Northwest Montana’s rare species have vital role in ecosystems

The northern bog lemming is a small, rust colored rodent with a short tail and a hairy snout. Active year-round, day and night, the animal is often found in the wet meadows and bogs of Northwest Montana. As its wetland habitat continues to degrade, the lemming could face a threat to its existence. 

The suckley cuckoo bumble bee, fluffy in appearance, is also native to western Montana. A social parasite, the bees rely on other colonies to collect sufficient pollen. They stick to western meadows at a wide range of elevations, yet their numbers are declining due to loss of habitat, pesticides and competition from other bees.

The suckley cuckoo and bog lemming are among the 86 designated species of concern that can be found in Flathead County, along with the northern alligator lizard, black swift, mayfly, trumpeter swan and the northern leopard frog. These listed animals are experiencing declining population trends, threatened habitats or poor distribution.

Kept by the Montana Natural Heritage Program, alongside Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the species of concern list aims to provide a basis for proactive conservation – to prevent a species from becoming threatened, or worse, endangered.

“There is no need for a species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act if we work together beforehand and do it proactively … if we mitigate the impacts to the species on each and every project, there is no need for that species to be listed,” said Bryce Maxell, program coordinator of the Montana Natural Heritage Program. 

According to Maxell, the database is one way to ensure species do not unnecessarily become rarer. 

THE ENDANGERED Species Act, signed by President Richard Nixon, turned 50 years old in December, marking half a century of federal management and protection of specific species that are experiencing unprecedented decline.  

“Preserving wildlife diversity for the sake of diversity is important,” said David Tevs, who is seeking a doctorate in biology at the University of Montana.

Tevs is a few months into a years-long research project focused on northern alligator lizards and western skinks, both of which are on the state’s species of concern list. Tevs said there is a general lack of data on these reptiles, a commonality among the listed species.

The northern alligator lizard gets its name from its bone-reinforced scales on its back, like the common alligator, although their tiny teeth don’t resemble their namesake. Its range overlaps with western skinks, and both are found in Flathead, Sanders, Lincoln and Lake counties. The alligator lizard has been found in eight counties west of the Continental Divide, including a specimen from Wild Horse Island in Flathead Lake. 

“There’s not a lot of lizards this far north, so having two in the same area is really a good way to study what sort of adaptation is needed to live this far north,” Tevs said.  

The lizards like to stay in cooler areas, specifically with streams and riparian forests. It's common for them to be under downed logs and rocks, or a pile of leaves and needles, but they normally stick close to water. Tevs’ study focuses on that phenomenon.

One concern about the species is that as water sources change and habitat degradation takes place, the already uncommon lizard could decline at a concerning rate. Continued human expansion and growth could also encroach on their habitat.

High-latitude, cold-adapted lizards are pretty rare, Tevs said, making these species worth preserving.

“There are only a handful of lizard species in Montana and two of them are right here. If we were to lose those two, that would be a blow for Montana,” he said.

Losing a species affects the ecosystem as a whole, Tevs said, which is why studying and monitoring them – from lizards and mammals to birds – is important.

THE MONTANA Legislature established the heritage program in 1985, partly in response to some of the information needs associated with the Endangered Species Act.

“The data is not meant to be regulatory,” said Maxell with the heritage program. “Having these databases … is a way of providing information to resource managers. It’s kind of a look before you leap.”

Also on the list is the black swift, a dark, small bird with unique needs, according to Dan Casey, an ornithologist and longtime member of Flathead Audubon.

One of many avians on Montana’s species of concern list, they live behind waterfalls or on wet cliff areas in high elevations, only giving birth to one young a year.

“Some birds have very unique life histories,” Casey said.

Reduced water flow, decreased snowpack and increased recreational use in areas where the birds nest are reasons for concern, according to the Montana Field Guide. Montana Partners in Flight, part of a national group focused on landbird preservation, put together a monitoring program for the birds in the early 2000s. 

They started monitoring waterfalls that could have nests, finding more and more spots where they were living. Some nests were discovered in Haystack Creek and McDonald Creek in Glacier National Park.

Throughout the program, which Casey is a part of, scientists have found more swifts and discovered that the Glacier-Waterton ecosystem is incredibly important for the birds.

“Because they’re reliant on waterfalls and higher elevations, there is a real concern with climate change and water cycles changing,” he said.

The flammulated owl is another bird on the species of concern list, specifically found in the Flathead National Forest and the Lolo National Forest, among other regions.

The owl requires older stands of ponderosa pines and Douglas fir trees, often found in snags and woodpecker cavities. Casey said much of their habitat has been lost due to forest management.

“The fact of the matter is that part of a healthy forest is having dead and dying trees, especially for those birds that need cavities,” he said. “The decline of common birds is telling us that things are awry … Right now, because of climate change especially, there are disruptions.”

The birds are just two of thousands of animals that the Montana National Heritage Program monitors.

From subdivisions to parking lots to timber sales, it's important to constantly ask what humanity can do to mitigate human-imposed impacts on animals, Maxell said. Tracking the status of species of concern can help inform better decisions moving forward.

“Every species is important because every species fits into the whole ecosystem… everything is tied to something else,” Maxell said. “We need to address some things if we want to keep ecosystems operating.” 

Watch and Listen to The Species of Concern Series of our Deep Dive podcast on the Daily Inter Lake You Tube Channel or on your favorite podcast app.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.