Efforts underway to protect threatened, endangered ecosystems

You wanted to know

"Can plants become extinct?" asked a student who attended a youth program at the Schaumburg Public Library.

Plants can become threatened, endangered or extinct, but efforts are underway to protect them.

Working to protect plants and ecosystems are experts from universities and public organizations, as well as not-for-profit groups such as the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the World Wildlife Fund.

Here in Illinois, there are 250 endangered plants species and almost 100 threatened species. Researching plant survival techniques has allowed scientists to make progress in fighting habitat destruction, and there are opportunities to support restoration efforts.

For thousands of years, the Midwest was covered by prairie - millions of acres mowed flat by glaciers and populated with deep-rooted grasses, flowers and stands of trees. In the last 150 years, most of this natural habitat vanished.

"The biggest threat is loss of habitat due to agriculture and urbanization," said Robert Hartzler, Iowa State University weed scientist and agronomy professor.

"Here in the Midwest, the destruction of the tall grass prairie represents one of the largest losses of an ecosystem in history. In Iowa, about 1 percent of the prairie remains."

There are many characteristics in plants that enable them to adapt and survive. Even when threatened plants show resilience.

"My research has focused on evaluating characteristics that allow weeds to survive the control tactics used against them," said Hartzler, whose background includes degrees in plant protection and weed science.

"Recently, I've been investigating the suitability of milkweed found in crop fields for monarch butterfly reproduction. Loss of milkweed in the Midwest is believed to be one of the reasons for the decline in monarch population."

Adaptation is a key plant survival strategy, Hartzler said.

"Plants have an advantage over animals in that many species have persistent seed that can remain viable in the soil for a long time," he said.

"If an area is converted to a farm field for many years but then abandoned and left fallow, seeds of certain species may be able to regenerate the population. Not all plants can do this, but many do."

Some plants, such as milkweed, do not adapt and can become endangered or threatened.

The fact that each plant produces hundreds of seeds enables species to thrive under difficult circumstances.

"Prolific seed production also leads to diversity within the population," Hartzler said. "Diversity increases the odds of having individuals that have a trait that allows that individual to survive a control tactic."

Then there's plant design, which fosters survival.

"Herbicide resistance gets all the attention now, but there are other traits that allow weeds to survive: the prostrate growth habit of dandelion allows it to survive mowing, spines on thistles protect them from grazing animals," Hartzler notes.

"One classic example is called mimicry. Before herbicides, hand weeding was used to control weeds in rice. Over time, barnyard grass biotypes were selected that looked exactly like rice, so the people weeding the fields were unable to tell the two species apart and they left the barnyard grass in the field."

While humans are the major cause of plant extinction, invasive plants can destroy native ecosystems.

The Midwest has more than 300 invasive plant species. These are aggressive plants that will prevent native plants from regenerating. Many plants featured in gardens are invasive, like winged burning bush, buckthorn and Japanese honeysuckle.

Pests can also threaten plants, such as the beetle that carried Dutch elm disease in the 1970s, and the current problem with the Emerald ash borer.

Ultimately, under extreme conditions, there are plants that cease to exist. There is plenty of fossil evidence that points to trees, vines and plants that were abundant in prehistoric times. Illinois happens to be a prized location to find fossil evidence of extinct plants and animals that existed in swamps that covered the landscape about 280 million years ago.

How can you help prevent plant extinction? Volunteer at the local forest preserve. Forest preserve districts in Cook and Lake counties offer opportunities for individuals and groups to help with habitat restorations, seed collections and invasive species removal.

Cook County offers Citizen Scientist in Action! programs for teens to learn environmental stewardship strategies. See fpdcc.com for Cook County opportunities and lcfpd.org for options in Lake County. Lake County Forest Preserve offers group and individual volunteer opportunities in education, working in display gardens and directly with seeds at their Native Seed Nursery.

Check it out

The Schaumburg Township District Library suggests these titles on extinct plants:

• "Saving Endangered Plants and Animals," by James Bow

• "How to Save a Species," by Marilyn Baillie

• "Plant a Pocket of Prairie," by Phyllis Root

• "Endangered: Wildlife on the Brink of Extinction," by George McGavin