February 6, 1996 



27 



MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM 

 Element Occurrence Record 



Scientific Name: KOCHIA A>1ERICA1^A 

 Common Name : RED SAGE 



Global rank: G5 

 State rank: SU 



Forest Service status; 

 Federal Status: 



Element occurrence code: PDCHEOEOIO . 003 

 Element occurrence type: 



Survey site name: BROWNE'S GULCH 



EO rank: A 

 EO rank comments: PLANT SHOWS LIMITED RESPONSE TO GRAZING 

 DEGRADATION. 



County: BEAVERHEAD 



USGS quadrangle: EARLS GULCH 



TRS comments: 

 N2; 28 E2; 22 S2 



Elevation: 5160 - 5280 

 Slope/aspect: 0-10% / ALL 

 Size (acres) : 



Location : 



FROM GLEN/ROCK CREEK, EXIT ON US HWY 91. GO NORTH 2 MILES ON ROAD THAT 

 FOLLOWS THE VALLEY EDGE, ACCESSIBLE VIA BOTH BLM ROADS THAT LEAD 

 NORTHWEST. 



Element occurrence data: 



COMMON AND LOCALLY CODOMINANT WITH DISTICHILIS STRICTA UNDER ARTEMISIA 

 TRIDENTATA - SARCOBATUS VERMICULATUM OF ALKALINE FLATS. LESS COMMON IN 

 CLAYPAN PATCHES, LOCALIZED WASHES AND ADJOINING HILLS ASSOCIATED WITH 

 SAME SHRUBS AND WITH BOUTELOUA GRACILIS, AGROPYRON SPICATUM. EARLIEST 

 PUDS FORMED 15 JUNE 1995; MATURE FRUITS FORMED 15 AUGUST 1995. 



General site description: 



OPEN, STRAIGHT, ALKALINE FLATS AI^D WASHES IN ONE SEGMENT OF BIG HOLE 

 V.'VLLEY BOTTOM, LOWERSLOPE MARGIN MADE UP OF SANDY ALLUVIUM; CODOMINANT 

 WITH DISTICHILIS STRICTA UNDER ARTEMISIA TRIDENTATA - SARCOBATUS 

 VERMICULATUM. ALSO IN CLAYPAN PATCHES, LOCALIZED WASHES, AND ADJOINING 

 HILLS ASSOCIATED WITH SOME SHRUBS AND WITH BOUTELOUA GRACILIS, 

 AGROPYRON SPICATUM. ADDITIONAL ASSOCIATED SPECIES: OPUNTIA 

 POLYACANTHA, SITANION HYSTRIX, LAPPULA REDOWSKII, ATRIPLEX NUTTALLII, 

 DESCURAINIA RICHARDSONII . 

 Land owner/manager: 



BLM: BUTTE DISTRICT, DILLON RESOURCE AREA 

 PRIVATELY OWNED LAND (INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE) 

 Comments : 



SURVEYED BY B. HEIDEL. SECTION 2 8 HEAVILY GRAZED BY CATTLE; AREA HAS 

 LONG HISTORY OF MODERATE TO HEAVY GRAZING AS EVIDENCED BY ABUNDANT 

 INCREASER SPECIES AND GULLIED WATER COURSES. POPULATION BOUNDARY 

 ROUGHLY ESTIMATED BECAUSE PLANTS EXTEND OUTSIDE OF BLM BOUNDARIES. 



Information source: 



HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL 

 HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX 

 201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009. 



Specimens: HEIDEL, B. (1355). 1995. MONTU, MONT. 



