A survey for plant species of conservation concern in Bismark Meadows, Bonner County, Idaho

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Bismark Meadows is an extensive graminoid meadow in the Idaho panhandle. Much of the wetland was at one time drained for agriculture, but remnants of the natural vegetation are characteristic of boreal peat-fen communities and contain plants of conservation concern in Idaho due to the limited occurrence of this habitat. Approximately 85% (1016 ac) of the open graminoid wetland is now in a conservation easement managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) under the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). The management objective was to restore a more natural hydrology to the wetland in order to enhance wildlife values. One step in the achievement of this goal was to plug the drainage ditches that traversed the wetland. Prior to doing so, the NRCS requested a vegetation inventory to obtain a baseline vegetation condition of the wetland and identify potential impacts to rare plant species, especially directed impacts along the ditches that would be manipulated. In 2003, eight species of conservation concern, tracked by the Idaho Natural Heritage Program (INHP), were found and mapped in various parts of the wetland. In 2012, under a similar agreement between IDNHP and the NRCS, we returned to Bismark Meadows to relocate the rare species. Seven of the eight target species were found in the project area, although not always in the precise 2003 locations. We attempted to relocate 43 specific subpopulations, and 26 were found within 50 m (160 ft) of a 2003 mapped location. Four of the target species were also found in locations not mapped in 2003. A large population of Petasites frigidus var. sagittatus (arrowleaf sweet coltsfoot) appears to have decreased in extent due to the spread of Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass). Hypericum majus (large St. Johnswort) may have suffered some habitat loss based on the level of water in some ditches where it had previously been mapped. Also, two or three small subpopulations of P. frigidus var. sagittatus may have been lost due to ditch plugging. However, it is our opinion that native plant habitat is decreasing primarily due to expansion of P. arundinacea in the meadow. We identified a core, rare plant conservation area encompassing communities with the richest native flora: Tsuga heterophylla/Lysichiton americanus (western hemlock/skunk cabbage), Calamagrostis canadensis/Spiraea douglasii (bluejoint reedgrass/Douglas spiraea), Carex lasiocarpa (slender sedge), and Carex utriculata (Northwest Territory sedge). We recommend that this area be protected from ground disturbing activities and herbicide application.

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Reference Code: U15LIC02IDUS <br>

Full Citation: Lichthardt, J. and K. M. Pekas. 2015. A survey for plant species of conservation concern in Bismark Meadows, Bonner County, Idaho. Idaho Natural Heritage Program, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise, ID. 34 pp plus appendices <br>

Location: ELECTRONIC FILE - BOTANY: MULTIPLE SPECIES <br>

Keywords: Bismark Meadows, fen, peatlands, rare plants, rare plant conservation, wetlands, Wetlands Reserve Program, Blechnum spicant, Carex leptalea, Dryopteris cristata, Gaultheria hispidula, Hypericum majus, Lycopodium dendroideum, Petasites frigidus var. sagittatus, Trientalis europaea ssp. arctica, Vaccinium oxycoccos, Epilobium palustre <br>