Monitoring an endangered plant species at Wilson

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Monitoring an endangered plant species at
Wilsons Creek National BattlefieldThe
importance of spatial data

• John R. Boetsch
• Brian Witcher
• Lisa Thomas

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Missouri bladderpodLesquerella filiformis Rollins
photo NPS archive
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Missouri bladderpod

• listed Federally Endangered in 1987
• narrow endemic - 62 populations in 5 counties of
  sw Missouri and nw Arkansas
• threatened by habitat alteration development
• winter annual
• germinates in fall, flowers following spring
• population size fluctuates from year to year

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Local concerns

• five populations at WICR
• encroaching woody vegetation
• exotic species establishment
• largest population at a site of great historical
  significance
• how to manage for species and interpretive value
  simultaneously?

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Monitoring objectives

• How does abundance fluctuate over time?
• Which factors are driving abundance changes?
• How is limestone glade habitat changing?

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Annual abundance estimates
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Missouri bladderpod abundance
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Grid-based survey

• sampling grid covers large portion of glade
• visit every 5 x 5 meter grid cell
• estimate number of individuals in each cell
• simultaneous collection of habitat data for each
  grid cell
• collection at 1-m scale in core habitat

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Grid-based survey
1997
1998
Missouri bladderpod
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Grid-based survey
1997
1998
Annual brome grass
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Grid-based survey - 1998
Annual brome
Hop clover
Missouri bladderpod
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Grid-based survey - 1998
Decid. tree shrub
Eastern red cedar
Missouri bladderpod
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Grid-based survey - 1998
Pebbles gravel
Native forbs
Missouri bladderpod
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Grid-based survey - analysis
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Grid-based survey - analysis
Annual brome grass
Hop clover
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Grid-based survey - analysis
Spearmans rank correlations
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1-meter data for Bloody Hill glade
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1-meter data for 1998
.576
Pebbles and gravel
Missouri bladderpod
-.375
Deciduous trees shrubs
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Scale of observation influences correlations
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Scale of observation influences correlations
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Spatial autocorrelation of abundance
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Habitat is variable at small scales
photo K. Mlekush
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Extensive versus intensive monitoring?

• fine-scale data important for detecting
  meaningful patterns
• habitat management across broad area

• must balance sample grain and extent

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Utility of correlations
Competitive displacement?
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Advantages of spatial census

• snapshot of spatial abundance patterns
• identify core areas, map monitor habitat change
• detect expansion in extent
• spatial correlation analyses
• stratification of small-scale monitoring

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Demographic monitoring
photo K. Mlekush
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Demographic monitoring
photo K. Mlekush
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Understanding Missouri bladderpod life cycle
viability
Seed bank
germination
reproduction
Mature plants
Germinated seedlings
survival growth
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Most transition rates depend on microhabitat
viability
Seed bank
germination
reproduction
Microhabitat
Mature plants
Germinated seedlings
survival growth
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Unfinished business

• develop analytical methods in a monitoring
  context
• improved synthesis and reporting