Two federally listed threatened or endangered plants occur within the Prairie Cluster parks: western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara) at Pipestone National Monument (PIPE), and Missouri bladderpod (Lesquerella filiformis) at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (WICR). Survival and/or fecundity of both species have been linked to climate conditions. Highly erratic abundance of Missouri bladderpod may in part be related to variable weather conditions and to the interaction of weather and physical site conditions including soil and litter depth in the glade microhabitats (Thomas 1996). Exposed sites with shallow soils are more susceptible to drought and frost heaving, two likely determinants of mortality for Missouri bladderpod. However, under optimal climate conditions, these rocky microhabitats exhibit high rates of survival and fecundity.

Precipitation in the summer of the previous year and during the spring of the monitoring year appears to influence flowering of western prairie fringed orchid. In two low-abundance years (1997 and 1998), precipitation was below normal the previous summer, whereas for one of the peak-abundance years (1996), precipitation the year before was 132% of normal.

Monitoring local weather conditions and microclimate associated with rare plant microhabitats (i.e. soil moisture and soil temperature) may partially explain fluctuations in population dynamics.

Monitoring questions and approach

1. How do microclimate conditions vary between microhabitats and among years?

2. Can varying microclimatic conditions be correlated with rare plant population dynamics?

   • Automated weather stations have been installed adjacent to western prairie fringed orchid habitat at PIPE and within Missouri bladderpod habitat at WICR. In addition to recording standard weather variables, the weather stations will measure soil moisture and soil temperature within different microhabitats.

Protocol

• Akyuz, F.A., P. Guinan, and G.D. Willson. 2000. Weather monitoring protocol for two prairie parks. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Missouri Field Station, Columbia, MO. 27p.

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References

• Thomas, L.P. 1996. Population ecology of a winter annual (Lesquerella filiformis Rollins) in a patchy environment. Natural Areas Journal 16: 216-226.

Online Data Access

• Pipestone National Monument

• Wilson's Creek National Battlefield