Montana Native Plant Society

Montana's native plants and their communities

Instagram logo with link to mnps instagram account

 

“…to preserve, conserve, and study Montana’s native plants and plant communities.”

Your gift directly affects our ability to fund scholarships & research grants.

Threats

Threat assignments for Montana Species of Concern

A committee was formed at the 2006 MNPS Plant Conservation Conference to assess the threats to plant species of concern (SOC) listed by the Montana Natural Heritage Program and to rank them by severity. Information about the severity, scope and immediacy of each threat was analyzed for ~70% of the plants on the list. These plants were assigned a threat ranking.

  • Category 1 (Highly Threatened) – Threat(s) have caused/could cause a major reduction of the state population or habitat that will require 50 years or more for recovery, and 20% or more of the state population has been or will be affected, and the threat is likely to occur within 5 years or less.
  • Category 2 (Threatened) – Threat(s) exist but are not as severe, wide-ranging or immediate as for Category 1.
  • Category 3 (Insignificant Threats or No Threats Known) – Either no known threats, or “Severity” or “Scope” is rated as insignificant.
  • Not Ranked was assigned to those species that have not yet been ranked due to lack of information or conflicting information.

Impacts or potential effects associated with global climate change or global warming were not considered in this assessment. 

If you have information to contribute, please read the instructions and fill out the downloadable form —
after you click the link, look for the form in the Downloads folder on your device.

Allium geyeria v geyeri

Summary of threat rankings

243 species originally assessed

  • Category 1 (Highly Threatened) – 25, or 10% of the species
  • Category 2 (Threatened) – 65, or 27% of the species
  • Category 3 (Insignificant Threats or No Threats Known) – 138, or 57% of the species
  • Not Ranked due to insufficient or conflicting information – 15, or 6% of the species

February 2018 rankings

For more information about each species, visit the online Montana Field Guide.  In 2018, about 30 changes were made to the Threats list: Threat List Taxonomic Revisions 2018.

Category 1 species (Highly threatened)

Click to see list of Highly Threatened species

Arctostaphylos patula – 5, 19
Astragalus oreganus – 2, 12, 16
Athysanus pusillus – 8, 13, 22
Boechera fecunda – 3, 5, 8, 12
Brickellia oblongifolia – 12
Carex comosa – 6
Carex sychnocephala – 5, 6
Cirsium longistylum – 8, 26, 27
Cypripedium fasciculatum – 28, 19, 27
Glossopetalon spinescens (G. Nevadense) – 13, 20, 22
Grindelia howellii – 5, 8, 12, 27
Idahoa scapigera – 8, 13, 22

Oxytropis campestris var. Columbiana – 5
Pedicularis crenulata – 1
Physaria carinata – 8
Physaria lesicii – 2
Primula alcalina – 2, 6, 27
Quercus macrocarpa – 17
Ranunculus orthorynchus – 8, 13
Senecio amplectens – 22
Sidalcea oregana – 8, 22
Silene spaldingii – 2, 5, 8, 9
Triniteurybia aberrans – 13, 20, 22

Category 2 species (Threatened)

Click to see list of Threatened species

Astragalus barrii – 3, 8, 18
Astragalus ceramicus var. apus – 9, 12
Astragalus convallarius – 5, 8, 12
Botrychium ascendens – 5, 8, 24
Botrychium crenulatum – 5, 8, 19, 22, 24, 25
Botrychium hesperium – 8, 19, 22, 25
Botrychium pallidum – 8
Botrychium paradoxum – 2, 8, 13
Brayia humilis – 16
Carex craweii – 22
Carex gravida – 2, 8
Carex idahoa – 2, 3, 6, 8
Carex lacustris – 6
Carex plectocarpa – 4, 13
Castilleja covilleana – 8, 19, 22
Castilleja exilis – 6
Clarkia rhomboidea – 9, 28, 27
Cryptantha fendleri – 9, 12
Cypripedium parviflorum – 2, 5, 6
Cypripedium passerinum – 5, 8, 28, 13, 25
Draba densifolia – 2, 8, 12, 13, 22
Drosera anglica – 5, 6, 8, 28, 23

Elymus flavescens – 11, 12
Epipactis gigantea – 6, 7, 8, 28, 21
Erigeron linearis – 5, 8, 27
Eriophorum gracile – 5, 6, 8, 21
Gentianopsis macounii – 6
Goodyera repens – 19
Heteranthera dubia – 6, 14
Heterocodon rariflorum – 8, 12, 13, 25
Howellia aquatilis – 5, 6, 8, 28, 19
Juncus acuminatus – 6
Kochia americana – 1, 6
Lagophylla ramosissima – 8
Lomatium nuttallii – 2, 3, 8, 18
Lomatogonium rotatum – 2, 6
Mertensia bella – 16
Mimulus nanus – 8, 19, 22
Nuttallanthus texanus – 16
Penstemon lemhiensis – 2, 8, 9, 22, 27
Petasites frigidus – 28, 13, 22, 25
Phlegopteris connectilis – 5, 6, 8, 19
Phlox kelseyi var. missoulensis – 5, 8, 13

Physaria didymocarpa var. lanata – 2, 8, 18
Physaria douglasii – 6, 12
Physaria humilis – 5, 13, 25
Polygonum austinae (P. douglasii ssp austinae) – 8
Potamogeton obtusifolius – 2, 5, 14
Primula incana – 2, 6, 27
Prunus pumila – 20, 22
Puccinelia lemmonii – 2, 8
Ranunculus cardiophyllus – 8
Ranunculus pedatifidus – 8, 17
Sandbergia perplexa – 8, 19, 22
Scheuchzeria palustris – 5, 6, 8, 27
Schoenoplectus subterminalis – 5, 28, 14
Spiranthes diluvialis – 2, 5, 8
Stenogonum salsuginosum – 16
Thalictrum alpinum – 2, 3, 6
Townsendia condensata – 13
Trichophorum alpinum – 13, 25
Trifolium eriocephalum – 8, 19, 22
Trifolium gymnocarpon – 8, 19, 22
Vaccinium myrtilloides – 5, 19
Viburnum lentago – 28

Category 3 species (Insignificant Levels or No Known Threats)

Click to see list of species with Insignificant Levels or No Known Threats

Alnus rubra
Astragalus aretioides
Astragalus geyeri
Astragalus lackschewitzii
Astragalus racemosus
Astragalus scaphoides
Astragalus terminalis
Atriplex truncata
Bacopa rotundifolia
Balsamorhiza hookeri
Balsamorhiza macrophylla
Bidens beckii
Boechera demissa
Botrychium pedunculosum
Camissonia andina
Camissonia parvula
Cardamine oligosperma var. kamtschatica
Cardamine rupicola
Carex chordorhiza
Carex incurviformis
Carex petricosa
Carex rostrata
Carex tenuiflora
Cercocarpus montanus
Claytonia arenicola
Cleome lutea
Cryptantha scoparia
Dalea enneandra
Delphinium bicolor var. calcicola
Downingia laeta
Draba crassa
Draba daviesiae
Draba macounii
Draba porsildii

Draba ventosa
Drosera linearis
Dryopteris cristata
Eleocharis rostellata
Elodea bifoliata (E. longivaginata)
Elymus innovatus
Ericameria discoidea
Ericameria parryi
Erigeron allocotus
Erigeron asperugineus
Erigeron flabellifolius
Erigeron lackschewitzii
Erigeron leiomerus
Erigeron parryi
Erigeron radicatus
Erigeron tener
Eriogonum brevicaule var. canum
Eriogonum caespitosum
Eriogonum soliceps
Eriogonum visheri
Eriophorum callitrix
Euphrasia subarctica (E. arctica)
Festuca vivipara
Gentiana glauca
Gentianopsis simplex
Githopsis specularioides
Gratiola ebracteata
Gymnosteris parvula
Hornungia procumbens
Ipomopsis congesta var. crebrifolia
Juncus albescens
Juncus hallii
Kalmia polifolia
Kobresia sibirica
Kobresia simpliciuscula
Koenigia islandica

Leptodactylon caespitosum
Lewisia columbiana
Liparis loeselii
Lomatium attenuatum
Lycopodium denroideum
Lycopodiella inundata
Lycopodium lagopus
Malacothrix torreyi
Mentzelia pumila
Mimulus breviflorus
Mimulus primuloides
Nama densum
Noccaea parviflorum
Nymphaea tetragona
Ophioglossum pusillum
Oxytropis deflexa var. foliosa
Oxytropis lagopus var. conjugens
Oxytropis parryi
Oxytropis podocarpa
Papaver radicatum
Papaver pygmaeum
Pedicularis contorta var. ctneophora
Pedomelum hypogaeum
Penstemon angustifolius
Penstemon caryi
Penstemon flavescens
Phacelia incana
Phippsia algida
Phlox andicola
Physaria brassicoides
Physaria klausii
Physaria pulchella

Pleiacanthus spinosus
Potentilla brevifolia
Potentilla hyparctica
Potentilla uniflora
Psilocarphus brevissimus
Pyrrocoma carthamoides var. subsquarrosa
Ranunculus gelidus
Ribes velutinum
Sagina nivalis
Salix barratiana
Salix serissima
Saussurea densa
Saussurea weberi
Saxifraga apetala
Saxifraga hirculus
Saxifraga tempestiva
Selaginella selaginoides
Shoshonea pulvinata
Sisyrinchium septentrionale
Sphaeralcea munroana
Sphaeromeria argentea
Sphaeromeria capitata
Sullivantia hapemanii
Synthyris canbyi
Thelypodium sagittatum
Tofieldia pusilla
Townsendia florifer
Townsendia spathulata
Trichophorum cespitosum
Trichophorum pumilum
Utricularia intermedia
Viguiera multiflora

Species Not Ranked due to insufficient or conflicting information

Click to see list of Species Not Ranked

Botrychium campestre – 8
Botrychium lineare – 8, 15, 22, 27
Brasenia schreberi – 1, 14
Carex prairea – 6
Chenopodium subglabrum – 9, 11
Corydalis sempervirens – 8, 9, 28, 19
Cyperus schweinitzii – 11

Dryas integrifolia – 12
Eupatorium maculatum – 8
Grayia spinosa – 2
Lomatium geyeri – 8, 19
Potentilla plattensis – 2, 8
Rotala ramosior – 7

List of Threats

Click to see list of Threats
  1.  Agricultural practices
  2.  Domestic livestock foraging
  3.  Domestic livestock trampling
  4.  Facilities development
  5.  Habitat conversion/loss/development
  6.  Hydrologic alteration
  7.  Hydrologic development
  8.  Invasive species
  9.  Lack of disturbance (fire suppression)
  10.  Lack of disturbance (natural flooding)
  11.  Lack of disturbance (soil disturbance)
  12.  Recreation (ATV/ORV use)
  13.  Recreation (human trampling)
  14.  Recreation (motorboats)
  1.  Recreation (other motorized)
  2.  Resource development (ore mining)
  3.  Resource development (oil and gas)
  4.  Resource development (coal bed methane)
  5.  Resource development (timber management)
  6.  Resource development (rock quarry)
  7.  Resource development (peat mining)
  8.  Road construction and maintenance
  9.  Ski area development
  10.  Soil compaction
  11.  Trail construction
  12.  Weed treatment (biological control)
  13.  Weed treatment (herbicide control)
  14.  Other