much larger and more diverse ecosystem, the whole 

 north face of the Centennial Range, where the 

 escarpment begins in shrubland/grassland at 

 approximately 6,700 ft. and sweeping upward 

 uninterrupted to the highest alpine sites at 9,600 feet. 

 The RNA is encompassed by the Red Rocks Lakes 

 Wilderness, affording additional protection to it and a 

 much larger area. However, neither the RNA nor the 

 surrounding wilderness area that is centered in the 

 valleybottom capture the scale of the processes that 

 operate in this landscape or more than a fraction of the 

 habitat diversity existing in it. 



ostensibly spans several jurisdictions (Red Rock Lakes 

 National Wildlife Refuge, BLM Centennial Mountains 

 Wilderness Study Area, USPS Targhee National 

 Forest, Agricultural Research Service's Sheep 

 Experiment Station). 



Avalanches constitute one of the more salient of these 

 processes; very steep terrain at the highest elevations 

 causes avalanche chutes that fringe parts or all of two 

 RNA borders. These chutes represent a feature of 

 geological process as well as natural succession, and 

 only two plots were taken in the array of wet-to-dry 

 habitats in these avalanche features. 



The RNA directly adjoins the only known extant 

 occurrence of Whipple's Beardtongue (Penstemon 

 whippleanus) in Montana, a species that was 

 documented incidental to the baseline sensitive species 

 work in the Centermial Valley for the Bureau of Land 

 Management (Culver 1993). The avalanche chutes 

 and talus slopes are also potential habitat for dwarf 

 goldenweed {Haplopappiis nanus), known only in 

 Montana from a historical collection on the slopes 

 south of Red Rock Lakes. There was not adequate 

 time for completing a systematic survey of these two 

 species across the RNA. 



It was suggested in the original establishment record 

 that the unique, exposed climatic conditions found 

 within this RNA affords an excellent opportunity for 

 studies in forest ecology and plant physiology. The 

 same records ascribed wildlife values to this RNA, but 

 they were not evaluated in this study. 



LAND USE: 



The site is essentially pristine; no timber cutting or 

 evidence of domestic stock use was found. It receives 

 limited recreational use from hunters and hikers. 



MANAGEMENT COMMENTS: 

 This site would ideally be core of a much larger RNA 

 spanning the full range of enviroiunents and processes 

 of the Centennial Mountains. It lies within Red Rock 

 Lakes Wilderness Area, which spans the lower segment 

 of the 3,000 ft Sheep Mountain slope. The RNA could 

 be expanded lengthwise within wilderness area 

 boundaries, but any expansion of the vertical gradient 



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