BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Plantago eriopoda
alkali plantain
| Scientific Name: | Plantago eriopoda |
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| English Name: | alkali plantain |
| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | S3S4 |
| Date Status Assigned: | April 30, 2019 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | April 30, 2019 |
| Reasons: | Plantago eriopoda is found in 10 locations in B.C. One population has been extirpated by development. Two occurrences are protected from development within Wildlife Management Areas, but may be exposed to disturbances from resource activities and recreational uses. The total number of mature individuals is unknown, but is at least 100 individuals. Range extent in BC is estimated to be 32,000 square kilometers, while area of occupancy is 40 square kilometers. The short and long-term trends are unknown. Grazing by livestock and invasive species are primary threats, though the extent to which sites are grazed or invaded by alien species or how the populations are impacted is unknown. In addition, habitats may recover from grazing and trampling over time and efforts are underway at one location to remove invasive species at their points of introduction. |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | F = 20,000-200,000 square km |
| Range Extent Comments: | The range extent for this species in B.C. is approximately 32,000 square kilometres. |
| Area of Occupancy (km2): | EF = 26-500 |
| Area of Occupancy Comments: | Based on 10 reported populations, the area of occupancy is 40 square km using a 2km x 2km grid. |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | B = 6 - 20 |
| Comments: | There are 10 verified occurrences of this species in B.C. This species is highly probable in saline meadows in the Peace River area due to its occurrence in similar areas in nearby Alberta. |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | There is insufficient information to evaluate the viability of the recorded populations, but at least one is of moderate size and plants were described as "common" at another. |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | B = 1 - 3 |
| Comments: | One occurrence is located within the East Side Columbia Lake Wildlife Management Area, which protects important Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep winter range. Another occurrence is within the Columbia Wetlands Wildlife Management Area which protects habitat for several endangered species including bull trout, Peregrine falcon and American badger. |
| Population Size: | CD = 250 - 2,500 individuals |
| Comments: | From 50 to 100 plants were recorded at one site observed in 1996 and plants were described as "common" along creek margin at another site. |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | Moderate, non-imminent threat |
| Comments: |
The primary threat is probably overgrazing or ATV use and an increase in introduced species. When it was surveyed in 1996, the population at Armstrong Bay was thought to be threatened by grazing and an increase in off-road driving. However, this area is now within the East Side Columbia Lake Wildlife Management Area. The WMA designation affords a greater opportunity to protect wildlife than would be found on other Crown lands in the province, but also allows certain activities such as. forestry, mineral exploration, recreation and tourism to take place as long as they do not negatively impact wildlife. The population at Athalmer occurs within the Columbia Wetlands, which is one of the longest continuous wetlands in North America and has been declared a Ramsar wetland of international significance. This is an extensive, unique and mostly pristine area in terms of hydrological and ecological processes and provides seasonal and year-round habitat for a large number of wildlife species. This area was also designated under the BC Wildlife Act as the Columbia Wetlands WMA in 1996. The guiding principle of the WMA management plan is that all activity in the CWWMA must have a neutral or positive effect on wildlife, fish and plant communities. Land managers are expected to apply a hands-off approach to management of natural processes in order to maintain the wetlands and surrounding habitats in a natural state. In response to concerns about the potential negative impact of motorized vehicles on wildlife, an order was made that prohibits motorized vessels in the wetlands, though the main channel of the Columbia River is open to limited vessel use during the summer (Ministry of Environment 2004). Habitat for Plantago eriopoda includes alluvial flats, moist alkaline meadows and salt marshes in the montane zone. Most marshes tolerate hydrological modifications that are not outside the broad range for the Site Association. If the hydrological regime is maintained, most marshes will recover from even severe mechanical or grazing disturbance (Mackenzie and Moran 2004). Plenty of invasive terrestrial plants including spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) and blue-weed (Echium vulgare) have been identified near Hwy. 95, running parallel to the wetlands. An inventory of non-native, invasive plants in the Columbia Wetlands is being compiled by Wildsight (ENGO), at the major access points into the CWWMA and where roads intersect with the wetlands. Once the inventory is compiled, sites will be prioritized for removal, mostly by hand pulling, to take place (Columbia Basin Trust 2008). The species appears to tolerate grazing at one location and development is a potential threat at another. There is little data available on threats for most locations. |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | Short-term trend data is not available. |
| Long-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | In terms of habitat trends, the amount of alkaline wetlands in B.C. has probably not changed significantly over the last 200 years, but sites may have received from slight to heavy livestock use. Plantago eriopoda appears to tolerate heavy grazing regimes. Long term population trends are unknown. This species does persist in the Windermere area where it was first collected in 1938. |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | U=Unknown |
| Comments: | Intrinsic vulnerability is unknown. |
| Environmental Specificity: | B=Narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements common. |
| Comments: | This species is found in alluvial flats, wet to moist alkaline meadows and salt marshes in the montane zone. |
| Other Rank Considerations: | |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | |
| Inventory Needs: | The population at Lavington Creek has not been observed since 1958 and should be revisited. Directed surveys are needed in areas of suitable habitat (i.e. alkaline meadows and salt marshes in the montane zone) for this species in sites within its natural range. If new populations are discovered, the locations should be documented with GPS coordinates, boundaries should be delineated around all occupied habitats and land ownership should be determined. In addition, lands adjacent to known occurrences should be investigated, as these habitats may influence populations of Plantago eriopoda. |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | Land managers should be informed of the populations of rare plants within the WMA. |
| Management: | It is unknown if grazing is permitted in areas occupied by this species, but spring grazing on wet soils could damage soil and developing plants. Late summer grazing may allow plants to mature before being trampled. |
| Version | |
| Author: | Donovan, M. |
| Date: | September 16, 2008 |
| References | |
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British Columbia Conservation Data Centre. Botany Program. 2000. Database containing records of rare plant collections and observations in the province of British Columbia.
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Columbia Basin Trust. 2008. Environmental Initiatives Program: List of Projects Funded. Online. Available: http://www.cbt.org/Files/eip-backgrounder.pdf (accessed 16 September 2008).
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MacKenzie, W.H. and J.R. Moran. 2004. Wetlands of British Columbia: a guide to identification. Res. Br., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Land Manage. Handb. No. 52.
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Ministry of Environment. 2004. Management Plan for the Columbia Wetlands Wildlife Management Area. Environmental Stewardship Division, Kootenay Region, Cranbrook B.C.
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2008. Conservation Status Report: Plantago eriopoda. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 10, 2026).