I . INTRODUCTION 



This report summarizes the results of monitoring studies and 

 field surveys conducted from 1987-1990, to assess the status of 

 Howell ia aquatilis Gray (Campanulaceae) . This species is 

 designated as a sensitive plant by Region 1 of the U.S. Forest 

 Service, and occurs on the Flathead National Forest. Previous 

 reports summarize the status of research conducted prior to the 

 1990 field season (Shelly 1988, 1989; Shelly and Schassberger 

 1990) . 



The field work conducted in 1990 represents the second year of a 

 three-year inventory and analysis project. The purpose of this 

 project is to assemble adeguate information on the distribution 

 and status of the species, in order to prepare a U. S. Forest 

 Service species management guide. The 1990 goals were: 



1.) continue field surveys of potential habitat for H. aquatilis 

 on the Flathead National Forest and adjacent lands. 



2.) resurvey 26 populations, emphasizing those found on Flathead 

 National Forest lands, to obtain ongoing estimates of 

 population size, condition, persistence, and response to 

 management practices. 



3.) monitor transplant experiments (soil plugs from ponds with 

 high densities of H. aquatilis were placed in unoccupied 

 potential habitats at four locations in September of 1989) ; 

 read transects to determine success of transplants. 



5.) continue quantitative monitoring studies established at five 

 locations in 1988; includes line intercept and frequency 

 measurements . 



Field studies were conducted by the authors (Montana Natural 

 Heritage Program/U.S. Forest Service) . Surveys and monitoring 

 studies were conducted 10-13 and 16-19 July 1990. 



II. REVIEW OF PRESENT STATUS 



Howellia aquatilis is currently included on the sensitive 

 (Montana) and watch (Idaho) species lists in Region 1 of the U.S. 

 Forest Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1988; Reel et al . 

 1989) , and the sensitive list in Region 5 (Shelly and Moseley 

 1988) . It was recently recognized as a Category 1 (candidate) 

 species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and is being 

 considered for listing under the Federal Endangered Species Act 

 of 1973. A Category 1 species is one for which there is 

 substantial biological information on file to support the 

 appropriateness of proposing to list the species as endangered or 

 threatened (U.S. Department of Interior 1990). It was 



