Rare Vascular Plant Species of the North Slope, Alaska. A Review of the Taxonomy, Distribution, and Ecology of 31 Rare Plant Taxa That Occur in Alaska's North Slope Region

The taxonomy, distribution, and ecology of rare, imperiled, and critically imperiled vascular plants of Alaska’s North Slope are summarized in this report. These data are synthesized to aid the Bureau of Land Management’s Arctic Field Office in protecting the natural floristic resources of the region and the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska in particular.

After discussions with local experts and reviewing the Alaska Natural Heritage Program rare plant database and the University of Alaska Museum database, it was determined that 31 rare plant taxa occur on the North Slope. Of this total, 8 taxa are globally rare to imperiled, while the remainder are more globally widespread, but with few populations in Alaska. Eight taxa are ranked as critically imperiled in the state and either occur, or are considered very likely to occur, within the boundaries of the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska. None of the 31 taxa are listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as Threatened or Endangered, and only 14 are included in the Bureau of Land Management - Alaska’s sensitive species list.