Top 5 Questions About Rare Native Plants
1. What is a rare native plant?
The term “native” in this text refers to the approximately 20,000 plants
that have been growing in the United States since before human settlement.
In contrast, “exotic” species are those that have been introduced by people
and are “alien” to our native ecosystems. One-fifth of native plants in
the U.S. are labeled “rare” because they are found in very low numbers.
This may be because their habitats are naturally rare due to climate or
geography, but many have become rare because of pollution, development,
over-collecting, and invasion by exotic species.
2. Are all rare native plants endangered?
Some rare plants can persist in small numbers for many years if not
overly disturbed by humans. However, such plants are obviously more
vulnerable than common ones. A species is considered “endangered” when
it is in danger of becoming extinct in the near future if not protected.
“Threatened” is a term used to describe species that are likely to become
endangered soon if not adequately protected. The terms “endangered”
and “threatened” are often used to describe legal categories, whereas
the term “rare” is used to encompass all plants of conservation concern.
3. How are rare native plants protected in the U.S.?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, part of our federal government,
uses information from biologists nationwide to decide which species
are threatened and endangered throughout the country. These species
may then be legally protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
of 1973. Under this law, all plant species that are placed on the list
of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants cannot be exported
or imported, sold without permits, or removed from federal lands. Violators
may be fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail! Plants
may also be protected by state governments in various ways. To find
out more about plant protection in your state, call your state department
of conservation or natural resources.
Many private organizations also promote plant conservation. CPC is
the only national organization in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to
preventing the extinction of our rare native plants. As a network of
25 botanical gardens and arboreta that stores and grows imperiled species,
the Center protects almost 500 rare and endangered native plants. These
plants are “backstops” against extinction and resources for ecological
restoration, research, and education. CPC also supports many critical
efforts to protect plants in their native habitats.
4. How do we decide which plants to save first?
Over 4,000 plants native to the U.S. are of conservation concern, and
funding for plant conservation is limited. Therefore, species must be
ranked to determine which one need immediate attention. Many factors
are considered in such decisions, including causes of rarity, types
and extent of current and potential threats, economic potential, geographic
range, and density of individuals within that range. The biology of
the plant, particularly its reproduction, growth rate, and life span,
must also be considered. High priority species often include “endemics,”
plants that are native to one specific area and exist nowhere else on
Earth. These species are particularly susceptible to environmental change
and are often indicators of unique and rare habitats. For example, nearly
90% of the native species of Hawaii are endemic. This state has the
highest percentage of endangered plants in the U.S.
5. Why is it important to save rare native plants?
Rare native plants have an intrinsic value that cannot be measured.
They have evolved over millions of years to live in the varied ecosystems
that now constitute our country. What’s more, we still know very little
about them. The earliest Americans used more than 2,000 native plants
as medicines. Today, much of this traditional knowledge has been lost,
and we are destroying plants and their habitats much faster than we
are protecting and studying them. Read on to learn more about some of
the ways that we rely on plants for our most basic needs.
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