What does the dwarf bear-poppy look like? The dwarf bear-poppy is a perennial herb in the poppy family. Plants form rounded clumps and are up to 10 inches tall. Leaves are basal, gray-green in color, have shaggy hairs, and are deeply 3-toothed at the tip. The genus name Arctomecon is based on the bear paw-like appearance of the leaves. The short leafy stems are 1-6 inches tall. Due to the short stems, the white flowers appear to float above the cluster of leaves, accentuating the

plant’s low stature. The flowers typically only have 4 petals that are up to 1.5 inches long. Plants flower from April to May, with the peak of flowering generally occurring in early May. Large plants may produce as many as 400 flowers. The dwarf bear-poppy is similar to the desert bear-poppy (Arctomecon merriamii), which occurs in Nevada and California. Dwarf bear-poppy is generally smaller in stature, is more clump forming, less hairy, and has smaller flowers.

Where does the dwarf bear-poppy occur? The dwarf bear-poppy is only known to occur in Washington County, Utah, in the vicinity of St. George. The dwarf bear-poppy is restricted to “badlands” soil types belonging to several members of one geological formation, the Moenkopi Formation. It typically occurs on rolling hills with sparse vegetation within mixed warm desert shrub communities. Associated species include Mormon tea, Fremont pepperweed, cheesebush, shadscale, and shrubby buckwheat. It occurs on highly erosive, gypsum-rich soils at 2,700 to 3,300 feet in elevation.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Dwarf Bear-Poppy Arctomecon humilis

Dwarf Bear-poppy and habitat / USFWS

Region 6 Mountain-Prairie Region

Daniela Roth / USFWS

Species range / USFWS

 

Legal Status under the Endangered Species Act The dwarf bear-poppy was one of the first species in the United States to be listed as endangered (November 13, 1979, 44 FR 64250 64252). Why does the dwarf bear-poppy need protection? The dwarf bear-poppy is one of the rarest poppies in the world. When it was listed, the primary threats were urban development, the lack of regulatory mechanisms, and collection for home gardens. Current threats still include urban expansion and associated developments and disturbances. Collection is no longer considered a threat because the plants do not survive in cultivation. Additional threats include habitat fragmentation, grazing, off highway vehicles and other outdoor recreation related activities, mining, prolonged droughts, and effects associated with global climate change such as increased competition by invasive species and increased fire frequency and altered fire behavior. What have we done to recover the dwarf bear-poppy?

In December 1985, we published a recovery plan that guides recovery efforts, informs consultation and permitting activities, and details the steps necessary to recover the species. We are working with our Federal, State, and private partners to implement these recovery efforts. With the assistance from these partners, The Nature Conservancy purchased 800 acres of dwarf bear-poppy habitat for the preservation of the species. In addition The Nature Conservancy manages a small preserve containing the northernmost population of the species. The Bureau of Land Management fenced much of the habitat where the dwarf bear-poppy occurs and established two Areas of Critical Environmental Concern to provide protection to the species. Several populations of the dwarf bear-poppy are monitored annually to help us evaluate population trends over time and identify threats. What do we need to do to recover the dwarf bear-poppy? We need to determine the effects of habitat fragmentation on the species and its pollinators. We need to continue working with Federal,

State, and private partners to protect additional important areas for long-term species conservation. We need to continue surveying potential habitat throughout the species’ range and to continue research into this species’ life history and ecology. This information will guide management decisions and the evaluation of recovery progress for the dwarf bear-poppy. More Information To learn more about the dwarf bear-poppy and conservation efforts on behalf of the species, please visit the following sites: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program’s website: www.fws.gov/endangered The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Information, Planning and Conservation (IPaC) System: ecos.fws.gov/ipac The Mountain-Prairie Regional Office’s website: http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/plants/ The Utah Field Office’s website: www.fws.gov/utahfieldoffice U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6 PO Box 25486 Denver Federal Center Denver, Colorado 80225 Utah Field Office 801/975 3330 June 2013

Region 6 Mountain-Prairie Region

Daniela Roth / USFWS