Inventory of Plants, Plant
Communities and Herpetofauna of
Concem in the \^cinity of the
Snow-Talon Bum, Helena
National Forest
Prepared for:
Helena National Forest
2880 Skyway Drive
Helena, Montana 59602
By:
Stephen V. Cooper, Gregory M. Kudray, Paul Hendricks, Bryce A. Maxell,
W. Marc Jones, Cobum Currier and Susan Lenard
Montana Natural Heritage Program
Natural Resource Information System
Montana State Library
December 2005
MONTANA
^ Natural Heritage
Pix^^ram
Inventory of Plants, Plant
Communities and Herpetofauna of
Concem in the \^cinity of the
Snow-Talon Bum, Helena
National Forest
Prepared for:
Helena National Forest
2880 Skyway Drive
Helena, Montana 59602
Agreement Number:
03-CS-11011200-007
By:
Stephen V. Cooper, Gregory M. Kudray, Paul Hendricks, Bryce A. Maxell,
W. Marc Jones, Cobum Currier, and Susan Lenard
j^T" MONTANA
'l^ Natural Heritage
^t ^-^ MUSTAFA j'j/'dAA Un-NTAllA
^T^itate If jIV Natuial Kesounx
^ Library ^^jjjP MMmation System
© 2005 Montana Natural Heritage Program
P.O. Box 201800 • 1515 East Sixth Avenue • Helena, MT 59620-1800 • 406-444-5354
This document should be cited as follows:
Cooper, S.V., G. M. Kudray, P. Hendricks, B.A. Maxell, Jones, W. M., C. Currier, and S. Lenard 2005.
Inventory of Plants, Plant Communities, and Herpetofauna of Concern in the Vicinity of the Snow-Talon
Burn, Helena National Forest. Report to the Helena National Forest. Montana Natural Heritage
Program, Helena, MT. 15 pp. plus appendices.
Executive Summary
Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP)
biologists inventoried sensitive vascular plants,
riparian and wetland associated plant communities,
and herpetofauna near and within the Snow-Talon
Fire of 2003 on the Helena National Forest.
Appropriate habitat was searched for 14 vascular
plant species of concern that are potentially present
in the area, however, none were encountered.
Ninety percent of the twenty sites had
herpetofauna with four amphibian species (Long-
toed Salamander, Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog,
Western Toad, and Columbia Spotted Frog) and
two reptile species (Terrestrial Gartersnake and
Common Gartersnake) recorded. Detections of
the Western Toad, a Montana Species of Concern
as well as a U.S. Forest Service Northern Region
Sensitive Species (MTNHP 2004), were
noteworthy and encouraging. It was breeding in all
four drainages surveyed, indicating that a relatively
large population is now in the area and is possibly
expanding because of the fire and the Western
Toad preference for disturbed forest and wetland
habitats. This is especially significant given
declining trends for this species elsewhere in
western Montana during the last 50 years. We
recommend monitoring of Western Toad
populations in the area and systematic surveys of
stream habitats in order to better document the
distribution and status of Rocky Mountain Tailed
Frogs in the area; there is only one record in this
locale other than the two sites we found.
Detailed vegetation surveys were conducted at
several wetland and riparian sites. Baseline early
post-burn vegetation data will enable further
monitoring of the effects of wildfire on vegetation
and herpetofauna habitat in these important
ecosystems. About half of the 50 potentially
occurring riparian and wetland plant communities
having a rank of G3, S3, or less were documented.
Generally, these sites were ecologically intact and
represented important habitat in this relatively arid
environment. A few sites are unique and the
diversity of wetland plant communities is
considerable.
One large wetland (Copper Creek, Lower
Drainage site) contained an extensive carr, a type
of fen, which is a very uncommon community type
in Montana. This site has an extensive bryophyte
component and warrants further survey for this
taxonomic group. At Porcupine Basin we
putatively identified the easternmost documentation
of Northern licorice-root, a species more typically
found in mesic northern Idaho. The lack of seeds
for a positive identification suggests that another
visit at the appropriate time would be worthwhile,
as this would be a considerable range extension.
Keep Cool Lakes has a community type that may
have once been a species-rich blue wildrye
meadow, a G2 rank community previously known
only from California and Oregon. Nonnative
timothy grass now dominates. Keep Cool Lakes is
still an intact and diverse wetland, but typifies a
problem often encountered when ATV use occurs
in these open and easily accessible types.
Nonnative species were invading along the
disturbed track, one vegetation type was degraded,
and large disturbances were created where ATVs
had to be extricated from wetter areas. Western
toads were breeding here and ATV tracks were
noted within a few feet of where toads were
depositing egg strings.
The ecological integrity of this site and most other
accessible wetlands will be threatened if the
disturbance and resultant weed infestation and
habitat degradation from ATV use continue.
N
Acknowledgments
The work described in this report was funded status of wetland habitats and wetland dependent
primarily through Challenge Cost Share Agreement species on the Helena National Forest. We would
No. 03-CS-11011200-007 between the Helena also like to acknowledge the Region 1 Office of the
National Forest and the Nature Conservancy's US Forest Service for their continued support of
Montana Natural Heritage Program. We are the statewide amphibian inventory program; data
particularly grateful to Lois Olsen of the Helena from this project is included in the report.
National Forest for her interest in evaluating the
VI
Table of Contents
Introduction
Methods
Botanical and Community Surveys
Herpetofauna Surveys
Data Management
Results and Discussion 3
Herpetofauna 3
Sensitive Plants and Communities 5
Conclusions / Recommendations 13
Herpetofauna 13
Sensitive Plants and Communities 13
Literature Cited 14
List of Figures
Figure 1 . Study area and ecological survey areas in the vicinity of the Snow-Talon burn 2
Figure 2. Wetlands surveyed for herpetofauna in 2004 and 2005 4
Figure 3. ATV track through Keep Cool Lake wetlands 9
Figure4. Drawdown zone at Reservoir Lake 11
Figures. Porcupine Basin wet meadow 12
Appendix A. Global/State Rank Definitions
Appendix B . Tables
Table 1 . Inventory targets for plant species of concern and highly ranked plant
communities Appendix B - 1
Table 2. Amphibian and reptile species detected during wetland site surveys Appendix B - 2
Appendix C. Occurrence Maps of Herpetofauna
Figure 1. Long-toed Salamander {Amby stoma macrodactylum) Appendix C - 1
Figure 2. Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog (Ascaphus montanus) Appendix C - 2
Figure 3. Western Toad (Bufo boreas) Appendix C - 3
Figure 4. Columbia Spotted Frog {Rana luteiventris) Appendix C - 4
Figures. Terrestrial Gartersnake (Thamnophis elegans) Appendix C - 5
Figure 6. Common Gartersnake {Thamnophis sirtalis) Appendix C - 6
vn
Introduction
The summer of 2003 was an extreme fire year
throughout the western US and western Montana,
where one extensive fire, the Snow-Talon,
occurred on the Helena National Forest near
Lincoln (Figure 1). The USFS contracted with the
Montana Natural Heritage Program to conduct a
survey to gauge the impact of the fire on some of
the wetland systems and a selected portion of their
biota. Another objective was to understand the
diversity of wetlands within a core area that
included the burned area as well as some outlying
sites. This survey can serve as a baseline to help
predict fire effects on herpetofauna in similar
ecosystems and to evaluate post fire succession.
Methods
We conducted surveys in the late spring and
summer of 2004 and 2005 that were focused on
plant and amphibian species of concern (Appendix
B Tables 1 and 2) and priority vegetation types
(plant associations) associated with wetland/
riparian habitats. Lois Olsen, Ecologist for the
Helena National Forest, made informed suggestions
as to which drainages and wetlands were of
highest potential interest.
Botanical & Community Surveys
We compiled a list (Appendix B Table 1) of highly
ranked communities, those with a Global (G) or
State (S) rank of 3 or less or where S-rank was
currently undetermined (Grossman et al. 1998,
Anderson et al. 1998). Forest Service Sensitive
plant species (Appendix B Table 1) likely to occur
in the study area were also identified. Further
information on these plants and communities can be
obtained from the Montana Natural Heritage
Program's web site, www.mtnhp.org and "Plant
Species of Concern" by the Montana Natural
Heritage Program (2003). In the field, we sampled
vegetation communities by structure and
composition with emphasis on dominants and
indicator species. Vegetation keys and descriptions
(Pfister et al. 1977, Hansen et al. 1995) were
consulted to verify vegetation associations at sites.
Some communities did not key to or match
descriptions in either of the above references.
When this was the case, we then consulted the
EcoART database (ABI 2000) and attempted to
match communities to those in the database.
Herpetofauna Surveys
Sites for amphibian surveys were identified through
discussions with the Heritage Program wetland
ecologist, Helena National Forest personnel, and
study of USGS 7.5' topographic maps. Marshes,
small ponds and lakes, and selected stream reaches
in the study area, all of which were north of
Lincoln on Helena National Forest lands in Lewis
and Clark and Powell counties, were priority sites
for surveys.
Shorelines and wetland margins were searched for
adults and juveniles while walking along the edge.
The entire perimeter was searched at some sites,
others were inspected by traversing the length of
the site through shallow emergent vegetation, or
along selected portions of the margin where
emergent vegetation or other cover was present.
June surveys included visual searches for egg
masses attached to submerged and emergent
vegetation or egg strings in shallow open water. At
regular intervals, and where appropriate, the
aquatic habitat was sampled for larvae using a
dipnet.
Time of day and duration of searches (a measure
of search effort: Heyer et al. 1994, Olson et al.
1997), weather, water temperature, and species
encountered were recorded on standard U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service data sheets. Duration of site
surveys ranged from 9-300 minutes (Appendix B
Table 2), and depended upon the size and structural
complexity of each site, site conditions (including
weather), and findings. A team of two or three
persons conducted each survey.
Data Management
New data collected on amphibians, plant species of
concern, and high quality vegetation communities
were georeferenced, digitized and documented as
element occurrence records in the databases
maintained by the Montana Natural Heritage
Program. Plot data and summary information on
noteworthy sites were also entered into MTNHP
1
^ ^^^ V^ O X T A N A
/ Ji\ Natural
Figure 1. Study area and ecological survey areas near the Snow-Talon burn
databases. This data system serves as the primary
source of information on the status and distribution
of Montana's native species and habitats.
Results and Discussion
Herpetofauna
In 2004 we conducted 20 site surveys for
amphibians (Figure 2, Appendix B Table 2) in the
drainages of Beaver Creek (sites 11, 19-20),
Copper Creek (sites 8-10, 14-18), Keep Cool
Creek (sites 1-2), and Landers Fork (sites 3-7, 12-
13). Sites ranged in elevation from 4900 ft to 7220
ft and were surveyed during 1-4 June or 8-9
September; all sites were visited only once. In
2005, 7 of these sites were resurveyed and an
oxbow on the Blackfoot River (site 21) was also
surveyed because of previous records of Western
Toad breeding activity at these locations (Figure 2
& Appendix C Figure 5, Appendix B Table 2).
Four amphibian species (Long-toed Salamander,
Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog, Western Toad,
Columbia Spotted Frog) and two reptile species
(Terrestrial Gartersnake and Common
Gartersnake) were detected during the surveys.
No amphibians or reptiles were found at two (10%)
of the sites we surveyed. The most commonly
observed amphibian during our 2004 surveys was
the Columbia Spotted Frog, detected at 13 sites.
The Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog was found at two
sites, the Long-toed Salamander at one site, the
Terrestrial Gartersnake at one site, and the
Common Garter Snake at one site. The Western
Toad was detected at nine sites in 2004 and
detected breeding at 5 of the 8 sites resurveyed in
2005 when they were the focus of survey effort.
We found evidence of breeding in the study area by
four of the amphibian species detected in both 2004
and 2005: Long-toed Salamander at one site (5%)
in 2004 and five sites (63%) in 2005, Rocky
Mountain Tailed Frog at the only two sites (100%)
surveyed in 2004 which had suitable habitat
present. Western Toad at five sites (25%) in 2004
and five sites (63%) in 2005, and Columbia Spotted
Frog at ten sites (50%) in 2004 and three sites
(38%) in 2005 (Appendix B Table 2, Figure 2,
Appendix C Figures 1-6). Long-toed Salamanders,
Western Toads, and Columbia Spotted Frogs were
documented breeding in each of the four drainages
we sampled as well as at the oxbow on the
Blackfoot River. Rocky Mountain Tailed Frogs
were detected only in the Beaver Creek drainage.
However, this was the only drainage where suitable
stream habitats were surveyed. As indicated by
the presence of another observation of the species
on a tributary to Copper Creek in 1966, it seems
likely that additional surveys of suitable stream
habitats would reveal their presence throughout
much of the area.
During the 2004 surveys, we found all native
amphibian species expected in the study area.
Three additional native amphibian species found in
Montana west of the Continental Divide, Coeur
d'Alene Salamander (Plethodon idahoensis),
Pacific Treefrog (Pseudacris regilla) and
Northern Leopard Frog {Rana pipiens), have not
yet been reported from either Powell or Lewis and
Clark counties (Maxell et al. 2003, Werner et al.
2004).
Of the four amphibian species present, the Western
Toad is a Montana Species of Concern, as well as
a U.S. Forest Service Northern Region Sensitive
species (Montana Natural Heritage Program
2004). It is noteworthy that we not only detected
them in all four drainages that we surveyed, but
that we detected them breeding at 25% of the sites
surveyed in 2004. This is especially encouraging
given apparent declining trends for this species
elsewhere in western Montana during that last 50
years and region wide detection of breeding at only
2-5% of sites surveyed in recent years (Maxell
2000, 2004; Maxell et al. 2003; Werner et al. 2004).
Factors affecting breeding toads in western
Montana and the sites they use for breeding are not
entirely clear. However, there is growing evidence
from surveys conducted by the statewide
amphibian inventory program, as well as research
being conducted in Glacier National Park, that
stand replacing fires are beneficial to Western
Toads. These fires open up both aquatic and
terrestrial habitats to greater solar exposure and
may also provide more terrestrial burrows by
loosening soils and burning out tree roots (Maxell,
Site numbers correspond
to those in Table 2
N
S
0.9 1.8 Miles
_J I
M O !Si T A N A
Natiaral
Heritage
Program
Figure 2. Wetlands surveyed for herpetofauna in 2004 and 2005
4
personal observation; Steve Corn and Blake
Hossack, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research
Institute, personal communication). Our detections
and observations corroborate these findings. We
found adult Western Toads in several wetlands
within the Copper Creek drainage and Indian
Meadows that experienced extensive fire
disturbance in 2003. The season when fires occur
may be important. Adult Western Toads breed
earlier in the year than the typical peak of fire
season and are able to seek refuge during autumn
fires. Late summer and autumn fires could impact
tadpoles and recent metamorphs. However, toads
can live 20 years or more once they reach
adulthood, a life span that could include many years
of complete reproductive failure.
One factor known to affect successful breeding is
trampling or similar disturbance. At Upper Keep
Cool Lake (site 1 in Figure 2 and Appendix B Table
2) we found recent ATV tracks in the wet meadow
as well as within the water within a few feet of
where toads were depositing egg strings in 2004
and observed similar evidence of ATV use on our
visit in 2005 when the site was virtually dry.
Motorized activity in wet meadows could severely
affect toad breeding. At known toad breeding sites
where the public tends to concentrate, signs could
be posted to remind the public that such activity is
banned for that specific reason, as well as to
protect vulnerable wet meadow and near- shore
wetland habitats.
Sensitive Plants & Communities
The information below is summarized from notes
taken during surveys of late August 2004 and
organized by site (Figure 1) in alphabetical order.
• Copper Creek, Upper Drainage: Two
pond-centered wetlands were inventoried near
the headwaters of Copper Creek. These
depressional wetlands probably resulted from
glacial scouring of Belt Series bedrock
(primarily argillite) leaving relatively shallow
excavations with a somewhat impermeable
substrate into which headwaters drain and pond
before overflowing. The more southerly of the
two ponds has dried significantly (no standing
water) from what is portrayed on the Stonewall
Mountain USGS 1 :24,000 quadrangle map; the
previous six droughty years may have resulted
in the mudflat condition that now exists. The
lowest portion of the (former) pond is a mudflat
dominated by a tussock form of water sedge
(Carex aquatilis); tufted hairgrass
(Deschampsia cespitosa) is scattered as well.
The most conspicuous forb is a species of
pussytoes (Antennaria). Exposed gravel and
rock, once underwater, forms a concentric zone
about the mudflat. The Snow-Talon Fire
burned up to the perimeter of the pond but
there was no obvious evidence that the wetland
vegetation had burned.
The considerably larger, more northerly pond
has not suffered any perceptible drawdown and
is completely encircled by wetland vegetation.
The Snow-Talon Fire burned through all the
different vegetation types surrounding the pond
with variable effects but was most noticeable in
the forested portion of the wetland.
Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir / Claspleaf
twistedstalk (Picea engelmannii - Abies
lasiocarpa / Streptopus amplexifolius) and
Engelmann spruce / field horsetail {P.
engelmannii / Equisetum arvense) are the
two major plant associations comprising the
forested portion of the wetland (less than Va of
the ponds perimeter) where water input from
upslope feeder streams was concentrated.
This highly oxygenated water may explain the
presence of trees here and not in other
perimeter areas where water is stagnant and
oxygen depleted. More than half of the trees,
predominantly Engelmann spruce, but including
subalpine fir and lodgepole pine {Pinus
contorta) were killed by the fire. The
undergrowth experienced fire of varying
intensities but has responded with vigor,
probably due to a post-burn fertilization effect.
The undergrowth dominants are arrowleaf
ragwort (Senecio triangularis), Canby's
licorice-root (Ligusticum canbyi), Trollius
laxus (American globeflower), green false
hellebore (Veratrum viride), claspleaf
twistedstalk, Parnassia fimbriata (fringed
grass-of-Parnassus), broadleaf arnica (Arnica
latifolia), and blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus).
Grouse whortleberry (Vaccinium scoparium)
and rusty menziesia {Menziesia ferruginea)
were scattered on higher ground, often
encircling tree bases. A stream through the
forested wetland supports a liverwort species
on completely submerged stream gravels. The
streambank was colonized in large part by
Sphagnum squarrosum (and/or S. teres).
The perimeter of the area post fire now is
dominated by herbaceous species; however
about two thirds of the perimeter appears to
have previously been shrub/dwarf- shrub-
dominated. All shrub species are resprouting,
but given only a partial season of post-fire
growth, their heights are uniformly less than 2
dm. Prior to the fire about a third of the pond's
perimeter was occupied by herbaceous
communities dominated by beaked sedge
(Carex utriculata) or bluejoint reedgrass
{Calamagrostis Canadensis). Shrub
communities are dominated by willow (Salix)
species, primarily Booth' willow (S. boothii)
and to a lesser extent, Tweedy's willow (5.
tweedyi) which is confined to beaver (Castor
canadensis) workings. Bog laurel (Kalmia
polifolia) and rose meadowsweet (= rose
spiraea. Spiraea splendens) are minor
components. The undergrowth of these
shrublands is primarily dominated by beaked
sedge and/or water sedge and to a lesser
degree bluejoint reedgrass. The shrub
communities are on raised areas created by
former beaver use. The beaked sedge
community ranged from near total dominance
by this species to equal mixes of beaked sedge
and water sedge and/or bluejoint reedgrass /
northern reedgrass (C striata). Timber
oatgrass (Danthonia intermedia), a species
typically associated with dry sites, quite
unexpectedly was scattered in some saturated
areas here. Primary forb species included
scentbottle (Platanthera dilatata =
Habenaria dilatata), Rocky Mountain
groundsel (Packera streptanthifolia =
Senecio streptanthifolius), twinleaf bedstraw
(Galium bifolium), sticky tofieldia (Tofieldia
glutinosa) and elephanthead lousewort
(Pedicularis groenlandica). The primary
willow species are Booth's willow and
Tweedy's willow; these two species are
dominant on old beaver workings, beaked
sedge is the dominant herb. A variety of
bryophytes, including Aulacomnium palustre,
Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Bryum spp.,
Polytrichum spp. and especially Sphagnum
spp. form a rather continuous ground layer.
Fragments of several different community
types (1-5 m along their longest axis) were
developed on what appeared to be peat
deposits (the depth of peat was not measured,
but it is likely that the histic epipedon was of
insufficient depth to qualify these sites as
peatlands). Sedge tussocks (Carex spp.,
unidentified due to immature inflorescence)
constituted 40-70% canopy cover. They were
dispersed over a substrate that was mostly very
shallow standing water with a submerged lawn
of mosses. Scorpidium spp. is dominant with
Bryum pseudotriquetrum and Aulacomnium
palustre common. The provisionally
recognized Tweedy's willow / bluejoint
reedgrass shrubland, a plant community not
described at either the state or national level,
occurs in small patches on substrates with
better drainage than those supporting other
willow communities in this complex. This
Tweedy's willow-dominated community
occupies essentially the same habitat as the
Geyer's willow (Salix geyeriana)/ bluejoint
reedgrass shrubland in which Booth's willow is
considered an ecological analogue of Geyer's
willow for purposes of management oriented
classification (Hansen et al. 1995). For
tracking diversity it is probably prudent to
recognize the Tweedy's willow / bluejoint
reedgrass community as unique; it can be
lumped with Geyer's willow type for mapping
and management purposes.
No sensitive plants were found within
these wetlands or in the near vicinity.
» Copper Creek / North Fork Creek
Confluence: This wetland complex was near
the confluence of Copper Creek with North
Fork Creek. Just west of the confluence of
these creeks is a forested and shrub-dominated
wetland that burned at various intensities. The
forested plant associations Engelmann spruce /
field horsetail and Engelmann spruce / bluejoint
reedgrass occur in a complex mosaic with the
last named occupying sites lower in the
landscape (wetter) and the former occurring in
slightly higher positions (by 1-4 dm). In
addition to Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine
dominates (or at one time dominated) the
overstory and mature subalpine fir is scattered
within the drier association. Bluejoint
reedgrass forms a particularly lush cover,
hypothetically due to a post-bum fertilization
effect and the reduced tree canopy;
incorporated in this tall grass layer is fringed
brome (Bromus ciliatus) and two alien species,