Assessing the status and extent of Lupinus lepidus var. cusickii in Denny Flat, Baker County, Oregon

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
We conducted a full census of Lupinus lepidus var. cusickii subpopulations in Denny Flat on land managed by the Vale District of the Bureau of Land Management. In 2016, we monitored permanent monitoring transects to examine plant community and L. lepidus var. cusickii population trends. This species can have high annual variability and our 2014, 2015, and 2016 surveys found similar patterns. In 2016, all sites had higher plant counts than in 2015. Several sites that had shown decreases between the 2010 and 2014 surveys had higher plant numbers in both 2015 and 2016 compared to 2010.
• A total of 10,771 L. lepidus var. cusickii plants were counted in 2016 at Elms Reservoir 1.
o Elms Reservoir 1 had the greatest increase in plants from 2015 to 2016, with 6746 more individuals counted in 2016.
• A total of 7144 plants were counted in 2016 at Elms Reservoir 2.
o Elms Reservoir 2 had the greatest proportion of seedlings (81%) among the total population as well as the highest mean number of seedlings per m2 in the monitoring transects.
• A total of 7112 plants were counted in 2016 at Denny Flat East 1.
• A total of 5112 plants were counted in 2016 at Denny Flat East 2.
• A total of 3442 plants were counted in 2016 at Denny Flat West.
o Denny Flat West had the highest percent cover of L. lepidus var. cusickii in the monitoring transects.
• A total of 10,737 plants were counted in 2016 at ORV Hill 1&2.
o ORV Hill 2 had the highest percent cover of exotic plant species in the monitoring transects.
• A total of 6883 plants were counted in 2016 at Amphitheater.