52 



Grasshopper distribution: Five sites were documented in the Grasshopper Creek study area in 

 the preliminary sur\ey (Figure 21). They span much of the Study Area and include: 



Albers Spring roadside 



Bannack State Park areas and separate BLM lands to west 



Ermont Gulch 



Grasshopper Creek mouth 



Henneberry Ridge areas 



HABITAT: The documented range of habitats in Montana corresponds with that in Wyoming, 

 summarized as dry, shallow, sandy, or gravelly soils on slopes or rolling plains in open, 

 sagebrush-grassland communities (Fertig 1994). The Montana topographic positions of 

 Oiyzopsis contracta are on mid to lo\\'er slopes (0-30%) with most commonly south and west 

 aspects (Appendix D-18). In Wyoming, it is often also found on upper slopes and ridgetops on 

 all aspects. The known range of elevation in Montana is 5400-6080 ft. Soils are consistently 

 well-drained and light-colored, derived from various parent materials including Madison Group 

 limestone, alluvial gravel or sand, and quartzite. 



The vegetation is consistently sparse, whether found in a dry microhabitat or in a generally harsh 

 landscape. It is dominated by Agropyron spicatum (Appendix D-19), with or without Artemisia 

 tridentata var. wyomingensis, and less often with Artemisia arbuscida. A representative list of 

 frequently associated species in Montana follows: 



Agropyron spicatum 



A?-enaria kingii 



Artemisia arbuscida 



Artemisia frigida 



Artemisia tridentata var. uyomingensis 



Aster scopulorum 



Bromus tectorum 



Cordylanthus ramosus 



Gutierrezia sarothrae 



Lesquerella alpina 



Phacelia linearis 



Phlox longifolia 



Poa secunda 



Stipa comata 



In the study area landscapes, it was sympatric with common Indian ricegrass, which seems to 

 have a broader ecological amplitude than contracted Indian ricegrass. However, the highest 

 population densities of the two species were in slightly different locations, perhaps 

 corresponding with microhabitat preferences. In general, contracted Indian ricegrass was lower 

 on the catena than common Indian ricegrass. 



