Plant Initiative?

NATIVE PLANT CONSERVATION INITIATIVE NATIONAL STRATEGY,

May 23, 1995.

A spectacular array of native plants grace the landscapes of our nation. Together, these plants form diverse communities and ecosystems that directly support our economic prosperity and quality of life. No matter how small, all plants play a valuable role in our lives:

Ecological Values:: Native plants convert the sun's energy into food; thus they are the source of all food to the animal kingdom. Plants cycle and clean fresh water upon which terrestrial animals depend, and ensure soil stability for ecosystems. We depend on plants to provide the oxygen that all living organisms require.
Economic Values:: Plants are sources of genetic and raw materials that are used to expand or diversify agricultural and industrial products, including foods and medicine. Native plants provide a storehouse of genetic diversity for future exploration, discovery, and use, to meet human needs.
Aesthetic Values:: The beauty of wildflowers is just one of the many aesthetic values of native plants. The presence of plants in their native habitats and in cultivation enhances our world in many ways. Native plant communities and natural areas provide opportunities for people to experience nature.

North American ecosystems are home to an estimated 20,000 native plant species. These native plants are found in a wide range of environments from boreal forests, alpine tundra, and prairie grasslands to interior deserts, coastal salt marshes, and tropical rainforests. Conservation of native plants in many of these habitats is threatened by a complex array of factors associated with human population growth and development, Mirroring world-wide trends in declining diversity, native plants are being lost at an alarming rate. According to scientists in the United States, more than 200 plants have become extinct since the early 1800's and nearly 5,000 native species are "at risk." Yet only 526 of these plant species have been offered protection under the U. S. Endangered Species Act.

Many plant species remain unknown to us and new plant species continue to be discovered. In California, more than 200 new species have been discovered in the last 25 years. Fifty new plant species have been discovered in Utah and Nevada during the past decade. Some of these species are already threatened at the time they are discovered.

It is important that we attempt to maintain the full complement of biological diversity. Ecological research has yielded only limited understanding on the complexities of our ecosystems. Each plant, each component, is essential to maintaining ecosystem integrity. It is impossible to know the full ramifications of the loss of one or more species in this intricate biological web of life.

NEED FOR ACTION

Conserving the biodiversity and health of native plants and ecosystems is essential to sustain the natural resource base upon which we depend for survival. There is an urgent need to develop effective plant conservation programs before more species and communities become critically endangered. Native plant conservation agencies are not only needed to protect the most imperiled species, but to ensure the long-term survival of all native plant species and plant communities.

Organizations and individuals interested in native plant conservation need to pool resources and combine energies to develop innovative approaches to ensure the continued existence of our plant resources. Most current plant conservation efforts lack focus and are fragmented among Federal agencies, States, conservation groups, botanical gardens, academia, and private individuals.

The national Native Plant Conservation Initiative provides a framework and strategy for linking resources and expertise in developing a coordinated national approach to plant conservation. The strategy is guided by the following vision:

"For the enduring benefit of the Nation, its ecosystems, and its people, to conserve and protect our native plant heritage by ensuring that to the greatest extent feasible, native plant species and communities are maintained, enhanced, restored, or established on public lands, and that such activities are promoted on private lands."

This strategy is intended to be an evolving one that motivates thinking and catalyzes action toward plant conservation.

Posted July 30, 1996

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Doug Growitz Pagemaster