Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Monitoring Data for the National Park Service Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network: 1993 - 2022

The Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network in cooperation with Pipestone National Monument conducts annual monitoring of the western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara) a federally threatened plant at Pipestone National Monument. The orchid indicators measured include number of flowering plants, plant height, and flower number. Plant height of flowering plants serves as an indicator of general population health. Plant height and flower number may serve as indicators of plant physiological condition. These indicators of plant condition are measured in relation to precipitation, soil moisture, prescribed fire, and plant community structure. Precipitation and soil moisture are measured in Unit A to understand plant-soil relationships. Plant community structure, which is strongly related to fire in tallgrass prairies, may correspond with establishment site availability, nutrient availability, light availability, and soil moisture retention. Finally, plant phenology is monitored in order to relate precipitation, soil moisture, and prescribed fires to particular orchid life-stages. There are two primary objectives for monitoring the western prairie fringed orchid at Pipestone National Monument: 1) Track temporal and spatial changes in the abundance and vigor (height and flower amount) of the flowering orchids at Pipestone National Monument. 2) Track changes of orchid habitat and structure.