10-26-16 Vascular Plant Update

10-26-16 Vascular Plant Update

October 26, 2016

Rebecca Durham details additions to the list of 610 vascular plants found on the ranch.

This summer botanists found Monk’s hood, a native plant, in the floodplain (Aconitum columbianum). In 2016 we added 67 new species to the vascular plant list: 40 natives and 27 exotics.

Some native additions, such as hollyhock, likely were already part of the flora but were undetected (Iliamna rivularis). Five years ago we started the species list, and now document 610 species.

Russian thistle, an exotic forb, is one of the new species that likely established since the last vegetation surveys in 2011 (Salsola collina). Of the new exotics in 2016, 22 are forbs, 4 are grasses, and 1 is a tree.

Mary Ellyn, Amanda, and Jordan collected vascular plant data at 571 grid points this summer. They found many new additions at the grid points and while hiking to the points. The vascular plant list now has 421 forbs, 113 graminoids, 63 shrubs, and 13 trees. Of the 610 species, native plants make up 469 species and exotics 141. We will continue to add species as encountered.

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10-26-16 Vascular Plant Update

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10-26-16 Vascular Plant Update

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