Threatened, Endangered, and Rare Plant Species

Updated 07/11/2008

Decline in plant populations is due to many complex issues, including urban expansion, small acreage habitat degradation, and indirect or direct destruction of plant species by humans. Destruction occurs through introduction of invasive species, over harvesting, and conversion of habitat to other uses.

“Threatened” is defined as any species which is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its habitat range. “Endangered” is any species which is in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

The Plant Materials Program works with critical habitat for animal species. The habitat for sage grouse has been threatened by conversion to urban land and changes in grazing and vegetation management strategies. Plant Materials Specialists, working with biologists, have provided a list of diverse plants, including native forbs, grasses, and shrubs and the plant technology to manage them, to land managers and wildlife specialists.

Ultimate Goal

Our goal is to work cooperatively to avert species extinction worldwide. Concerns are loss of a species as a biological entity, imbalance of an ecosystem, endangerment of other species, and loss of irreplaceable genetic material. The Plant Materials Program works with land managers and land users to conserve these natural resources.

Related Publications

• Publications Relating to Threatened, Endangered, and Rare Species
• Publications by Plant Materials Centers
• More Related Publications by Topic

Some documents may require Acrobat Reader.

Threatened and Endangered Species Fact Sheet (PDF; 298 KB) National Plant Materials Program
Arizona Threatened, Endangered & Protected Plants. (PDF; 131 KB) Munda, B. 2005. USDA-NRCS Tucson Plant Materials Center, 23p. (ID# 5818

Related Features

Related Web Sites

• Related Web Sites by Topic

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