Penstemon haydenii
Encyclopedia
Blowout penstemon is a species of beardtongue
in the Plantaginaceae
family. The warm-season perennial plant is native to nine counties in the Nebraska
Sand Hills
and a single location in Carbon County
, Wyoming
. The plant has a milky-blue color with a waxy cuticle
, pale purple leaves, and alternating leaf pattern with one central stock. The flowers, while in the inflorescence stage, originate from the bases of the leaves of the plant. Blowout penstemon flowers from May until early June and drops the seeds late August into September.
Blowout penstemon grows on bare sand dunes
. It is resistant to the abrasive forces of the blowing sands with its incorporation of a protective thick waxy cuticle. Other plants are often cut off by the scouring sands as they sprout.
Another adaptive feature for the blowout penstemon plant is the lifespan of the seeds. The seeds dropped in late August into September can remain buried dormant in the sandy soils for decades and still remain viable. Prolonged wet conditions and abrasion
are required for breaking dormancy and seed germination
. The plant is primarily an out-crosser (transfers genes from one plant of the same species to another plant of the same or closely related species); although studies show that it is potentially self-fertile.
until the recent discovery of limited populations in Wyoming. Blowout penstemon is only found in sandy locations with little to no vegetation present. Due to the uncompetitive nature of the plant it is easily outcompeted
by other plans in the succession
scheme. The ever-shifting sandy soils of the Sandhills provide blowout penstemon with an ideal environment with little to no competition for water, nutrients, and sunlight. The nature of the plant is to develop these blowout conditions and promote succession.
Blowouts
are the only habitat to which the plant grows, hence the name. The Sandhills of western Nebraska provide just this habitat needed for the blowout penstemon to grow and survive.
Reduction of fire in the Sandhills has also had a very detrimental effect on the habitat for blowout penstemon as well. Fire acted as a means for removing debris and litter from the soil surface opening up the bare soil to be more vulnerable to wind erosion
. This increase in wind erosion causes the growing conditions for other plants to be more unfavorable reducing competition from other species on blowout penstemon.
As the control of wild fires becomes more widespread, it promotes the development of the dunes to rangeland and the elimination of blowout sites. Fire in the Sandhills has been more extensively controlled because of their detrimental effects. With the technology and resources available it is also easier to control and contain wildfires that may naturally occur.
The improvement of land management practices and control of fire is a direct human influence on the habitat conditions needed for the growth and development of blowout penstemon populations. In addition to these management plans, land managers may also reshape the blowouts with machinery to reduce the swirling action of winds. There are several common ways of leveling off the sharp edges of the blowouts. Mechanical means are often used to reshape the blowouts. Cattle are used to reshape the land and provide a layer of litter and debris.
Climatic conditions have been thought to be a factor in the reduced numbers as well. Because the seeds require wet conditions to break dormancy, drought
can be a factor. The lack of moisture discourages the development of the seeds and promotes prolonged dormant stage.
Plant competition is another large contribution to the reduction in numbers of the blowout penstemon plants. The penstemon provides shelter for other plants, increasing plant growth and decreasing the amount of windblown sand. The new plants then compete with the penstemon. Blowout penstemon in a blowout is one of the first signs of blowout recovery; to a land manager this is a positive sign for increased range condition and increased productivity.
Insect damage also accounts for a considerable negative influence on the plants survival ability. "The most serious insect problem is probably the larvae of the pyralid moth, which bores into the stem and root crowns of the blowout penstemon plant to pupate. This can cause a 75% mortality rate of the affected plants"
As a type of insurance for the existence of the blowout penstemon plant, seeds have been and are currently being collected and stored in seed banks to ensure the continuation of this species and to prevent extinction
from occurring. These seeds may even be used at a later date to introduce them into a new environment. Other management practices include elimination of all-terrain vehicle
s.
Penstemon
Penstemon , Beard-tongue, is a large genus of North American and East Asian plants traditionally placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae...
in the Plantaginaceae
Plantaginaceae
Plantaginaceae Juss. or plantain family, are a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales. The type genus is Plantago L..In older classifications it used to be the only family of the order Plantaginales, but numerous phylogenetic studies, summarized by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, have...
family. The warm-season perennial plant is native to nine counties in the Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
Sand Hills
Sand Hills (Nebraska)
The Sand Hills, often written Sandhills, is a region of mixed-grass prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes in north-central Nebraska, covering just over one quarter of the state...
and a single location in Carbon County
Carbon County, Wyoming
Carbon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of 2010, the population was 15,885. Its county seat is Rawlins.- History :Carbon County was organized in 1868....
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. The plant has a milky-blue color with a waxy cuticle
Cuticle
A cuticle , or cuticula, is a term used for any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticles" are non-homologous; differing in their origin, structure, function, and chemical composition...
, pale purple leaves, and alternating leaf pattern with one central stock. The flowers, while in the inflorescence stage, originate from the bases of the leaves of the plant. Blowout penstemon flowers from May until early June and drops the seeds late August into September.
Blowout penstemon grows on bare sand dunes
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
. It is resistant to the abrasive forces of the blowing sands with its incorporation of a protective thick waxy cuticle. Other plants are often cut off by the scouring sands as they sprout.
Another adaptive feature for the blowout penstemon plant is the lifespan of the seeds. The seeds dropped in late August into September can remain buried dormant in the sandy soils for decades and still remain viable. Prolonged wet conditions and abrasion
Scarification
Scarifying involves scratching, etching, burning, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification.In the process of body scarification, scars are formed by cutting or branding the skin...
are required for breaking dormancy and seed germination
Germination
Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
. The plant is primarily an out-crosser (transfers genes from one plant of the same species to another plant of the same or closely related species); although studies show that it is potentially self-fertile.
Habitat
Blowout penstemon was only known from the Sandhills of NebraskaSand Hills (Nebraska)
The Sand Hills, often written Sandhills, is a region of mixed-grass prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes in north-central Nebraska, covering just over one quarter of the state...
until the recent discovery of limited populations in Wyoming. Blowout penstemon is only found in sandy locations with little to no vegetation present. Due to the uncompetitive nature of the plant it is easily outcompeted
Competition (biology)
Competition is an interaction between organisms or species, in which the fitness of one is lowered by the presence of another. Limited supply of at least one resource used by both is required. Competition both within and between species is an important topic in ecology, especially community ecology...
by other plans in the succession
Ecological succession
Ecological succession, is the phenomenon or process by which a community progressively transforms itself until a stable community is formed. It is a fundamental concept in ecology, and refers to more or less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community...
scheme. The ever-shifting sandy soils of the Sandhills provide blowout penstemon with an ideal environment with little to no competition for water, nutrients, and sunlight. The nature of the plant is to develop these blowout conditions and promote succession.
Blowouts
Blowout (geology)
Blowouts are sandy depressions in a sand dune ecosystem caused by the removal of sediments by wind.Blowouts occur in partially vegetated dunefields or sandhills. A blowout forms when a patch of protective vegetation is lost, allowing strong winds to "blow out" sand and form a depression...
are the only habitat to which the plant grows, hence the name. The Sandhills of western Nebraska provide just this habitat needed for the blowout penstemon to grow and survive.
Endangered When & Why
Blowout penstemon was declared an endangered species on September 1, 1987, due to its small numbers and habitat limitations. The direct cause of the reduced habitat is partly due to improvement of land management practices and control of fire in the Sandhills. Prior to the changes in management practices, land owners often created the blowout conditions with the incorrect implementation of stocking densities, by essentially overstocking. In addition, there was no consistent method for blowout control protocol. The more current management practices often follow a more concise grazing scheme that promotes the improvement of range conditions and indirect reduction of habitat reduction for blowout penstemon.Reduction of fire in the Sandhills has also had a very detrimental effect on the habitat for blowout penstemon as well. Fire acted as a means for removing debris and litter from the soil surface opening up the bare soil to be more vulnerable to wind erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
. This increase in wind erosion causes the growing conditions for other plants to be more unfavorable reducing competition from other species on blowout penstemon.
As the control of wild fires becomes more widespread, it promotes the development of the dunes to rangeland and the elimination of blowout sites. Fire in the Sandhills has been more extensively controlled because of their detrimental effects. With the technology and resources available it is also easier to control and contain wildfires that may naturally occur.
Major Threats
Blowout penstemon has four known threats that suppress numbers and available habitat. One of the first being human intervention, as is the major cause of many species to become endangered and extinct. Another is caused by the climatic conditions, unfavorable growing conditions. Plant competition and insect damage are also contributing factors in the endangerment of the blowout penstemon.The improvement of land management practices and control of fire is a direct human influence on the habitat conditions needed for the growth and development of blowout penstemon populations. In addition to these management plans, land managers may also reshape the blowouts with machinery to reduce the swirling action of winds. There are several common ways of leveling off the sharp edges of the blowouts. Mechanical means are often used to reshape the blowouts. Cattle are used to reshape the land and provide a layer of litter and debris.
Climatic conditions have been thought to be a factor in the reduced numbers as well. Because the seeds require wet conditions to break dormancy, drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
can be a factor. The lack of moisture discourages the development of the seeds and promotes prolonged dormant stage.
Plant competition is another large contribution to the reduction in numbers of the blowout penstemon plants. The penstemon provides shelter for other plants, increasing plant growth and decreasing the amount of windblown sand. The new plants then compete with the penstemon. Blowout penstemon in a blowout is one of the first signs of blowout recovery; to a land manager this is a positive sign for increased range condition and increased productivity.
Insect damage also accounts for a considerable negative influence on the plants survival ability. "The most serious insect problem is probably the larvae of the pyralid moth, which bores into the stem and root crowns of the blowout penstemon plant to pupate. This can cause a 75% mortality rate of the affected plants"
Recovery Plans
Conservation activities include a form of regular surface disturbance that promotes the blowout environment and reduction of plant development. Oil and gas companies have been opened up into habitat known for blowout penstemon with strict regulations concerning surface disturbances. This intensive management is yet once again not a blanket policy; rather it is dealt with on a case by case level, depending on the year, climatic conditions, seasonal timing, and rehabilitation state of the stand.As a type of insurance for the existence of the blowout penstemon plant, seeds have been and are currently being collected and stored in seed banks to ensure the continuation of this species and to prevent extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
from occurring. These seeds may even be used at a later date to introduce them into a new environment. Other management practices include elimination of all-terrain vehicle
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
s.