Lost but not Forgotten; preventing plant extinction events by learning from the past

Описание: Extinction rates are expected to increase during the Anthropocene, yet current extinction rates of plants and many animals remain unknown. To assess vascular plant extinction rates in the continental United States and Canada, I led a team of experts from across the country to assess and compile data on apparently extinct species by querying plant conservation databases, searching literature, and vetting the resulting list with botanical experts. Because taxonomic opinion varies widely, we developed and utilized an Index of Taxonomic Uncertainty (ITU) to assess taxonomic merit. Our data suggest 65 taxa (51 species and 14 infraspecific taxa) representing 33 families and 49 genera have become extinct in our study area since European settlement. This figure represents a 109% increase over previously reported extinctions in the U.S. and Canada. Seven of these taxa exist in cultivation but are extinct in the wild. We found most extinctions in western North America, but that disparity may reflect the timing of botanical exploration relative to settlement. Unexpectedly, 64% of extinct plants were single-site endemics, and many occurred outside recognized biodiversity hotspots. A renewed and refocused effort utilizing in-situ and ex-situ techniques is needed to prevent future extinctions.

Links:
Extinct Plants paper in Conservation Biology (open access): https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.co...
Marshallia grandiflora extinct NC Endemic paper (open access): https://www.biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/art...
Revelator article about extinct Marshallia: https://therevelator.org/extinction-h...
NatureServe: http://natureserve.org/
NC NHP: https://www.ncnhp.org/
New York Times Extinct Plants article: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/sc...
Science News Extinct Plants article: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/p...
In Defense of Plants Podcast: https://www.indefenseofplants.com/pod...
Conservation Conversations Podcast: https://www.natureserve.org/connect/c...