In 2007, there were about 9 or 10 occurrences of the plant, with some occurrences made up of two or more small populations. The total population number varies year to year, generally because of the influence of local weather changes on the
germination of seeds and the growth of
seedlings. Past total population estimates varied from 1680 to nearly 3000 individuals. Some populations are located on private land and have not been surveyed in many years. Others are quite variable in size, increasing from 58 to 770 individuals, or decreasing from hundreds of plants to only 3. A major threat to this species is
habitat fragmentation; populations have been bisected by
roads, dirtbike trails, and
firebreaks. At least two populations are in the middle of
residential subdivisions, or on the edges; these may be
extirpated by now. Residential and commercial development continue to claim the habitat, as does the expansion of
infrastructure to support the new development, including local services,
utilities, and roads.
Livestock are allowed to
graze in some areas, but it is unknown if this affects the species. Since most of the populations are small, they are vulnerable to destruction from any one severe local event, such as
drought or
disease, and since the populations sometimes fall to very low numbers they are at risk for
genetic bottlenecks and
genetic drift. ==References==