Ipomopsis sancti-spiritus

Ipomopsis sancti-spiritus is endemic to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico and restricted to a single canyon population with relatively few individuals. Threats include recreation, fire suppression, invasive plants, road maintenance, and spruce budworm control.

Ipomopsis sancti-spiritus occurs within the Santa Fe National Forest in the Sangre de Cristos Mountains of northern New Mexico.

This species is known from only one population (USFWS 2008). Attempts are being made to establish populations at three new sites but it will take years to determine if these populations will become successfully established (USFWS 2008).

Habitat threatened by heavy recreation use, campground and vacation homes development. Fire suppression to protect developed sites prevents the creation and maintenance of forest openings and increases forest canopy, potentially leading to catastrophic fire (USFWS 2008). Invasive plants, particularly smooth brome (Bromus inermis) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) produce sod-bound areas that appear to exclude Ipomopsis sancti-spiritus (Maschinski 2001; USFWS 2002). Other threats include pesticides and road work. Biological control for spruce budworm includes the widespread aerial broadcast of a bacterium which kills not only the budworm but also other insects that serve as pollinators for Ipomopsis sanct-spiritus (USFWS 2002). Eighty percent of the population occurs along a road, so maintenance or widening activities also pose a threat (USFWS 2002). Climate change is also a potential threat as increased dryness appears to reduce the number of individuals of Ipomopsis sanct-spiritus (USFWS 2008).