Buff fleabane Subalpine daisy Taprooted fleabane Rydberg ' s daisy One-flower fleabane WSG X X Erigeron ursinus Eriogonum flavum Eriogonum ovalifolium Eriogonum umbellatum Eritrichium nanum Erysimum asperum Euphorbia robusta Fragaria virginiana Frasera speciosa Fritillaria atropurpurea Gailardia aristata Galium boreale Galium triflorum Gaura coccinea Gentiana algida Gentianella amarella Gentianella tenella Geranium richardsonii Geranium viscosissimum Geum macrophyllum Geum rossii Geum triflorum Glycyrrhiza lepidota Grindelia squarrosa Habenaria dilatata Habenaria hyperborea Haplopappus carthamoides Hedysarum boreale Hedysarum sulphurescens Helianthella uniflora Heracleum lanatum Heuchera cylindrica Heuchera grossularif olia Hieracium albiflorum Hieracium gracile Hieracium umbellatum Hulsea algida Hymenopappus filifolius Hymenoxys acaulis Ipomopsis spicata Koenigia islandica Lactuca oblongifolia Lactuca serriola* Lesguerella alpina Lewisia pygmaea Ligusticum filicinum Linum lewisii Lithophragma bulbifera Lithospermum ruderale Lloydia serotina Lomatium cous Lomatium dissectum Lomatium triternatum Lupinus argenteus Lupinus sericeus Lychnis apetala Machaeranthera grindeloides Medicago lupulina* Medicago sativa* Melilotus officinalis* Bear River fleabane Yellow eriogonum Oval-leaved buckwheat Sulfur buckwheat Pale alpine forget-me-not Plains wallflower Robust spurge Virginia strawberry Giant frasera Checker lily Blanket flower Northern bedstraw Sweet-scented bedstraw Scarlet gaura Siberia gentian Northern gentian Slender gentian White geranium Sticky geranium Large-leaved avens Ross' avens Old man's whiskers American licorice Curlycup gumweed White bog-orchid Northern green bog-orchid Large-flowered goldenweed Northern hedysarum Sulphur hedysarum One-flower helianthella Cow parsnip Roundleaf alumroot Gooseberry-leaved alumroot White hawkweed Slender hawkweed Narrow-leaved hawkweed Alpine hulsea Columbia cutleaf Stemless hymenoxys Spicate gilia Koenigia Chicory lettuce Prickly lettuce Alpine bladderpod Least lewisia Fern-leaf lovage Blue flax Bulbiferous fringecup Wayside gromwell Alpine lily Cous biscuitroot Fern-leaved lomatium Narrowleaf lomatium Silvery lupine Silky lupine Apet campion Nuttall's goldenweed Black medic Alfalfa Yellow sweetclover WSG X X Mentha arvensis Hertensia alpina Mertensia ciliaata Mertensia oblongifolia Microseris nigrescens Mimulus guttatus Field mint Alpine bluebell Mountain bluebell Oblongleaf bluebell Black-hairy microseris Common monkey flower Mitella pentandra Monarda fistulosa Musineon divaricatum Myosotis sylvatica Oenothera caespitosa Oenothera strigosa Opuntia polyacantha Orobanche fasciculata Orobanche ludoviciana Orobanche uniflora Osmorhiza chilensis Osmorhiza depauperata Oxyria digyna Oxytropis besseyi Oxytropis campestris Oxytropis deflexa Parnassia fimbriata Parnassia kotzebuei Parnassia palustris Paronychia sessiliflora Pedicularis bracteosa Pedicularis contorta Pedicularis cystopteridif olia Pedicularis groenlandica Pedicularis oederi Pedicularis pulchella Penstemon eriantherus Penstemon nitidus Penstemon procerus Phacelia hastata Phacelia linearis Phlox hoodii Phlox pulvinata Plantago major* Polemonium viscosum Polygonum bistortoides Polygonum douglasii Polygonum viviparum Potentilla arguta Potentilla diversifolia Potentilla glandulosa Potentilla gracilis Potentilla hippiana Potentilla nivea Potentilla pensylvanica Prunella vulgaris Pterospora andromeda Pyrola asarifolia Pyrola chlorantha Pyrola secunda Pyrola uniflora Ranunculus eschscholtzii Ranunculus natans Ranunculus pygmaeus Five-stamened miterwort Horsemint Leafy musineon Alpine forget-me-not X Tufted evening-primrose Common evening-primrose Plains pricklypear Clustered broomrape Suksdorf's broomrape Naked broomrape Mountain sweet-root Bluntseed sweet-root Mountain sorrel X Bessey's locoweed Slender locoweed X Pendent-pod locoweed Fringed grass-of-Parnasus X Kotzebue's grass-of-Parnasus X Northern grass-of-Parnasus Stemless whitlow-wort Bracted lousewort Coiled-beak lousewort X Fern-leaved lousewort X Elephanthead X Oeder's lousewort X Pretty dwarf lousewort X Fuzzytongue penstemon Wax-leaf penstemon Littleflower penstemon X Silverleaf phacelia X Threadleaf phacelia Hood's phlox Cushion phlox X Common plantain Sticky polemonium X American bistort X Douglas' knotweed X Viviparous bistort X Tall cinquefoil Diverse-leaved cinquefoil X Sticky cinquefoil X Northwest cinquefoil Woolly cinquefoil Snow cinquefoil X Prairie cinquefoil X Self-heal Woodland pinedrops Pink wintergreen Green wintergreen One-sided wintergreen Woodnymph Eschscholtz ' s buttercup X Floating water buttercup X Dwarf buttercup X Ranunculus uncinatus Ratibida columnifera Rorippa curvipes Rumex acetosa Rumex paucifolius Sagina saginoides Saxifraga arguta Saxifraga bronchialis Saxifraga caespitosa Saxifraga cernua Saxifraga debilis Saxifraga flagillaris Saxifraga oppositif olia Saxifraga oregana Saxifraga rhomboidea Sedum integrifolium Sedum lanceolatum Sedum rhodanthum Senecio amplectans Senecio canus Senecio crassulus Senecio cymbalarioides Senecio fremontii Senecio fuscatus Senecio sphaerocephalus Senecio streptanthif olius Senecio triangularis Sibbaldia procumbens Silene acaulis Silene cucubalis* Silene parryi Sisymbrium altissimum* Sisyrinchium angustif olium Smelowskia calycina Smilacina racemosa Smilacina stellata Solidago canadensis Solidago missour iensis Solidago multiradiata Solidago spathulata Sphaeralcea coccinea Spraguea umbellata Stellaria calycantha Stellaria longipes Streptopus amplexifolius Swertia perennis Taraxacum ceratophorum Taraxacum lyratum Taraxacum officinale* Thalictrum occidentale Thelesperma subnudum Thlaspi arvense* Thlaspi parviflorum Townsendia hookeri Townsendia parryi Tragopogon dubius* Trifolium haydenii Trifolium hybridum* Trifolium nanum Trifolium parryi Little buttercup Prairie coneflower Obtuse fieldcress Garden sorrel Mountain sorrel Arctic pearlwort Brook saxifrage Spotted saxifrage Tufted saxifrage Nodding saxifrage Pygmy saxifrage Stoloniferous saxifrage Twinflowered saxifrage Oregon saxifrage Diamondleaf saxifrage King's crown Lance-leaved stonecrop Rosecrown stonecrop Showy alpine groundsel Woolly groundsel Thickleaf groundsel Cutleaf groundsel Fremont groundsel Twice-hairy butterweed Mountain-marsh butterweed Rocky Mtn. butterweed Arrowleaf groundsel Creeping sibbaldia Moss campion Bladder campion Parry's silene Tumblemustard Common blue-eyed grass Alpine smellowskia False spikenard Starry Solomon-plume Canada goldenrod Missouri goldenrod Northern goldenrod Coast goldenrod Red globe-mallow Mt. Hood pussypaws Northern starwort Longstalk starwort Clasping-leaved twisted-stalk Alpinebog swertia Rough dandelion Dwarf alpine dandelion Common dandelion Western meadowrue Greenthread Field pennycress Small-flowered pennycress Hooker's townsendia Parrry's townsendia Yellow salsify Hayden's clover Alsike clover Dwarf clover Parry's clover Trolius laxus Urtica dioica Valeriana dioica Valeriana sitchensis Verbascum thapsus* Verbena bracteata Veronica americana Veronica wormskjoldi: American globeflower Stinging nettle Northern valerian Sitka valerian Flannel mullein Bracted verbena American speedwell Wormskjold speedwell Vicia americana Viola adunca Viola canadensis Viola nephrophylla Zigadenus elegans Zigadenus venenosus American vetch Field violet Canada violet Northern bog violet Glaucus zigadenus Meadow death-camas WSG X Ferns and Allies Athyrium dissentif olium Cystopteris fragilis Equisetum arvense Equisetum variegatum Selaginella densa Woodsia scopulina Alpine ladyfern Brittle bladderfern Field horsetail Variegated horsetail Spikemoss selaginella Rocky Mtn. woodsia MONTANA STATE This "cover" page added by the Internet Archive for formatting purposes