4. MONITORING: The density of vegetative and fertile 

 ramets of Carex parryana ssp. idahoa should be 

 monitored using permanent plots on sites with 

 different grazing regimes to help determine the 

 plant's response to grazing and the optimum 

 management strategy for its conservation. 



D. SUMMARY: Carex parryana ssp. idahoa occurs in the high 

 semi-arid valleys of southwest Montana and adjacent 

 southeast Idaho. There are 32 recently verified 

 populations in Montana, and others probably occur on 

 unsurveyed private land. In Idaho where surveys have 

 not been conducted, there are only four recently 

 verified populations. Most known Montana populations 

 of Carex parryana ssp. idahoa occur on land 

 administered by BLM; however, this is partly an 

 artifact of survey intensity. Some additional 

 populations probably occur on U.S. Forest Service land 

 and many are likely to occur on private land. Carex 

 parryana ssp. parryana also occurs in southwest Montana 

 and is found at some of the same sites as ssp. idahoa, 

 but the two subspecies are distinct, and intermediate 

 plants have not been observed. 



The majority of Carex parryana ssp. idahoa populations 

 are small and occupy diminutive habitat islands. The 

 plant occurs in moist meadows, often ecotonal between 

 sagebrush steppe and wet meadows dominated by sedges 

 and rushes. This mesic habitat is preferred by cattle 

 for grazing. Observations suggest that Carex parryana 

 ssp. idahoa responds to grazing like other palatable 

 graminoids- light to moderate grazing has minimal 

 negative impact, while heavy grazing causes decline. 

 Overgrazing was observed at a minority of C. parryana 

 ssp. idahoa sites. It is also likely that populations 

 on private land have been negatively impacted by 

 agricultural development (hay production) and may 

 continue to be impacted by haying. 



Carex parryana ssp. idahoa is common to locally common 

 in the center of its range in extreme southwest 

 Montana. Although it is probably sensitive to heavy 

 grazing pressure, there is no evidence that majority of 

 populations are experiencing chronic overgrazing. The 

 number, size and conservation status of C. parryana 

 ssp. idahoa in Idaho is nearly unknown. Carex parryana 

 ssp. idahoa is currently listed as 3C by USFWS. This 

 designation appears appropriate at this time pending 

 new information from the Idaho portion of the plant's 

 range. Carex parryana ssp. idahoa is probably impacted 

 negatively by heavy grazing, and nearly all populations 

 on public land are subject to livestock grazing. Thus, 



22 



