Holden Arboretum will begin working with Cincinnati Zoo in 2018 to try to acclimate propagated material before it is out-planted at Summit Metroparks.

Cincinnati Zoo has been working with Summit Metroparks since 2002 to grow plants from tissue culture. Attempts to reestablish propagated plants insitu has been unsuccessful. Holden Arboretum will begin working with Cincinnati Zoo in 2018 to try to acclimate propagated material before it is out-planted at Summit Metroparks.

Cincinnati Zoo has been working with Summit Metroparks since 2002 to grow plants from tissue culture. Attempts to reestablish propagated plants insitu has been unsuccessful. Holden Arboretum will begin working with Cincinnati Zoo in 2018 to try to acclimate propagated material before it is out-planted at Summit Metroparks.

Ohio - The Holden Arboretum received 500 seeds from Summit Metroparks in August 2014. In an effort to grow plants to enhance local populations, seeds were soaked, stratified and sown in December of 2014. 3 germinated and then perished. The remaining seeds are still at Holden and are being pulled in and out of stratification every three months in hopes that some may germinate.

Ohio - The Holden Arboretum received 500 seeds from Summit Metroparks in August 2014. In an effort to grow plants to enhance local populations, seeds were soaked, stratified and sown in December of 2014. 3 germinated and then perished. The remaining seeds are still at Holden and are being pulled in and out of stratification every three months in hopes that some may germinate.

This species occurs in three isolated geographic regions: northeastern Iowa/southwestern Wisconsin, northeastern Ohio, and the Catskill Mountains of New York. The largest concentrations are in Iowa and Wisconsin. Some of the populations in this region are quite large (one population in Iowa has about 10,000 individuals). There are eleven extant occurrences in New York and only two or three in Ohio.

It is believed that this species is a glacial relict, that as the glaciers retreated during the Pleistocene, this species only survived in a microhabitat that mimiced its habitat during this cooler era, but during the glaciated time that this species was more common. The populations of this species are geographically isolated from one another and the distribution of this species is limited by its highly specific microclimate needs, which currently are near algific talus slopes in which cold air spills out from caves with ice as a substrate (Cole and Kuchenreuther 2001).

The species is slow-growing, very sensitive to disturbance, and is currently significantly threatened by various disturbances including dams, reservoirs, road/powerline construction and maintenance, quarrying and logging operations. The lack of protected occurrences in some areas is of concern.

Finally, genetic studies have revealed that this species is not distinguishable from the western species A. columbianum, suggesting that these two species should be considered one (Cole and Kuchenreuther 2001). With this said, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not believe that enough population data were collected to lump this species into the more western A. columbianum (Mabry et al. 2009).

Drying of habitat by loss of forest canopy; herbivory (deer, rabbits, woodchucks, slugs); scientific over-collecting and poaching; soil contamination (salt, alterations in phosphorous availability); herbicide drift; hydrology modifications; invasive species; trampling; incompatible land-use.

Iowa 6 counties: Allamakee, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson and Hardin110 acres of Aconitum habitat, algific slopes, have been purchased by the Fish and Wildlife Service to be included in the Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Nature Conservancy have also purchased algific slopes to further protect the species. (USGS 2002)There are about 60 known locations within the states of Iowa and Wisconsin. One Iowa population has about 10,000 individuals (Natureserve 2001)

Wisconsin 5 counties: Grant, Monroe, Richland, Sauk, and VernonNew York 4 counties total, 3 have confirmed populations: Delaware, Sullivan, and Ulster. 1 county has a probable population that was confirmed more than 20 years ago: Chenango. (Young 2001)

There are 7-9 current populations within New York (Natureserve 2001)

Ohio 3 counties: Summit, Portage, and Hocking. There are three current populations at two sites within Ohio. In 2001, there were 35 plants counted in Gorge Metro Park and 78 plants counted in Crane Hollow State Nature Preserve. (Windus pers. com. 2002) Populations throughout its range are isolated geographically from each other and therefore have poor chance of cross-pollinating among populations. The third is almost extirpated as the habitat had been drastically altered and a single plant was found in 2006 compared to nearly 100 plants in the late 1980s (ODNR 2007)

The University of Akron is conducting research to study salt levels of water near the populations at Gorge Metro Park in Ohio. (Windus pers.com.2002)

Iowa has purchased and installed fencing to prevent trampling by humans and livestock. (USGS 2002)

Ohio - The Holden Arboretum received 500 seeds from Summit Metroparks in August 2014. In an effort to grow plants to enhance local populations, seeds were soaked, stratified and sown in December of 2014. 3 germinated and then perished. The remaining seeds are still at Holden and are being pulled in and out of stratification every three months in hopes that some may germinate.

Cincinnati Zoo has been working with Summit Metroparks since 2002 to grow plants from tissue culture. Attempts to reestablish propagated plants insitu has been unsuccessful. Holden Arboretum will begin working with Cincinnati Zoo in 2018 to try to acclimate propagated material before it is out-planted at Summit Metroparks.

Monitoring to determine population status and extent of threats. (USGS 2002)