Peatlands are an uncommon landscape feature in the Northern Rocky Mountains of the United States and provide habitat for a number of plant and animal species dependent on these environments. As such, peatlands are an important contributor to local and regional biological diversity. Peatlands also have considerable scientific value (via coring) as repositories of pollen and ash deposits, providing insight into postglacial vegetation and climates. Included in this report are a description of the physical components, vegetation, vascular and nonvascular flora, and invertebrate fauna associated with peatlands on National Forests in northeastern Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Also included are descriptions of 58 sites representative of the diversity of peatlands present within the study area. Research needs and conservation tools to protect peatlands are discussed.

Extinction rates are expected to increase during the Anthropocene. Current extinction rates of plants and many animals remain unknown. We quantified extinctions among the vascular flora of the continental United States and Canada since European settlement. We compiled data on apparently extinct species by querying plant conservation databases, searching the literature, and vetting the resulting list with botanical experts. Because taxonomic opinion varies widely, we developed an index of taxonomic uncertainty (ITU). The ITU ranges from A to F, with A indicating unanimous taxonomic recognition and F indicating taxonomic recognition by only a single author. The ITU allowed us to rigorously evaluate extinction rates. Our data suggest that 51 species and 14 infraspecific taxa, representing 33 families and 49 genera of vascular plants, have become extinct in our study area since European settlement. Seven of these taxa exist in cultivation but are extinct in the wild. Most extinctions occurred in the west, but this outcome may reflect the timing of botanical exploration relative to settlement. Sixty‐four percent of extinct plants were single‐site endemics, and many occurred outside recognized biodiversity hotspots. Given the paucity of plant surveys in many areas, particularly prior to European settlement, the actual extinction rate of vascular plants is undoubtedly much higher than indicated here.

The objective of this study was to evaluate variations in leaf essential oil (EO) content and composition of Juniperus species in the Bighorn Mountains {J. communis L. (common juniper), J. horizontalis Moench. (creeping juniper), and J. scopulorum Sarg. (Rocky Mountain juniper)} in Wyoming, USA. The EO was extracted via steam distillation of fresh leaves (needles). The EO composition of the three Juniper species varied widely. Overall, the essential oil content of fresh leaves was 1.0% (0.4-1.8% range in different accessions) in J. communis, 1.3% (1.2 to 1.6% range) in J. horizontalis, and 1.1% (0.7-1.5% range) in J. scopulorum. The EO chemical profile of J. communis was very different from that of the other two species. The concentration of α-pinene in the oil was 67-80% in J. communis, 2.8-6% in J. horizontalis, and 2.3-13% in J. scopulorum. The concentration of sabinene was 57-61% of the oil of J. horizontalis and 13-59% in oil of J. scopulorum, whereas sabinene was either below 1% or not detected in J. communis. The oils of J. scopulorum and J. horizontalis had higher antioxidant capacity than that of J. communis. The oils of the three junipers did not show significant antimicrobial activity against 10 organisms. The diversity of the essential oil composition of these three junipers may encourage diverse industrial applications of Juniperus leaf essential oil.

This report is dedicated to the memory of our esteemed colleague, Jim Reichel, who had initiated a biological inventory within the study area at the time of his tragic passing. The expertise and interest of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff was integral to this project, which greatly benefited by the coordination and expertise of Mike Rabenberg. It also benefited from discussions and help of the entire Medicine Lake Office. The access permission and kindness of landowners and leasees contacted in this study are acknowledged with gratitude. Special thanks are also extended to all who provided information on the plant life of Sheridan County, or the county in general, including Mike Rabenberg (USFWS), Aldon Joyes, Doug Smith, Cherryl Wagner, Ted Nordhagen, Monica Friedrich (NRCS) and Terry Angvick (Extension Service). Characteristic plant associations of Sheridan County Appendix G. Range sites, ecological units, and plant associations of Sheridan County Appendix H. Summary table of Sheridan County plant species of special concern and watch species Appendix I. Sheridan County plant species of special concern and watch species Appendix J. Flora of Sheridan County Scientific and common names of plant associations Global Rank State Rank # of Sample Plots Big Muddy Medicine Lake Missouri Coteau Other

Kansas. Susan Rinehart and Mike Munoz provided comments on draft copies of this report. This work was contracted by Custer National Forest with Montana Natural Heritage Program. State species of previously undetermined status 1 . Agastache foeniculum 59 2. Elatine americana 65 3. Evax prolifera 70 4. Geum canadense 77 5. Ipomopsis congesta var. pseudotypica 82 VI. DISCUSSION 90 VII. LITERATURE CITED 92 APPENDICES Appendix A -Preliminary list of sun'ey target species potentially occurring in Powder River and Rosebud counties. Appendix B -Ashland District areas surveyed for sensitive plant species.Appendix C -Element occurrence records and maps of species of special concern on the Ashland District.Appendix D-Preliminary list of vascular plants on the Ashland District.Appendix E -Color xeroxes of sensitive species and their habitats. STUDY AREACuster National Forest -Ashland District is located on the most rugged breaks and ridges between the Powder and Tongue River valleys, 5 miles east of Ashland and 42 miles west of Broadus, in Rosebud and Powder River counties. Its outline has an irregular "J" shape which curves inward along Otter Creek, extending about 41 miles north-south and up to 3 1 miles east-west ( Figure 1). The highly-dissected terrain drains in all directions, with the largest watercourses feeding into the Tongue River. Rolling uplands are broken by complex ridge systems, with particularly well-developed badlands topography at the southeast and west areas. The surface geology throughout is composed solely of the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation, which consists of shallow marine sedimentary deposits from the Cretaceous and Tertiary Periods. Despite the uniform historical geology, the topography and stratigraphy are decidedly heterogeneous. The highly-dissected terrain is carved by water erosion. The horizontally-bedded outcrops include soft sandstones, silty sandstones, clayey shales and lignite. Areas with burnt lignite have baked and oxidized adjacent beds to produce brittle, erosion-resistant porcelainite (Warren 1959). Aster porteri Elyhordeum x moiitanse Elymus ambiguus Five more species collections are labeled with names that have no published synonymy in Kartesz (1994). They, too, warrant review and verification by taxonomic researchers. Anaphalis subalpina Astragalus hylophilus Lupinus pseudoparvi/Iorus Solidago concinna Tradescantia larimiensis species, collections were made and identifications finalized at the Rocky Mountain Herbarium, University of Wyoming (Laramie), or at Montana herbaria (Montana State University, andUniversity of Montana). Collections were also made of species for which the sighting represented a significant range extension based on distribution information in Dorn (1984). All specimens collected are deposited at Montana State University (MONT), with duplicates at the University of Montana (MONTU) and the U.S. Forest Service Regional Missoula Resource Center Herbarium (MRC). All vascular plants encountered at the appropriate mature phenological stage were id...