D. HABITAT RELATIONSHIPS 



Most element occurrence records of Goodyera repens note 

 that it occurs in moss mats, however the species of 

 mosses and their habitat ecology have not been noted. 

 Observations of element occurrences 019-022 in the 

 Little Belt Mountains showed that Goodyera repens is 

 predominantly associated with mosses growing on litter 

 or organic matter, including Hylocomium splendens . 

 Pleurozium schreberi and Timmia austriaca . Also 

 frequently associated with these species is the 

 thallose lichen Peltiqera aphthosa . 



Goodyera repens itself roots predominantly in organic 

 matter and is seldom associated with mosses such as 

 Thuidium abietinum or Tortula ruralis which tend to 

 grow more directly on rock or soil. These moss species 

 may be in the vicinity of Goodyera repens occurrences 

 since all are associated with calcareous parent 

 materials but at the microhabitat level they are seldom 

 together. 



It was also observed that Goodyera repens has a more 

 restricted ecological amplitude or habitat range south 

 of the crest of the Little Belt Mountains than north of 

 it. In the southern part of the mountain range, 

 Goodyera repens is associated narrowly with mesic north 

 and east aspects, and narrow canyon bottoms, whereas in 

 the northern part it occupies sites that are more 

 exposed and in wider valleys. The cause of this is 

 unknown but may be due to mesoclimatic differences. 



III. ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 



A. THREATS TO NEWLY LOCATED POPULATIONS 



1. GRAZING: Although cattle use the general area 

 around Goodyera repens populations, there seems to 

 be little use or damage to the sites occupied by 

 the plants. 



2. TIMBER HARVEST: The following sites are currently 

 threatened by proposed or on-going timber harvest: 



Smith Creek (025) 

 Russell Point (028) 

 Mount High (029) 

 Rocky Gulch (030) 



