Missouri Bladderpod Monitoring
The Missouri bladderpod is restricted to the Springfield Plateau of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas (NatureServe 2005). When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the plant as endangered in 1987, only nine Missouri bladderpod sites were known from Dade, Greene, and Christian Counties in Missouri (USFWS 1986). A recovery plan was developed following this listing. The federal status was downlisted to threatened in 2003 following the discovery of 52 additional populations in Missouri and two populations in Izard and Washington Counties in Arkansas (USFWS 2003). NatureServe ranks Missouri bladderpod as a G2 species, indicating global rarity. In Missouri, the Missouri bladderpod is ranked as an S3 species (rare to uncommon in state), while the Arkansas S-rank is an S1 species (extremely rare in state). The Missouri bladderpod is protected in the Wildlife Code of Missouri.
Given the natural rarity of the Missouri bladderpod, proper stewardship of existing habitat is critical for the conservation of the species. Possible threats to the Missouri bladderpod may include encroachment of woody vegetation in glade habitat due to fire suppression, competition from invasive non-native plants (especially grasses), conversion of rocky sites to pasture, herbicide application, right-of-way maintenance, haying, trampling from humans (Thomas and Willson 1992) or livestock, and habitat destruction from development (USFWS 2003). Moderate disturbance from mowing or grazing may benefit Missouri bladderpod populations. To date, no instances of local extinction due to non-native plant invasion have been documented (USFWS 2003). Based on the best available evidence, a combination of mechanical clearing and prescribed burning appears to be the preferred management tool for stimulating reproduction in Missouri bladderpod populations (USFWS 2003). However, managers must manipulate habitats judiciously given that microsite characteristics promoting plant survival and flowering shift from year to year (Thomas 1996).
Reports
Monitoring Questions and Approach
- How does abundance fluctuate over time?
- Annual censuses to track the abundance of the species through time. Population size has been observed to fluctuate widely from year to year - with the number of plants surviving to maturity ranging over several orders of magnitude. In some years, few individuals may survive to reproduce. Local population persistence depends on a persistent seed bank.
- How does plant distribution and abundance vary with habitat characteristics?
- Habitat data are collected along with annual abundance data so that local abundance patterns can be correlated with habitat characteristics.
- How is the limestone glade habitat changing over time?
- Glade vegetation is being monitored in two ways: 1) three vegetation transects placed in the largest Missouri bladderpod population are sampled periodically; and 2) the basal area of Eastern red cedar is measured across certain glades.
Protocol
- Young, C.C., M.I. Kelrick, L.W. Morrison, M.D. DeBacker, J.L. Haack, and G.A. Rowell. 2008. Missouri Bladderpod Monitoring Protocol for Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. Natural Resource Report NPS/MWR/HTLN/NRR—2008/043. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado (NPS Only) (PDF).
- Kelrick, M.I. 2001. Missouri bladder-pod monitoring protocol for Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Missouri Field Station, Columbia, MO. 28 pp. (NPS Only) (PDF).
Reports
Go to the Reports page
References
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Missouri Department of Conservation. 2005. Endangered species guidesheet: Missouri bladderpod. Available http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/nathis/endangered/endanger/bladder/. (Accessed: February 1, 2005).
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NatureServe. 2005. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 4.2. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: February 1, 2005).
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Thomas, L.P. 1996. Population ecology of a winter annual (Lesquerella filiformis Rollins) in a patchy environment. Natural Areas Journal 16:216-226.
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Thomas, L. P. and J. R. Jackson. 1990. Population ecology and management recommendations for Lesquerella filiformis at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, Missouri. Unpublished report, National Park Service.
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Thomas, L. P. and G. D. Willson. 1992. Effect of experimental trampling on the federally endangered species, Lesquerella filiformis Rollins, at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Missouri. Natural Areas Journal 12: 101-105.
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United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 1986. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; proposal to determine Lesquerella filiformis (Missouri bladderpod) to be an endangered plant. Federal Register 51(66):11874-11877.
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United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 1988. Missouri bladderpod (Lesquerella filformis Rollins) recovery plan. Region 3, Unites States Fish and Wildlife Service, Twin Cities, Minnesota.
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United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 2003. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; reclassification of Lesquerella filiformis (Missouri bladderpod) from endangered to threatened. Federal Register 68(199):59337-59345.
Presentations
- The role of spatial data in monitoring the Missouri bladderpod at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, MO (PPT).
- An overview of sampling methods used to sample the Missouri bladderpod at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, MO (PPT).
Links
- EPA management guidance
- Missouri Department of Conservation species information and Missouri Conservationist article
- Southwest Missouri State University Ozarks Regional Herbarium photographs
Photo 1 and Photo 2 - US Fish and Wildlife Service Missouri bladderpod page
- WASO NR GIS Data Store
Contact Information
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Craig Young
Botanist (417-732-6438 ext. 281)