Common native and invasive wetlands plants in Montana, Version 2

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Abstract:

Booklet was developed by the Montana DEQ Wetland Program. It is divided into sections based on the growth habits described by the USDA Plant Database, including forbs, graminoids, shrubs and trees. <br>

The intended purpose of this booklet is to help the non-botanist identify potential wetland areas based on the plants present. This booklet is not meant to be used for identifying the jurisdictional boundaries of wetlands, but rather to identify potential wetlands that may need further evaluation by a trained wetland scientist. The geographic designation of the booklet is statewide with the state split into the major land resource areas (MLRA) used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.There are three MLRA in Montana: Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coastal Region; Arid West Region; and the Great Plains Region. The Western Mountains Region encompasses all of mountainous areas in Montana, as well as the isolated mountainous areas in Eastern Montana. The Great Plains region encompasses everything east of the Western Mountains except for a small section in Carbon County. This booklet is intended to be used in areas that are more likely to see impacts from human activities; for example subdivisions, roads, and other human caused land-use changes. Areas less likely to experience human impacts, such as high alpine wetlands, are not the focus of this booklet and may exhibit a different set of common wetland plants. <br>

The common wetland plant booklet is broken into two main categories; native wetland plants and invasive plants, and three sub-categories; forbs, graminoids, and shrubs/trees. Over 2500 plant species have been identified in Montana and over half of these species are found in wetland and riparian areas. This booklet describes 30 common native species or genera that are facultative wetland or obligate, and 19 common invasive species that may be found in wetlands. “Common” was defined as a 60% or greater chance of encountering a species in any given wetland and is subjective. The native species descriptions include both individual plant species and the larger grouping of plant genera. Genera are described, with common species listed,when the defining plant characteristics are similar among the individual species and all of the species listed are facultative wetland or obligate. For example, the genus Carex (sedges) is described because there are over 100 different Carex species that are present in the Rocky Mountain region, six are frequently encountered in Montana’s wetlands. Native species that are strictly aquatic or riparian are not described in this booklet. It is possible, over the geographic range of a species in Montana, for a species to be facultative wetland in one locale and strictly riparian in another. <br>

Notes:

Reference Code: B12CAR01IDUS <br>

Full Citation: Carpenedo, S.M. and Saul, L.A. 2012. Common Native and Invasive Wetlands Plants in Montana, Version 2. Montana Department ofEnvironmental Quality, Wetland Program. Helena, MT. 121 pp. <br>

Location: FLORISTIC SHELF – GENERAL; ELECTRONIC FILE - BOTANY: OTHER <br>