Wyoming - click on a project area above

1. Basins and Mountains of Southwest Wyoming (including the Uinta Mountains, Utah): (in ed.). This is the subject of a M.S. thesis by Charmaine Delmatier. Almost 8,900 specimens were collected documenting 879 taxa including 6 Wyoming records and 3 Utah records. Funding was provided by the Bureau of Land Management, the Ashley National Forest, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Top
2. Beartooth Plateau: (partial). A couple of thousand specimens were obtained in 1988 and 1996, but much work is still needed on the plateau both in Wyoming and Montana. Top
3. Big Horn Mountains: RM staff surveyed this area in 1979 and 1980 and obtained over 8,000 collections documenting about 1,100 taxa. The area encompasses about 3,600 square miles. Six sensitive species were vouchered at numerous sites and Cymopterus williamsii was discovered new to science! Top
4. Bighorn Basin: Ongoing research by RM staff and associates since 1980 has resulted in over 9,000 specimens and a doubling of the known flora (to 687 taxa) of this 7,300 square mile basin. Cymopterus evertii was discovered new to science!Top
5. Black Hills: This was the subject of a 1985 M.S. thesis by Hollis Marriott (Flora of the Northwestern Black Hills, Crook and Weston Counties, Wyoming). This 2,500 square mile area includes the Bear Lodge Mountains, Devils Tower, and portions of the Hogback Rim, Red Valley, Minnelusa foothills, and the Limestone Plateau. During 1983 and 1984, over 11,000 collections were made documenting 955 taxa including 15 additions to the flora and 62 new or clarified records for the Black Hills as a whole. Top
6. Great Divide Basin and Vicinity: This was the subject of a recent M.S. thesis (1997; A Floristic Survey of the Great Divide Basin, Green Mountains, and Upper Sweetwater Plateau in Southwestern Wyoming) by Laura Welp. A total of 8,260 collections were obtained in 1994 and 1995 documenting 877 taxa in this 5,060 square mile area. Fourteen sensitive taxa were collected during this study. Funding was provided by the Bureau of Land Management and the Wyoming Native Plant Society. Top
7. Great Plains: (partial). This area was inventoried to some extent during the summer of 1982, but because much of the land is privately owned, a more concentrated effort will be required..Top
8. Gros Ventre Mountains: This area was the subject of a 1979 M.S. thesis (The Flora of the Gros Ventre Mountains) by Robert Lichvar. A total of 1,600 specimens were collected and 959 taxa were documented. Curator Ron Hartman also surveyed this area and the Mt. Leidy Highlands in the summers of 1994 and 1995. A total of 6,591 collections were made, resulting in a known flora of 822 taxa, 1 Wyoming record, and 23 species of special concern; 570 taxa were found in the Mt. Leidy area. Funding was provided by the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Top
9. Laramie Basin: (partial). Over the years, numerous collections have been made in the basin but not in any systematic fashion. Due to its proximity to the RM, work can be done as time permits once past collecting sites are mapped.
10. Laramie Range: (in progress). This project is the subject of a M.S. thesis by Barbara Packer. It extends from Casper Mountain south to Colorado. In 1997, over 5,500 collections were obtained. Funding is from the Medicine Bow National Forest and Bureau of Land Management.Top
11. Medicine Bow Mountains: This area was the subject of a 1974 M.S. thesis (Vascular Plants of the Medicine Bow Mountains) by B. E. Nelson, now manager of the RM. This was a more traditional floristic survey, with about 1,000 specimens being collected. Along with existing herbarium records and subsequent work, a total of 867 taxa are now known from the region. Due to its proximity to Laramie, the Medicine Bow Mountains and the Snowy Range have also been intensively studied by many botanists and ecologists over the past hundred years. Top
12. Northern Absarokas/North Fork Shoshone River: (in progress). This area has been surveyed in 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996, and 1997 by RM staff, graduate students, and associates. It represents a portion of a M.S. thesis by David Rosenthal who worked in the area the past two summers. The other portion of his study is the Wind River Range/Fitzpatrick Wilderness. Recent collections account for about 15,000 numbers. On the North Fork, Erwin F. Evert has collected more than 20,000 numbers since 1978, making it one of the most intensively studied areas of the state. This led to the discovery of a genus, Shoshonea, four species, Antennaria aromatica, Lomatium attenuatum, Penstemon absarokensis, and Shoshonea pulvinata, and one variety, Carex luzulina var. atropurpurea, new to science! Top
13. Owl Creek/Bridger Mountains: (partial). Since 1980, about 4,000 specimens have been collected by RM staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and associates. Top
14. Powder River Basin (including the southern portion, see below): In 1978 and 1979, Keith Dueholm and RM staff surveyed this 18,000 square mile area (equal in area to Massachusetts and Vermont!). Approximately 12,500 collections were obtained, documenting 900 taxa, of which 281 were reported as new to the basin and 11 were new to Wyoming. Project funding was provided by the Rocky Mountain Institute of Energy and Environment at the University of Wyoming. Top
15. Sierra Madre/Park Ranges (Wyoming and Colorado): This project was the subject of a 1990 M.S. thesis (A Floristic Survey of the Park and Sierra Madre Ranges, Wyoming and Colorado) by Nancy Kastning. This 2,200 square mile area was surveyed in 1988, 1989 and 1990. A total of 5,290 specimens representing 825 taxa were collected. Funding was provided by the Routt National Forest and the Wyoming Native Plant Society. Top
16. South-central Wyoming: (in progress). This project is the subject of a M.S. thesis by Beth Ward. This 6,000 square mile area was inventoried in 1996 and 1997, and includes the Washakie Basin, Rock Springs Uplift, and the Lower Green River Basin. Approximately 9,200 specimens were collected and currently are being identified. Funding was provided by the Bureau of Land Management. Top
17. Southeastern Absarokas: This 1,700 square mile area was the subject of a 1987 M.S. thesis (A Flora of the Southeastern Absarokas, Wyoming) by Robert Kirkpatrick. This essentially roadless area was surveyed in 1983 and 1984 resulting in 10,500 specimens representing about 915 taxa, including 4 species and varieties new to science. Top
18. Southern Powder River Basin: Additional field work in the southern portion of the Powder River Basin and the southeastern plains of Goshen and Platte counties was conducted by RM staff in 1993 and 1994 resulting in 8,170 collections. It documented 958 taxa, including 5 Wyoming records. Funding was provided by the Bureau of Land Management. Little inventory has been done in Laramie County and more is warranted in the southern half of Goshen and Platte counties. Top
19. Southwestern Absarokas: This area was the subject of a M.S. thesis by Neil Snow and was published in the Wasmann Journal. It covers 1,500 square mile and is separated from the Southeastern Absarokas by the South Fork of the Shoshone River and by and the East Fork of DuNoir Creek. It forms the headwaters region of the Yellowstone River. This roadless and remote area was inventoried in1987 and 1988, resulting in the collection of 5,600 collections documenting 891 taxa. "Much additional work is needed in the alpine," (Hartman, 1992). Top
20. Targhee National Forest and Vicinity (Wyoming and Idaho): This 3,000 square mile area was the subject of a 1994 M.S. thesis (A Floristic Survey of the Targhee National Forest and Vicinity, East Central Idaho and West-central Wyoming) by Stuart Markow. During the summers of 1991 and 1992, over 1009 taxa were documented by 13,442 specimens with assistance from the RM staff. A total of 21 taxa of conservation concern were found. Funding was provided by the Targhee National Forest and the Nature Conservancy. Top
21. Upper Green River Basin: This study was the subject of a 1997 M.S. thesis by Tom Cramer (A Floristic Survey of the Upper Green River Basin, Wyoming). This area of 4,500 square miles yielded over 12,000 collections representing 967 taxa. Twentyfour state rare and 5 species of limited distribution were documented. Top
22. Upper North Platte and Laramie River Drainages: (in progress). This project is the subject of a M.S. thesis by Amy Roderick. The area is about 7,000 square miles and includes Shirley Basin and Ferris, Granite, Shirley, Pedro, Freezeout, and Seminoe mountains. During 1997 over 5,000 collections were obtained. The work is being funded by the Bureau of Land Management. Top
23. West Slope Wind River Range: This study was the subject of a 1992 M.S. thesis (A Floristic Survey of the West Slope of the Wind River Range, Wyoming) by Walter Fertig. Field work in 1990 and 1991 in this 1,700 square mile region resulted in the collection of 13,274 specimens with assistance from the RM staff. A total of 988 taxa were documented, including 4 Wyoming records and over 200 records for Fremont, Sublette, and Teton counties. Funding was provided by the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The alpine areas in this region were also the subject of a 1966 M.S. thesis (The Alpine Flora of Northwestern Wyoming) by Richard Scott, with field work being conducted in 1963, 1964, and 1965, consisting of around 800 collections. Dick returned to Wyoming in the mid-1970's, and continues to work in the alpine flora of the Rocky Mountains at Central Wyoming College, where he teaches and curates a growing herbarium. Top
24. Wind River Basin: This 5,000 square mile area (excluding the Wind River Indian Reservation) was the subject of a 1988 M.S. thesis (A Flora of the Wind River Basin and Adjacent Areas, Fremont, Natrona and Carbon Counties) by June Haines. Field work was conducted in 1985 and 1986 under conditions of severe drought. Despite the disadvantageous climatic conditions, over 6,600 specimens were collected. A total 885 taxa were documented from these collections and from existing herbarium collections at the RM and Central Wyoming College (where specimens collected by June in the late 1970's and early 80's were deposited). More work in this region under more ideal climatic conditions is needed in the future; the eastern portion is now included in a project in progress (see Upper North Platte and Laramie River Drainages above).
25. Wind River Basin/Upper North Platte and Laramie River Drainages: this is an area of overlap between two projects - see Wind River Basin (1985-1986)and Upper North Platte and Laramie River Drainages (in progress) above. Top
26. Wind River Range/Fitzpatrick Wilderness: (in progress). This project, in part, is the subject of a M.S. thesis by David Rosenthal. The other portion is discussed under Northern Absarokas/North Fork Shoshone Drainage. Top
27. Wyoming/Salt River Ranges: The Willow Creek drainage was surveyed by RM staff in 1990; the northern portion of the ranges were inventoried in 1992 and the southern portion in 1993. A total of 15,289 specimens were collected, documenting 1,087 taxa, including 107 populations of 17 taxa of conservation concern. Funding was provided by the Bridger-Teton National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management. Top
28. Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Parks & Vicinity: This is a project envisioned for the future once the distribution of past collection sites can be determined from the databases of the parks and that of the RM. Thus areas poorly sampled in the past can be focused on. Top