Montana Plant Species of Concern Report

The Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP) serves as the state's information source for Species of Concern (SOC) -- plants and animals that are rare, threatened, and/or have declining populations and as a result are at risk or potentially at risk of extirpation in Montana. This report is based on information gathered from field inventories, publications, reports, herbaria specimens, and the knowledge of botanists and other taxonomic experts. Taxa in the SOC category generally include all vascular plant taxa ranked S1, S2, S3 or SH. Nonvascular taxa (bryophytes and lichens) which are not as well documented or studied as vascular plant taxa in the state, are listed as SOC using similar criteria as vascular taxa but are more strictly limited to those taxa which are believed to be the rarest or most vulnerable to extirpation based on current information. Designation as a Species of Concern is not a statutory or regulatory classification. Instead, these designations provide a basis for resource managers and decision-makers to make proactive decisions regarding species conservation and data collection priorities in order to maintain viable populations and avoid extirpation of species from the state. MTNHP may designate additional taxa as Potential Species of Concern (PSOC). Taxa in this designation include species or subspecies which may be rare, have a restricted range in the state or are otherwise vulnerable to extirpation in at least part of their range but otherwise do not meet the criteria for inclusion as a SOC. An additional designation of Status Under Review is used for those taxa for which additional information is needed to accurately assign a status rank or for which conflicting information exists. Taxa designated as Status Under Review are not included in this document but can be found in the on-line Fieldguide (http://fieldguide.mt.gov/). This web-based report, which replaces the 2006 Plant Species of Concern publication, identifies vascular plant Species of Concern (SOC), bryophyte SOC and lichen SOC in Montana. The MTNHP continuously reviews and updates status ranks as new information and data become available through field surveys, research, and submitted observations. Status ranks and information supporting them are reviewed by botanists and resource specialists. If you wish to comment or contribute information to this process please contact the MTNHP Botanist. The information we receive from botanists and others throughout the state is essential in this process, and contributes to more accurate assessments of species' status. We continue to ask that all observations for SOC, PSOC and Review Status plants be reported to the Heritage Program. A copy of the field survey form specifying the information that should be submitted is available on our website (http://mtnhp.org/). Information concerning plant species contained on the SOC, PSOC or Review lists may be viewed on the MTNHP's on-line Montana Plant Field Guide. The Field Guide provides information for vascular and non-vascular plants, including species' characteristics, identification, habitat, distribution, state rank reasons and references, as well as technical illustrations and photographs of the plants and their habitats. For each species, a link to the NatureServe website (http://www.natureserve.org/) provides access to information on the status of the species throughout North America, assembled from state and provincial Natural Heritage databases. Information in the Montana Field Guide is continuously updated and expanded, so please check it often for current species' information. If you have questions concerning the field guide or find errors or omissions please contact the MTNHP. Status lists of SOC plants may be queried on-line by county and/or township; taxonomic group or one of several rank/status criteria.