2014 Tongass National Forest Monitoring and Evaluation Report

12. Biodiversity Ecosystem: Rare Plants

Goal: Maintain ecosystems capable of supporting the full range of native and desired non-native plant
species and ecological processes. Maintain a mix of representative habitats at different spatial and
temporal scales. Prevent plant species from becoming listed as threatened, endangered, or sensitive.
Objective: Determine the status and trends of rare and sensitive plant populations and habitat in order to
help inform management decisions.
Background: According to the Alaska Natural Heritage Program database of rare plants, the Tongass
National Forest is home to ninety-nine rare vascular plant species (generally those with a global rarity
rank of G1 to G3 and/or subnational rank of S1 to S3), including fifteen plant and one lichen species
listed on the Alaska Regional Forester’s 2009 sensitive species list.

Biodiversity Ecosystem Question: What are the cumulative effects of changes to

habitats that sustain rare plants?
Evaluation Criteria
Prince of Wales Island Rare Plant Population Monitoring
One of the management goals for rare plants on the Tongass National Forest is to maintain the persistence
of populations of these species. To help support this monitoring goal, population monitoring has been
implemented on Prince of Wales Island, which includes both the Craig and Thorne Bay Ranger Districts.
Monitoring is currently focused on two species designated by the US Forest Service Alaska Region as
sensitive: lesser round-leaved orchid (Planthera orbiculata), and large yellow lady’s slipper
(Cypripedium parviflora var. pubescens). Whiteflower rein orchid (Piperia candida), which is not listed
as sensitive but is considered rare on the Tongass, was also monitored. Monitoring of lung lichen
(Lobaria amplissima), also a sensitive species, was discontinued in 2014.
For lesser round-leaved orchid and whiteflower rein orchid, one 500m2 permanent sample plot was
installed in each of a randomly chosen subset of the populations of each species. Sample plots in 11 lesser
round-leaved orchid populations and 5 whiteflower rein orchid populations were measured annually
beginning in 2011. Two populations of large yellow lady’s slipper were measured annually by full census
rather than sampling. Attributes that were monitored in 2014 include presence or absence of the species
and density (number of individuals per hectare).
The sampling objective for rare plant population monitoring is to detect a decrease of 20 percent or more
in frequency of occurrence or density of populations, by species, with 80 percent confidence. Change in
species canopy cover was monitored in previous years but has been discontinued because of the high
variance resulting from the difficulty of accurately measuring individual plants of these physically small
species. The sampling objective is being evaluated during the current pilot sampling period, and the above
parameters may be modified if necessary to achieve objectives within current and projected budget and
personnel constraints.
The data collected from the sample plots were summarized to determine the amount of annual change in
the above parameters for each species (Table 1). A one-tailed, paired sample t-test was applied to test the
null hypothesis of no decrease in density (number of individuals per hectare). The alpha level used to
determine significance was 0.20. A McNemar’s test for proportions was applied to determine if a change
in frequency of occurrence of a species in the sites is statistically significant.

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Dune Tansy Population Monitoring

The only known population of dune tansy (Tanacetum bipinnatum ssp. huronense) on National Forest
System lands in the Alaska Region is located on Kruzof Island. It is found in an upper beach meadow in
in area used by off-road vehicles (ORVs). Other than on a designated beach access trail, ORV use is
prohibited on the beach meadows, and barriers have been set up to prevent ORV access. The churning of
vehicle wheels can damage and destroy meadow vegetation, including the dune tansy. Even though ORVs
are prohibited on the beach meadows, numerous informal trails now run from the forest across the
meadows to the beach. Heavy surf and erosion by a nearby stream have also affected the population by
causing progressive erosion of the beach meadow habitat.
The site was revisited in May 2014 to assess the condition of the population and its habitat. The footprint
of the remaining population was measured. Habitat loss from beach erosion was also measured, using 8
transects that were established at the back of the beach meadow for this purpose. However, because some
transects were mostly in unsuitable habitat, only five were used to estimate habitat loss.

Monitoring Results
Prince of Wales Island Rare Plant Population Monitoring
Lesser Round-leaved Orchid. The average population density of the two sampled sensitive species in
2013 and 2014 are summarized in Biodiversity Ecosystems Table 1. The results for lesser round-leaved
orchid indicate a slight decrease in density of one percent from 2013 to 2014 (t(10) = 1.838, p = 0.4289 ),
and an increase of nine percent in frequency of occurrence (chi-squared = 0, df = 1, p = 1). Changes in
both parameters were not statistically significant.
Whiteflower Rein Orchid. The observed increase in mean density (individuals/ha) in the sample plots
was not statistically significant (t(4) = -0.4436, p = 0.6599). Since there was no change in the frequency
of occurrence between 2013 and 2014, a significance test for presence/absence was not performed.

Biodiversity Ecosystem Table 1. Average density (individuals per hectare) of lesser round-leaved orchid and
whiteflower rein orchid populations in 2013 and 2014.
2013 2014
Standard Standard
Species Mean Mean
Deviation Deviation
Lesser round-leaved orchid 162 324 160 304
Whiteflower rein orchid 204 169 276 396

Large Yellow Lady’s Slipper. Large yellow lady’s slipper occurs on three sites on the Tongass National
Forest, all of which are on Prince of Wales Island. One of the populations is located in a remote area with
very difficult access. Due to the low number of known populations, a full census was conducted at the
two accessible sites in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, the two populations had a total of 36 individuals. In 2014,
the total number of individuals decreased in both populations, with an overall total of 27 individuals
recorded. A 25 percent decrease from 2013.
Dune Tansy Population Monitoring
The dune tansy site was revisited in late spring of 2014 to document the effects of ORV traffic and beach
erosion on the dune tansy population. The barriers are apparently keeping ORVs away from the
population. However, natural erosion is continuing at the site and threatening the persistence of the
population (Photo 1).

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Biodiversity Ecosystem Photo 1. Erosion of beach meadow habitat on North Beach at Kruzof Island. Pin flags mark
dune tansy plants in imminent danger of being lost to erosion. Some of these plants were transplanted to other
suitable areas along the beach.

In 2013, the area occupied by the remaining dune tansy population was estimated to be 1,125 square feet.
The 2014 estimated population size had decreased to 950 square feet, a loss of 16 percent. This is in
addition to an estimated 30 percent of habitat lost between 2012 and 2013. Habitat loss from beach
erosion along re-measured transects averaged 9.6 feet, for an average loss of 15 percent.
In 2013, beach erosion had reached the dune tansy population, and plants in imminent danger of loss were
salvaged and transplanted to other portions of the beach meadow with less threat from erosion. In 2014,
25 stems of transplanted plants were observed in four locations along the beach. Also, additional
threatened plants were salvaged and transplanted in habitat at a neighboring beach.

Evaluation of Results
Prince of Wales Island Rare Plant Population Monitoring
Results indicate no significant change in lesser round-leaved orchid population density from 2013 to
2014. Monitoring data from two previous years had
indicated a significant annual decrease in density.
This previous downward trend might have been
related to periodic dormancy. Substantial numbers
of individuals of this species can become dormant
for one or more years, and then continue growth in
subsequent years. Although results suggest the
decline in population density has stopped, continued
monitoring would be necessary to evaluate the long-
term trends in population density. Monitoring data
for whiteflower rein orchid populations also did not
show a significant change in average density from
2013 to 2014.
Census results show a 25 percent decrease from last Biodiversity Ecosystem Photo 2. Large yellow lady’s
year in total individuals in the two populations of slipper population located next to an active forest road,
large yellow lady’s slipper. This is in contrast to the northern Prince of Wales Island.
20 percent increase recorded between 2012 and

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2013. Fluctuations on annual stem production may be due to natural periodic dormancy of individuals.
Continued monitoring is necessary to determine long term trends in these populations. Both monitored
populations are very small, and they may be at risk as they occur adjacent to actively used forest roads
(Photo 2). They could potentially be damaged by vehicles and from road maintenance activities, as well
as from the spread of invasive plants in the road rights-of-way.
Dune Tansy Population Monitoring
Although the newly erected barriers are apparently helping to keep ORV traffic away from the dune tansy
population and habitat, stream and beach erosion is continuing to impact the meadow habitat, and
threatening loss of individual plants. Continued stream and beach erosion of habitat is likely unavoidable
and could eventually destroy the existing population. Salvage and transplanting threatened plants to
adjacent suitable habitat is a strategy to prevent extirpation of this species on the Tongass.
This species, with a conservation status of G5S4 due to its relative common occurrence elsewhere in
Alaska and globally, was removed from the Alaska Natural Heritage Program rare plant tracking list in
2012. Consultation amongst professionals both within and outside the Forest Service concludes that as the
only known location of this plant in the region, it makes a significant contribution to the biodiversity of
the Tongass. While dune tansy has a broad range, its distribution is disjunct. With such large gaps among
populations, it is likely that each population is on an independent evolutionary trajectory.

Action Plan
Work will continue in the revision of the transition of the Forest Plan monitoring to the 2012 Planning
Rule, including evaluating the need for this monitoring question relative to the criteria established in the
Rule. If needed, a revised rare plant monitoring question will be developed along with revisions to the
monitoring protocols.
Prince of Wales Island Rare Plant Population Monitoring
Monitoring of the Prince of Wales rare plant populations will continue in 2015, as personnel and
resources allow. After data are collected in 2015, an analysis will be conducted to evaluate the five-year
population trends of the monitored species.
During field surveys in 2014, an additional population of large yellow lady’s slipper containing seven
individuals was discovered growing along a roadside in northern Prince of Wales Island. This population
will be included in the monitoring of this species in 2015.
Dune Tansy Population Monitoring
In 2014, the Sitka Ranger District developed a management strategy for this population. In 2015, the
population and its habitat will be re-measured, and the survival of the salvaged plants will be monitored.
We will also perform any needed maintenance of ORV barrier fences and beach closure signage.

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