1. A ten-year monitoring record of the western prairie fringed orchid at Pipestone National Monument Gary D. Willson, Craig C. Young, and F. Adnan Akyuz

2. Pipestone National Monument Location: SW Minnesota Size: 282 acres

3. Pipestone National Monument Protect quarries of pipestone used by native Americans from prehistoric times to the present Preserve remnants of tallgrass prairie and Sioux quartzite prairie

4. Pipestone National Monument Fire history in unit 2 Apr 23, 1973 ?, 1976 May 5, 1983 May 2, 1986 May 2, 1988 May 5, 1990 May 8, 1992 May 4, 1994 May 30, 1997 May 2, 2002

5. Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Monitoring Objectives –Track changes in number and distribution of flowering plants through time –Track changes in plant height as an indicator of plant vigor and number of flowers per plant as an indicator of reproductive potential

6. Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Monitoring History –1985 Orchid discovered in unit 2 –1993Monitoring initiated in units 2 and 3 (2 person, random search) –1995Monitoring method revised (4-7 person, systematic search) –2000Monitoring protocol written (4-7 person, systematic search)

7. Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Monitoring dates 19 July, 1995 22-23 July, 1996 23 July, 1997 23 July, 1998 29 July, 1999 11 July, 2000 14 July, 2001 16 July, 2002 15 July, 2003 13 July, 2004

8. Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Monitoring Methods –Systematic search and count –Map locations Laser theodolite (Nikon Total Station) GPS

9. Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Monitoring Methods –Plant data Measure plant height (stem plus inflorescence) Count no. of flowers including flower buds

10. No. of Flowering Orchids Burn 5/30 Burn 5/2

11. Mean Plant Height and Mean No. of Flowers per Plant

12. Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Monitoring Summary –Large range in no. of flowering plants, 0 (1998) – 221 (2003); possible upward trend in nos. –Population clustered in 2 (low and wet) locations with outliers –Significant difference in mean ht. of plants; no significant difference in no. of flowers per plant –Inconsistent response following Rx fire (burn 30 May, 1997, followed by 3 flowering plants that year and 0 in 1998; in contrast burn 2 May, 2002, followed by 124 flowering plants that year and 221 in 2003) –Inconsistent precipitation response (1997, driest year 1995- 2004, followed by 3 flowering plants that year; in contrast 1995 wettest year 1995-2004) followed by 37 flowering plants that year)