Table 4. Tendoy Mountains priority species targets, 

 by habitat 



HABITAT 



Alkaline meadows and 

 riparian areas 



Low sagebrush steppe 



Sagebrush steppe 



SENSITIVE SPECIES 



Carex parryana ssp. idahoa 

 Taraxacum eriophoirum 

 Thalictrum alpinum 

 Thelypodium sagittatum 



Eriogonum caespitosum 

 Haplopappus macronema ssp. 

 Sphaeromeria argentea 



linearis 



Astragalus scaphoides 

 Astragalus terminalis 

 Penstemon lemhiensis 



Limestone talus 



Agastache cusickii 

 Hutchinsia procumbens 

 Lomatium attenuatum 

 Phacelia incana 



Alkaline meadows are uncommon in western Montana as a whole 

 but are relatively common in southern Beaverhead County. 

 Nonetheless, because this habitat, as well ^^ ^^^^l/HH^^^l^ 

 meadows, are subirrigated and productive most large examples 

 are on private land and subject to livestock grazing, mowing, 

 and agricultural conversion. Plant species that ^^^P°"^^^, . ^ 

 vegatively to these management practices are likely to decline 

 on private land. Consequently, any large intact examples of 

 this habitat on public land should be protected or management 

 in a way that allows continued existence of the rare species 

 that occur there. These habitats are most to wet in the 

 spring and early summer and the fine-textured soils are easily 

 disturbed and compacted by livestock. Many of these sites 

 occur along streams. Trampling of banks causes erosion and 

 downcutting, eventually resulting in lowering of ^he water 

 table and loss of the meadow habitat. Large alkaline meadows 

 and riparian meadows on public lands that contain populations 

 of sensitive species should be managed to minimize livestock 

 impacts. one such area is along a tributary of Nicholia Creek 

 (T15N RlOW Sec. 9 W 1/2; see printouts and maps for Carex 

 parryana ssp. idahoa and Thelypodium sagittatum). 



Steppe dominated by low sagebrush, Artemisia arbuscula var. 

 arbuscula, is a Great Basin plant community type found m 

 Montana only in southern Beaverhead County- It occurs on fine 

 textured, usually alkaline soils of stream terraces and gentle 

 lower slopes. Soils are saturated in the spring and early 

 summer and are easily disturbed and compacted by livestock. 



