The Rare Plants Project

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The Rare Plants Project

Restoring the ecosystems rare wildlife depend on

Why It Matters

There are over 800 plant species that are listed as endangered or a species of concern in New Jersey. Six of these species are also federally listed as threatened or endangered. The habitats of rare plants are often important habitats for rare wildlife as well, so protecting these habitats can be beneficial to both plants and wildlife. For Conserve Wildlife Foundation, conserving rare wildlife in New Jersey goes hand-in-hand with protecting or restoring the ecosystems they depend on, including rare plants.

Conservation Efforts

In partnership with Pinelands Preservation Alliance and New Jersey Conservation Foundation, CWF is developing an online rare plants field guide to shed light on 10 of our rare plant species.

CWF is also working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect and recover two federally threatened plants: seabeach amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) and swamp pink (Helonias bullata).

More Conservation Efforts

Seabeach amaranth

Seabeach amaranth is a fleshy, annual plant that grows on the beach between May and November. It is usually found growing in nearly pure sand on the sparsely vegetated upper portion of the beach, between the high-tide line and the toe of the dune. The seeds are dispersed by wind and water, and are present on the beach year-round. Seabeach amaranth is federally listed as a threatened species and State-listed as an endangered species.

Seabeach amaranth completely vanished from New Jersey beaches in 1913 and remained absent until it was rediscovered in 2000. The plant has been closely tracked since that time through annual surveys conducted through a partnership of state and federal agencies, and more recently other conservation organizations, such as CWF. Its population has remained in flux in the state over the past two decades, with protection largely being done on an ad hoc basis, in part through fencing erected to protect endangered beach nesting birds, with which it often shares habitat.

With recovery stymied in New Jersey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife has recently begun to take a more proactive approach towards protecting seabeach amaranth and its habitat. As part of that initiative, over the past several years, CWF has been awarded funds to conduct amaranth surveys early in the growing season and then fence and post the plants before they are trampled by beachgoers or run over by vehicles as a result of coastal municipality’s beach maintenance activities.

Develop beach management plans

CWF, in close partnership with the USFWS, is also working with coastal towns and other landowners to develop beach management plans that protect both endangered birds and plants. Among the special strategies being implemented for plants are “Plant Protection Strips”, which set-aside a portion of the back beach from certain activities, such as driving and beach raking, to provide the at-risk plants a better opportunity to take hold and survive on otherwise busy beaches. These and other related efforts are showing early signs of success; CWF hopes to continue to play a key role in the state in helping achieve recovery of this once “lost” plant species.

Swamp Pink

Swamp Pink (Helonias bullata), a member of the lily family, was listed as a federally threatened species in 1988 and is listed as an endangered species in New Jersey. As its name implies, swamp pink is an obligate wetland species. It inhabits shady forested wetlands, and its occurrence is limited by its highly specific hydrologic needs. Swamp pink occurs only in areas that are perennially saturated, but not inundated, by floodwater (USFWS 2006). They are often found growing on the hummocks formed by trees, shrubs, and sphagnum mosses.

Because of its highly specific needs, even very subtle changes in hydrology are a threat to swamp pink populations. The major threat to swamp pink populations is the loss of degradation of wetland habitat due to encroaching development, sedimentation, pollution, succession, and wetland drainage (USFWS 1991). Other threats include plant collection, tramping, deer herbivory, and climate change.

Swamp pink’s range once extended from New York to Georgia, but now it is found only on the coastal plain of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland and in isolated spots inland in the southern Appalachian Mountains (USFWS 2006). New Jersey is currently the stronghold for swamp pink, supporting over half of the known populations. The primary conservation goal for swamp pink is to preserve its existing habitats, so it is most important to protect the habitats in New Jersey where the majority of the population thrives. Habitats are protected by preventing direct modifications to the wetland, providing buffers around a population to avoid indirect disturbances, avoiding the introduction of invasive species, and limiting public access and human activities (USFWS 2006). Populations that are stressed by significant deer herbivory can be fenced or caged to protect plants from herbivory.

In the spring of 2021, Conserve Wildlife Foundation will be conducting swamp pink surveys for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The sites that will be surveyed are known historic populations that have not been surveyed in many years. The goal of each survey is to learn: (1) if the population still exists (2) if numbers have declined or increased (3) if the habitat is still suitable (4) if the population is subject to any threats. These findings will help determine if any of the populations need support in preserving the habitat or protecting the plants. The surveys will take place from March through May when the plant is in bloom.

References
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1991. Swamp Pink (Helonias bullata) Recovery Plan. Newton Corner, Massachusetts.
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2006. Swamp Pink (Helonias bullata) Fact Sheet. Hadley, Massachusetts.