training materials that have been/are being developed include field safety protocols, site monitoring forms, and site-specific conservation plans. We also expanded our monitoring program to include quantitative measures of leaf and stem damage that can be variously attributed to causes such as larval hostplant activity and herbicidal drift. Thanks to a generous gift from the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory3, we know that none of the leaf/stem damage can be attributed to plant diseases.
In the 2011 field season we will work with property owners, government representatives, and volunteers to formulate management plans for each lupine site. We will continue recruiting volunteer sponsors for many of the lupine populations. We will further our understanding of the primary threats to lupine survival we have observed so far: mowing, over-grazing, fire suppression/forest succession, invasive species, herbicides, stem boring beetles, and site development. Climate change impacts each of these threats in complex ways and may also play a role in the lupine’s future. By the end of 2011 we will have a social network of lupine stakeholders that can work together to preserve this beautiful wildflower for generations of Marylanders to come.
Footnotes 1. USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 12 October 2010). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
2. Natural Heritage Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 2007. Rare, Threatened and Endangered Plants of Maryland. Annapolis, MD USA
3. Plant Diagnostics Laboratory, Dept. of Plant Sciences and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland.