condition, diversity, and productivity of this vegetation throughout 

 most of the study area was noted. It is an expression of the 

 localized climate conditions found on the buttes, with their 

 additional precipitation, cooler temperatures, and high cloud cover 

 ("cloud prairie") . Localized plant associations within this habitat 

 were noted including areas dominated by species not recognized among 

 the existing plant community classification. 



High elevation grasslands are referred to as subalpine grassland by 

 Thompson and Kuijt (1976) and deserve sampling documentation. They 

 are found on West Butte, Mount Royal, and the saddle between Mount 

 Royal and Mount Brown, and have a short, stunted physiognomy compared 

 to the montane grassland. The East Butte su m mit areas are rough 

 fescue h.t. and are grazed, but the ungrazed West Butte summit appears 

 to have Poa rupicola h.t. as well, a discrete subalpine grassland 

 association. 



Lower slopes of montane grassland and surrounding plains have soils 

 with different textures and chemistry on East vs. West Butte 

 corresponding with parent material difference. Their resulting 

 vegetation differences are undocumented and offer a prospect for 

 comparing parent material influence on vegetation. 



Forest habitats are very limited in the Sweetgrass Hills, but have a 

 diversity of types including dominance or codominance by Psuedotsuga 

 menziesii . Pinus flexilis, Pinus contorta, Picea englemanni x qlauca 

 and Abies lasiocarpa . Types characterized by deciduous tree dominance 

 are even more uncommon but have discrete plant associations, with 

 dominance including Populus tremuloides , and riparian communities of 

 Populus deltoides and Populus trichocarpa . 



There has been publication of pre- and post-settlement fire history as 

 well as pre- and post-settlement land use history to my knowledge, and 

 such background information is needed to understand the vegetation. 

 For example, the south-facing flanks of West Butte had what appear to 

 be savanna conditions of tall, widely-spaced Pseudotsuga menziesii 

 with' grassland understory, but all that are left are the huge stumps 

 and a few of the old trees left on a slope which is becoming overgrown 

 with brush and small trees. Extensive, even-aged "rubble slope 

 forests" also offer interesting succession study. 



In general, the vegetation associated with the wet end of the catena 

 has not been examined in the Sweetgrass Hills. Wet meadows, springs, 

 and seeps make up a small proportion of the area but have well- 

 developed plant communities and contribute significantly to floristic 

 diversity. Miles of streamcourse margins have saturated soils that 

 represent stable environments for many high elevation taxa like Phleum 

 alpinum that venture into the foothills. Oxbows and beaverponds are 

 found on one or more of the riparian systems. 



