Establishing GLORIA in the Lemhi Mountains, Idaho, for Long-Term Monitoring of Alpine Vegetation

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The alpine zone represents an ecosystem at a climate extreme; one that is very temperature dependent and predicted to be a sensitive indicator to climatic changes. GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments) is a program to establish and maintain a worldwide, long-term monitoring network for comparative study of climate change impacts on mountain vegetation and its biodiversity. The GLORIA monitoring program aims to document vegetation changes over time in alpine environments using plots established on a set of summits that represent a low to high alpine elevational gradient within a target region. In 2018, we established the first GLORIA target region in Idaho, in the Lemhi Mountains. Plot establishment and baseline sampling was completed on three summits – Bruce Canyon Peak, Spring Mountain, and Sheep Mountain, all located south of the historic mining town of Gilmore. GLORIA summits ranged from 3066 m (10050 ft) for Bruce Canyon Peak, to 3312 m (10865 ft) elevation at Sheep Mountain, a gradient extending from a short distance upslope of the treeline ecotone to the regional upper alpine. <br>

Sampling recorded a total of 82 vascular plant species at the 3 GLORIA summits, including 1 tree, 2 shrub, 13 graminoid, and 66 forb species. Spring Mountain had the most floristic diversity with 66 species, followed by Bruce Canyon Peak with 44 species, and Sheep Mountain with 35 species. Bruce Canyon Peak had the highest, Sheep Mountain the lowest, and Spring Mountain an intermediate amount of vegetation cover. Vegetation cover on each summit was dominated by graminoid species, specifically Carex elynoides at Bruce Canyon Peak, Calamagrostis purpurascens with lesser amounts of Carex elynoides and Carex rupestris at Spring Mountain, and Carex rupestris at Sheep Mountain. Forb diversity was relatively high at each summit, but with only a few species contributing more than trace cover. Spring Mountain had a few Taraxacum officinale plants, the only non-native plant species recorded at a GLORIA site. Two species of conservation concern in Idaho were recorded at the GLORIA summits. Cymopterus douglassii was one of the more widespread and common forbs at Sheep Mountain, but absent from the other two summits. A solitary, small Pinus albicaulis was found on the eastern upper slope of Spring Mountain tucked beneath a shelf of exposed bedrock. A few alive and dead 2018 Pinus albicaulis seedlings were observed on Sheep Mountain. <br>

High elevation ecosystems in Idaho are important for watershed, wildlife, biodiversity, aesthetic, and other values. GLORIA monitoring is relevant for Idaho because alpine habitat is relatively limited in distribution and extent in the state. Loss/contraction of alpine habitat due to climatic changes has the potential to seriously impact Idaho’s high elevation biota. GLORIA monitoring can provide land managers and others interested in high elevation ecosystems a better understanding of the relationships linking climate change and alpine biodiversity. It provides a program to help document, monitor, and assess possible long-term shifts and vulnerabilities to alpine vegetation in the Lemhi and other nearby mountain ranges. This information has the potential to inform and help guide future conservation activities benefiting Idaho’s iconic alpine landscapes. <br>

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Reference Code: U19MAN02IDUS <br>

Full Citation: Mancuso, M. and R. Lehman. 2019. Establishing GLORIA in the Lemhi Mountains, Idaho, for Long-Term Monitoring of Alpine Vegetation. Report prepared for the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Idaho Falls, ID and Salmon-Challis National Forest, Salmon, ID. 25 pp. plus appendices. <br>

Location: ELECTRONIC FILE - BOTANY: OTHER <br>

Keywords: GLORIA, Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments, Idaho <br>