2010 Warbonnet Ranch Botanical Survey

Authors

Robert F. Steinauer

Date of this Version

10-30-2010

Document Type

Technical Report

Citation

Steinauer, Robert F. 2010. 2010 Warbonnet Ranch Botanical Survey. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. 10pp.

Abstract

The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project (Schneider et al, 2005), a statewide comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy developed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), identified the Pine Ridge and Oglala Grasslands of northwestern Nebraska as “Biologically Unique Landscapes” (BULs). Native plant community and rare plant surveys were conducted on the approximately 8,000-acre privately-owned Warbonnet Ranch. The Ranch occurs within both of the above mentioned BULs and is topographically and geologically diverse. The primary goal of this survey was to document the botanical resources of a well-managed, privately-owned, western Nebraska range and determine its potential for conservation of Nebraska’s biological diversity.

The considerable conservation value of the Warbonnet Ranch are demonstrated by: (1) The presence of some of the highest quality of ponderosa pine forests and woodlands within the Pine Ridge of Nebraska; (2) extensive cottonwood riparian woodlands that are unique for Nebraska due to the presence of mountain birch in the shrub layer; (3) a diverse assemblage of generally good to high quality native plant communities as described above; and (4) a high concentration of rare plant species (45 species) including three species, heartleaf arnica, Richardson’s brome, and Pumpelly’s brome, known from nowhere else in the state. Also present is an extremely disjunct population of woodland bluegrass.