Plant associations and related botanical inventory of the Beaverhead Mountains Section, Montana

Call Number:

URL:

Keywords:

Abstract:

This project represents a comprehensive effort to identify and document all plant community types present in the Montana portion of the Beaverhead Mountains Ecoregional Section. The study area is an ecoregion defined by R.G. Bailey that extends from the Centennial Mountains south of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana, west to the Continental Divide along the Beaverhead Mountains and includes the headwaters of the Beaverhead, Madison, and Clarks Fork River. Our goal for this project was to compile ecology plot data, validate and refine existing plant association types and combine them into a new classification following the National Vegetation Classification Standard. We tapped a number of previous and ongoing studies, and conducted extensive plant community surveys during 1998 field season. The result is a classification documenting 273 plant communities in the Beaverhead Mountains Section of southwest Montana. This classification has three major components. The first is a complete list of 273 plant associations with state and global Heritage ranks that reflect their conservation status. The second component is a dichotomous plant association key organized by physiognomic type. The key is arranged according to the National Vegetation Classification, using the concept of forest, woodland, shrubland, and herbaceous vegetation, and includes a number of newly identified vegetation types. The third component consists of standardized descriptions for 130 plant associations.

Notes:

ELECTRONIC FILE - Ecology

Recommended citation: Cooper, S. V., Jean, C. and B. L. Heidel. 1999. Plant associations and related botanical inventory of the Beaverhead Mountains Section, Montana. Unpublished report to the
Bureau of Land Management. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena. 235 pp. [Note this page number is incorrect as it is within Appendix D, followed by 10 more numbered pages.]

SWAP (2/19/2016) citation:
Cooper SV, Jean C, Heidel B. 1999. Plant associations and related botanical inventory of the Beaverhead Mountains Section, Montana. Report prepared for US Bureau of Land Management. Helena (MT): Montana Natural Heritage Program. 193 p. + app. BLM Agreement No.: 1422E930OA960015. [accessed 2015 Dec 21]. http://mtnhp.org/plants/reports/1999_beaverhead_report.pdf.