site Basic Record 

 JOHNSON CREEK EXCLOSURE 



From Wise River (town), proceed west along State Highway 43 ca. 7.5 miles to a bridge crossing 

 the Big Hole River. Ca. 0.2 mile after the bridge turn right onto a gravel road. Follow this 

 road 3.5 miles to Johnson Creek. Take the first left off Johnson Creek road (0.2 mile from the 

 Big Hole River). Follow this road 1 mile to exclosure. 



The exclosure occurs on a wide ridge on quartzite derived soils. The exclosure was established 

 in 1968 (pens, comm., Jack Jones, BLM, Butte). Approximate dimensions are 45m x 45m x 2.5m (0.5 

 acres). The vegetation within the exclosure is of the Artemisia tridentata/Festuca idahoensis 

 community type. The surrounding vegetation outside the exclosure is a degraded (by grazing) 

 version of the type with less than half the total grass cover in the exclosure (70%). A 

 contiguous 0.5-acre exclosure with a cattle exclusion fence exhibits intermediate degradation 

 relative to the exclosure with the 2.5m-tall fence and the surrounding open range. 



COUNTY: Silver Bow 



uses QUADRANGLE: DICKIE HILLS 



TOWNSHIP-RANGE: 001N011W SECTION: 18 

 QUARTER/ADDITIONAL SECTIONS: NW4SW4 



BOUNDING RECTANGLE: S: N: E: W: 



BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION: 



APPROXIMATE ACREAGE: 1.00 



GENERAL RATING: 5 



No G3 element present. 



BIODIVERSITY SIGNIFICANCE: 84 



High-quality occurrence of a common community type, protected in a small (1 acre) exclosure. 



OTHER VALUES: V4 



PROTECTION URGENCY: P5 



Continue current excellent maintenance of exclosure fencing. 



MANAGEMENT URGENCY: M4 



Consider reducing livestock stocking on adjacent lands since heavy grazing on these lands will 

 likely eventually impact this small exclosure via edge effects. 



CONSERVATION INTENT: Maintain as an exclosure. 



PROTECTION COMMENTS: Protected as an exclosure by the BLM since 1968. 



LAND USE: The site has been protected from grazing by large herbivores (e.g., cattle, deer, elk, 



antelope) in the 2.5m fenced exclosure; cattle from the the short fenced exclosure since 1968. 



NATURAL HAZARDS: None. 



EXOTICS: No exotic species currently appear to pose a threat to this site. 



OFF-SITE LAND USES: Surrounding lands are being heavily grazed by cattle. The exclosure is small 



enough that degradation of adjacent lands by heavy grazing may eventually impact 

 this site via hydrologic alteration, shifts in surrounding seed pools, and 

 movement of sediment to site from adjacent areas with enhanced erosion. 



INFORMATION NEEDS: The BLM monitors this exclosure. Contact the BLM office in Butte for periodic 

 updates on vegetation characteristics. 



MANAGEMENT NEEDS: Consider reducing livestock numbers on adjacent lands to protect the integrity 

 of the exclosure. 



MANAGEMENT COMMENTS: 



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