Rediscovering Rare Flora on the San Francisco Peaks
The picturesque landscape of the San Francisco Peaks volcanic system hosts an array of minute botanical wonders. These include shimmering, rock-dwelling ferns, diminutive yellow blooms, compact succulents, and delicate violet flowers. Many of these elusive plants thrive in challenging terrains and have not been observed for several decades.
In 2020, an initiative known as the Arizona Flora Finders embarked on a quest to locate these rare species. Over 100 citizen scientists, trained in plant identification and location skills through both in-person and online modules, collaborated with botanists from the U.S. Forest Service. They invested nearly 800 hours exploring vast tracts of land, often lacking detailed historical data on plant locations.
Their efforts bore fruit as nearly two-thirds of the targeted species were rediscovered across more than 80 distinct locales. Notable discoveries included a moonwort previously believed extinct in the area, a milkweed not documented since 1979, and a new site for a Sedona-endemic fern.
These new finds have been reported to the Arizona Natural Heritage program, with collected herbarium specimens preserved at the McDougall Herbarium in the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Despite challenges such as landscapes altered by wildfires and irregular blooming patterns, the search continues. Unfortunately, the Arizona Flora Finders program faces an uncertain future due to the cessation of funding.
Nevertheless, initiatives like this offer cost-effective ways for land management agencies to enhance the conservation of rare species. Additionally, seed collection efforts contribute to long-term sustainability strategies, ensuring these rare plants do not disappear from history once more.
This episode of Earth Notes was written by Amber Jones and produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.
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