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North Carolina Botanist Leads Study Documenting Extinct Plant Species

Photo of Franklinia alatamaha, a species extinct in the wild. Photo courtesy of the John Bartram Association/Bartram's Garden.

A recently published report led by a North Carolina botanist outlines plant extinctions in the continental United States and Canada. The findings show that 65 species are presumed extinct, which is more than any previous study had documented.

The work was led by ecologist Wesley Knapp of the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. He says it took about five years to compile the new list.

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Photo of Crataegus fecunda – the St. Clair Hawthorn. Known from a single individual at the Morton Arboretum. Photo credit: Matt Lobell of the Morton Arboretum.

“Each extinct plant tells its own story and has its own unique circumstances, and we had to vet each species past experts who knew those groups,” says Knapp.

North Carolina has three on the list all from the western part of the state, but the majority of extinct plants are from the Southwestern part of the U.S.

“One thing we found is that 64 percent of these extinct plants were what we call single-site endemics. They are only known from one place in the landscape,” he says.

And that has implications for future conservation efforts, meaning it will be important to focus on small site conservation and habitat management in addition to larger landscapes.

Knapp says 65 plants is likely an underrepresentation of what's actually gone extinct. Occasionally, plants are rediscovered.  

Bethany joined the staff of WFDD in the fall of 2012. She received her B.A. and M.A. in English Literature from Wake Forest University and focused on Anglo-Irish writing. Between undergraduate studies and graduate school, Bethany served as the intern to Talk of the Nation at NPR in D.C., participating in live NPR Election Night Coverage, Presidential debate broadcasts, regular Talk of the Nation shows, and helping to plan the inaugural broadcast of ‘Talk of the World.' She enjoys engaging with her interests in books, politics, and art in the interdisciplinary world of public radio. Before becoming Assistant News Director, Bethany was a reporter and Associate Producer for WFDD's Triad Arts and Triad Arts Weekend. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Bethany enjoys calling the Piedmont home.

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