HozayKwarvo
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- May 1, 2021
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A collective wealth of information gathered HERE
It's Interesting to note that more plants are consistently harmed by non-OHV activity - more were trampled by the staff doing the monitoring:
The reports emphasize that while accidental trampling does occur, it is considered unlikely to notably impact the overall Peirson's Milk-vetch population because the areas where the plants are most abundant are largely inaccessible to the general public
Based on the data provided in the monitoring reports from 2020 to 2024, the percentage of Peirson’s Milk-vetch (PMV) plants run over by off-highway vehicles (OHVs) is extremely low in both open and closed areas, typically representing less than 0.01% of the population in most years.
The specific data for direct OHV damage by year and area is as follows:
• 2020 Monitoring: Only one plant out of 18,004 total plants exhibited direct OHV damage. This damaged plant was located in macroplot 15, which is a closed area within critical habitat. Consequently, the percentage of plants run over in closed areas was approximately 0.0057%, while the percentage in open areas was 0%.
• 2021 Monitoring: There were zero plants observed with OHV damage out of 1,261 total plants. This resulted in 0% damage in both open and closed areas.
• 2022 Monitoring: One plant was documented with OHV damage out of 264 total plants. This plant was located in macroplot 6, which is an open riding area. Because only four total plants were recorded in macroplot 6 that year, this single incident resulted in a 25% damage rate for that specific open plot, while the damage rate in closed areas remained 0% (0 damaged out of 260 plants).
• 2023 Monitoring: No plants were documented with OHV damage out of 57 total plants counted. This resulted in 0% damage in both open and closed areas.
• 2024 Monitoring: There were zero plants observed with OHV damage out of 2,775 total plants. This resulted in 0% damage in both open and closed areas.
Summary of Impacts by Management Area:
While direct physical damage to plants is rare, the reports distinguish between vehicle presence and actual plant mortality:
• OHV Trespass in Closed Areas: A significant amount of vehicle activity occurs in protected zones; for example, in 2020, 93% of all recorded OHV tracks were found in critical habitat or plots closed to vehicle use. In 2024, macroplot 19 (a closed area) accounted for 95% of all recorded tracks.
• Historical Context: The reports note that 2020 saw a decrease in damage from 2019, when 11 seedlings were observed with direct OHV damage.
• Indirect Impacts: The sources emphasize that while direct "run over" incidents are documented, OHVs also impact PMV populations in both areas through increased erosion, which is more difficult to quantify than direct physical damage.
• Small Populations in Open Areas: Macroplots in open riding areas (such as plots 6 and 8) historically support significantly fewer plants than closed areas, which may contribute to the low number of recorded damage incidents in those locations.
In summary, the documented percentage of plants physically run over in closed areas is nearly zero (one plant recorded since 2020), and while the percentage in open areas is also usually 0%, it reached 25% in 2022 due to a single plant being damaged within a very small local population.
It's Interesting to note that more plants are consistently harmed by non-OHV activity - more were trampled by the staff doing the monitoring:
The reports emphasize that while accidental trampling does occur, it is considered unlikely to notably impact the overall Peirson's Milk-vetch population because the areas where the plants are most abundant are largely inaccessible to the general public
Based on the data provided in the monitoring reports from 2020 to 2024, the percentage of Peirson’s Milk-vetch (PMV) plants run over by off-highway vehicles (OHVs) is extremely low in both open and closed areas, typically representing less than 0.01% of the population in most years.
The specific data for direct OHV damage by year and area is as follows:
• 2020 Monitoring: Only one plant out of 18,004 total plants exhibited direct OHV damage. This damaged plant was located in macroplot 15, which is a closed area within critical habitat. Consequently, the percentage of plants run over in closed areas was approximately 0.0057%, while the percentage in open areas was 0%.
• 2021 Monitoring: There were zero plants observed with OHV damage out of 1,261 total plants. This resulted in 0% damage in both open and closed areas.
• 2022 Monitoring: One plant was documented with OHV damage out of 264 total plants. This plant was located in macroplot 6, which is an open riding area. Because only four total plants were recorded in macroplot 6 that year, this single incident resulted in a 25% damage rate for that specific open plot, while the damage rate in closed areas remained 0% (0 damaged out of 260 plants).
• 2023 Monitoring: No plants were documented with OHV damage out of 57 total plants counted. This resulted in 0% damage in both open and closed areas.
• 2024 Monitoring: There were zero plants observed with OHV damage out of 2,775 total plants. This resulted in 0% damage in both open and closed areas.
Summary of Impacts by Management Area:
While direct physical damage to plants is rare, the reports distinguish between vehicle presence and actual plant mortality:
• OHV Trespass in Closed Areas: A significant amount of vehicle activity occurs in protected zones; for example, in 2020, 93% of all recorded OHV tracks were found in critical habitat or plots closed to vehicle use. In 2024, macroplot 19 (a closed area) accounted for 95% of all recorded tracks.
• Historical Context: The reports note that 2020 saw a decrease in damage from 2019, when 11 seedlings were observed with direct OHV damage.
• Indirect Impacts: The sources emphasize that while direct "run over" incidents are documented, OHVs also impact PMV populations in both areas through increased erosion, which is more difficult to quantify than direct physical damage.
• Small Populations in Open Areas: Macroplots in open riding areas (such as plots 6 and 8) historically support significantly fewer plants than closed areas, which may contribute to the low number of recorded damage incidents in those locations.
In summary, the documented percentage of plants physically run over in closed areas is nearly zero (one plant recorded since 2020), and while the percentage in open areas is also usually 0%, it reached 25% in 2022 due to a single plant being damaged within a very small local population.
