Native plants lost in New England and New York

by Richard B. Primack, Caitlin McDonough MacKenzie, Abe Miller-Rushing, and Glen Mittelhauser

“Not until we are completely lost or turned around do we begin to find ourselves.”  

Henry David Thoreau

Earlier this month the UN released its Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services which describes global losses and declines in native species over the past century. Our new study published in Rhodora provides a local example by showing that locations across the New England and New York have lost 25% of their local plant species, on average, over the last 50 to 150 years. Certain plant families, such as orchids and lilies, suffered even higher rates of loss.

Figure 1.  Sites in the Northeast used in this study, and the percent of native species that have been lost.

Every site showed a loss of native species, including well protected areas like Nantucket Island and state parks, such as Middlesex Fells. Even protecting areas as reservations or state or national parks did not prevent the loss of species, though the proportion varied considerably between sites.  The specific causes of the losses are likely a combination of habitat loss, climate change, damage from deer, invasive plant species, and air and water pollution.

Figure 2. Purple fringed orchids have dramatically in abundance in Concord over the past 150 years.

The Northeast is a great place to study changes in plant biodiversity because of the long history of botanical surveys in the region undertaken by professional and citizen scientists. Their records provide the opportunity for contemporary scientists to resurvey the same sites and compare changes. Understanding the changes taking place is essential for managers working to protect these areas and their floras.

As covered by WBUR:  "New England Is Losing Its Native Plants. Researchers Say It’s Time To Stop And Smell The Wildflowers"


The article:  McDonough MacKenzie, C., Mittelhauser, G., Miller-Rushing, A.J. and Primack, R.B., 2019. Floristic change in New England and New York: regional patterns of plant species loss and decline. Rhodora, 121(985), pp.1-36.