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Astragalus remotus

(M.E. Jones) Barneby

Spring Mountain Milkvetch

G2Imperiled Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
Very high - highThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.146721
Element CodePDFAB0F7J0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderFabales
FamilyFabaceae
GenusAstragalus
Other Common Names
Spring Mountain milkvetch (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-04-09
Change Date2013-04-17
Edition Date2024-04-09
Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2024)
Threat ImpactVery high - high
Range Extent100-250 square km (about 40-100 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Astragalus remotus is a perennial herb that is narrowly endemic in the southern foothills of the Spring Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. It is locally abundant within its habitat. Threats to this species include climate change, feral burro grazing and trampling, fire, and heavy recreational use due to its close proximity to Las Vegas.
Range Extent Comments
Astragalus remotus is endemic to the southern Spring Mountains in Nevada, USA. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1993 and 2024 (iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are 29 occurrences range-wide (iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats to this species include effects of climate change in the habitats it occupies, changes in fire regimes, invasive annual grasses including Cheatgrass and Red Brome (non-native grasses that compete with native vegetation for water and alters fire regimes), overgrazing and trampling by feral horses and burros, development, and recreation (RECON 2000, Morefield 2001, Sada et al. 2008). Recreation pressure is especially high in the species range due to the close proximity to Las Vegas. Additionally, the portion of this species that occurs in the Ivanpah Valley is threatened by activities related to the planned solar farm by the First Solar Stateline Project near Primm, Nevada (Basin and Range Watch 2011). Finally, 2% of the cited locations in the Incidental Take Permit for Clark County, Nevada Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan may be lost due to urban development (RECON 2000, Sada et al. 2008). Long-term this species may be impacted by the expansion of quarry operations at one occurrence.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Astragalus remotus grows in desert shrub/wash communities in dry, gravelly soils derived from limestone or sandstone on canyons, rocky hillsides, and washes at 900-1700 meters (2950-5550 feet) elevation (SEINet 2024). It grows with Juniperus utahensis, Larrea tridentata, Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum, Quercus turbinella and Rhamnus californica ssp.ursina. (Hiatt and Boone 2003, SEINet 2024)

Reproduction

Baskin and Baskin (1998) report other desert Astragalus being dispersed by rain water, so it is likely that this species is also dispersed in this way.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralDesertBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
3 - Energy production & miningSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineModerate (short-term)
3.2 - Mining & quarryingSmall (1-10%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineLow (long-term)
3.3 - Renewable energySmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineModerate (short-term)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsRestricted (11-30%)Serious - slightHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionRestricted (11-30%)Serious - slightHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesLarge (31-70%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesLarge (31-70%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)Serious - slightHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
PotosiHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,145
References (13)
  1. Barneby, R.C. 1964. Atlas of North American Astragalus. 2 Vols. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 1188 pp.
  2. Basin and Range Watch. 2011. Nomination for an Ivanpah Area of Critical Environmental Consern. Ivanhap Valley Conservation Proposal. Accessed online on July 20, 2013 at: http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/Ivanpah-ACEC.html
  3. Baskin, C.C. and J.M. Baskin. 1998. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination. Academic Press, Boston.
  4. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2023. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 11. Magnoliophyta: Fabaceae, parts 1+2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvii + 1108 pp.
  5. Hiatt, Hermi and Jim Boone. 2003. Clark County, Nevada Species Account Manual. Prepared for Department of Comprehensive Planning. Clark County, NV Available at: https://www.mojavemax.com/learn/resources/species-account-manual/index.html
  6. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  7. Kartesz, J.T. 1988. A flora of Nevada. Ph.D. dissertation. Univ. of Nevada, Reno. 3 volumes. 1729 pp.
  8. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  9. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  10. RECON. 2000. Final Clark County multiple species habitat conservation plan and environmental impact statement for issuance of a permit to allow incidental take of 79 species in Clark County, Nevada. Prepared for Clark County Department of Comprehensive Planning, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. RECON. 1927 Fifth Ave., Suite 200. San Diego, CA 92101-2358. Available at: http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/Depts/dcp/Documents/Library/current%20HCP/ccfeis.pdf<br/>Appendix B - Species Analysis: https://webfiles.clarkcountynv.gov//Environmental%20Sustainability/Desert%20Conservation/MSHCP/cc-appb.pdf
  11. Sada, D., M. Stone, D. Mouat, J. Lancaster, P. Lee, S. MacCabe, L. Bice, M. Hamilton and S. Wainscott. 2008a. Adaptive Management Report for the Clark County, Nevada, Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. Clark County, Nevada. Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management. Desert Conservation Program. Las Vegas, Nevada. Online. Available: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=conserv_pubs.
  12. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  13. Spahr, R., L. Armstrong, D. Atwood, and M. Rath. 1991. Threatened, endangered, and sensitive species of the Intermountain Region. U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Ogden, UT.