10 



b. HERBIVORY: None observed. The profuse hairs reduce palatability 

 of leaf material. 



The mountain mahogany of the Limestone Hills is heavily browsed 

 by mule deer (Scow and Culwell 1993) . The browsing is heaviest 

 in winter, when sword townsendia is dormant. Mule deer scats 

 were common among some subpopulations to the point of altering 

 the microhabitat (Section VI. Photograph B) ; but no direct 

 affects of browsing activity were noted. 



H. LAND OWNERSHIP 



1. All of the known Townsendia spathulata occurrences are on lands 

 administered by public agencies. Of the eight records in the 

 BCD, they are split between the following management units: 



BLM: Miles City District, Billings Resource Area* 3 



BLM: Butte District, Headwaters Resource Area 1 



BLM: Butte District, Dillon Resource Area 1 



USFS: Custer Natl. Forest, Beartooth District 2 



NPS: Bighorn Canyon Natl. Rec. Area 1 



* This does not include all known records in the Pryor Mts. 



IJI. ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS 



A. THREATS TO CURRENTLY KNOWN POPULATIONS 



1. GRAZING: The effects of grazing are minimal for this species 

 because it is active only early in the growing season before 

 surrounding grasses have greened up. It occupies habitat with 

 very low forage productivity that is typically far from any 

 water. Its diminuitive size and gravelly setting make it even 

 unlikely to be affected by stray browsing or trampling action. 



The Limestone Hills are not under grazing management. The 

 Beaverhead County EOs are part of federal grazing allotments. 

 The Pryor Mountains are grazed by wild horses. 



2. MINING: It appears that the species' highest numbers in the 

 Limestone Hills are found on some of the purest limestone, as 

 judging by whiteness tone of the outcrop. Quarrying has 

 eliminated species' habitat at the north end of its primary 

 habitat on the western ridge (Section VI. Photograph G) . The 

 sword townsendia numbers within the entire proposed State Land 

 permit areas which could be disturbed over the 50 year lease 

 period total an estimated 390-530 plants (Scow, pers . commun.), 

 representing ca. 10-30% of the total present population. It has 

 been found that sword townsendia can colonize some disturbed 

 outcrop settings (Scow and Culwell 1993) , so. that shifting 

 quarrying activity would not be expected to eliminate this entire 

 population segment. 



