3. Occurrences in the Tendoy Mountains: Two populations 

 were found by this survey on the Beaverhead National 

 Forest, in the canyon of Kelmbeck Creek (005) and in an 

 unnamed draw on the northeast flank of Timber Butte 

 (004). Element Occurrence Records and maps showing the 

 precise locations of the populations are included in 

 Appendix D. 



D. HABITAT 



1. Associated vegetation: At four of its occurrences in 

 Montana, Aquilegia formosa is associated with Douglas fir 

 {Pseudotsuga menziesii) , either in pure stands, with 

 aspen {Populus tremuloides) , or in ecotone with lakeshore 

 habitat. The fifth site is a grassland. On the 

 Beaverhead National Forest in the Tendoys, the two 

 populations occur under dense canopies of Douglas fir. 

 Subdominant plants at these sites include Populus 

 tremuloides, Sheperdia canadensis, Physocarpus malvaceus, 

 and Arnica cordifolia. Additional associated forbs 

 include Astragalus miser, Orthilla secunda, Pyrola 

 chlorantha, and Valeriana dioica. A photographic slide 

 showing the habitat in Kelbeck Canyon is attached at the 

 end of this report. 



2. Topography: The two sites in the Tendoys are in the 

 rocky bottoms of a canyon and a draw on the east flank of 

 the range at 7,200-8,400 feet. 



3. Soil relationships: The soils of the Tendoy populations 

 are moderately dry rocky loams with high organic matter 

 and a heavy surface accumulation of litter. 



F. POPULATION DEMOGRAPHY AND BIOLOGY 



1. Demographic details: Each population in the Tendoys was 

 estimated to have 200-500 plants. The Timber Butte 

 population was estimated to cover 20 acres, while the 

 area of the Kelmbeck canyon population was estimated at 

 10 acres. Other populations in Montana were estimated to 

 have fewer than 200 plants per site. 



2. Reproductive biology: In nature, reproduction is 

 primarily by seed but in cultivation columbines can be 

 propagated by crown divisions. No seed dormancy is 

 reported for columbines, however the seeds are slow to 

 germinate, requiring a steady supply of moisture (Bailey 

 1950). At the Timber Butte site on July 6, ca. 20% of 

 the plants were flowering and ca. 80% were vegetative. 

 At the Kelmbeck Canyon site, on July 29, ca. 50% of the 

 plants were vegetative and ca. 50% had mature fruit; seed 

 from many capsules was already dispersed. 



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