“Rare but Not Forgotten”

Melissa Petruzzello: Welcome to Encyclopædia Britannica’s Botanize! I'm your host, Melissa Petruzzello, Britannica’s plant and environmental science editor. As you may know, there are some plants that are found practically everywhere. Dandelions, for example, are found in lawns and disturbed areas nearly worldwide. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, if you will. But some plants are found only in very specific locales. We often describe these plants as being “endemic” to a certain region. And with a narrow geographic distribution often comes the designation of “rare.”

To talk about rare plants and their conservation, I have on with me today, Dr. Naomi Fraga, Director of Conservation at the California Botanic Garden and Research Assistant Professor at Claremont Graduate University. Thank you for joining me, Naomi.

Dr. Naomi Fraga: Thank you so much for inviting me.

Melissa Petruzzello: I'm so excited to have you on! So, “director of conservation,” that's an excellent title. Tell us about your work. What do you do and what types of topics do you research?

Dr. Naomi Fraga: Sure. Well, as director of conservation at a botanic garden, I get to oversee a wide array of research that takes place at the garden. So we're involved in research in seed conservation, and we have the largest seed bank dedicated to California native plants. We're doing work in plant restoration where we're propagating plants for restoration. We also do field research where we're out studying and monitoring rare, threatened, and endangered plants, and a lot of biodiversity research to just document what occurs in California, and perhaps even describe new species. So I really enjoy my work because I get to kind of touch all these different aspects of plant conservation and bring them all together to have a complete picture and to be able to advance plant conservation in a very cross-disciplinary and integrated way. So it's very exciting to carry out research, to support native plants, and also especially to support our rarest plants.

Melissa Petruzzello: That sounds really fascinating, and I love the diversity of topics that are happening at the Botanic Garden. Rare plant conservation is one of your areas of focus. Would you mind sharing with us what defines a rare plant and what factors shape rarity in the plant kingdom?

Dr. Naomi Fraga: Sure. There are many pathways to becoming a rare plant in the world. And when botanists think about rare plants, and we're categorizing plants as rare, threatened, or endangered, we look at a number of factors to determine a plant’s status. So first, one we might look at is just the geographic range. So how widespread is plant, where does it occur? Does it occur across a wide landscape or does it occur only in a very specific place? But we might also look at population size. So a plant species can be relatively widespread, but across that wide geography, the populations might be very very small. So there might be only a few individuals within a population. And that in itself could be a form of rarity to be relatively widespread, but to have a very small population size, and vice versa. You could have a very small geographical location where you live, but you can have very large and abundant populations. So there's all these different factors involved. Another thing we look at is habitat specificity. So some plants are restricted to very particular habitats. Some might occur only on a very specific kind of rock or soil type, and that might make them rare because their habitat is rare. And then another growing concern for plants, and a new sort of newer form of rarity, relates to human impacts. So there are species that perhaps we didn't consider vulnerable in the past and they're pretty widespread. But various human impacts that might include climate change or introduction of pathogens have impacted these species across their range. And so now when we're looking at rare plants, we have to look across a wide breadth of species and not just focus on those that are naturally rare, but species that are becoming rare because of various activities taking place on the landscape.

Melissa Petruzzello: Would you say that a rare plant is usually synonymous with being an endangered species or can you be rare and not endangered?

Dr. Naomi Fraga: Well, I think it depends. I would say these days all rare plants are fairly imperiled primarily due to the threat of climate change. So maybe 30 or 40 years ago there would be plants at the top of mountain peaks and wilderness that are naturally rare, but not a lot of human disturbance impacts them. And perhaps we thought they were protected because they're occurring in a wilderness area and they have a large amount of protection. But now with climate change, that can impact any plant in any location. And those that occur in very narrow habitats at the top of mountain peaks might be some the most threatened because they don't have anywhere to move to. So I do think in modern times of being a rare plant to some degree is synonymous with being an endangered plant. Although in the past that wasn't necessarily the case.

Melissa Petruzzello: I see. So even if a rare plant is not yet formally listed as endangered, climate change is making these plants increasingly imperiled regardless of other human threats they may face. That’s an uphill battle, but at least we have scientists like you working to save these uncommon wonders.

Now Naomi, I hear you have a favorite rare plant, the Amargosa niterwort. Standing barely 4 inches tall with delicate pink flowers, this succulently relative of spinach and quinoa is hardly an imposing figure in the desert ecosystem it inhabits. So tell us, what do you find endearing about this special plant? What is unique about its natural history and what threats does this little character face?

Dr. Naomi Fraga: Yeah, I love the Amargosa niterwort. I was introduced to this plant in about 2012, that was the first time I got to see this plant. And the first thing that struck me about the Amargosa niterwort is that it occurs in this really extreme environment. It lives in an alkali wetland in one of the hottest and driest places on Earth. It occurs just outside of Death Valley National Park area. And I think it's just really amazing that a plant can adapt to live in such extreme environments. It's, you know, the soil there is very alkaline. It's a wet place in the desert, which is unusual to have a wetland in the desert. And it's very windy place. I go out there every month to monitor this plant and I've experienced a wide range of conditions, and so I think this plant really rolls with the punches and experiences a very wide variety of conditions throughout the year. It's always there out on the salt flats every day, persisting and surviving. And so I think it is such an amazing example of resilience on Earth and all the different ways organisms can live a life in places that seem inhospitable to most. And so the Amargosa niterwort in a lot of ways inspires me you know, in the different ways that lives its life. And I feel very lucky that I get to study it and hopefully help to conserve it because it's not only rare and lives in a very specific habitat, but it's also endangered because its habitat has the threat of being altered because it does occur in this wetland. There's a lot of activity happening nearby that's pumping ground water, pumping water from deep aquifers in the ground, and that's reducing the groundwater level and taking water away from the Amargosa niterwort’s habitat. So that's it's biggest threat really is that its habitat could be altered in the future if we continue to draw water at the rate that is currently being drawn.

Melissa Petruzzello: Wow. So that's an interesting threat to the plant because it's not directly a strip mall right where it's living. It's something underground that might be benefiting people even farther away, the withdrawal of the aquifer water. What other challenges do you find that plant conservationists face in trying to protect rare and endemic plants?

Dr. Naomi Fraga: Plant conservation is a very challenging kind of environment to work. For one, there's actually very few botanists working in plant conservation. When you look at people working in conservation across the board, there are far more people working with animals. I know people kind of naturally connect with the cute, fuzzy organisms that have a backbone and two eyes. So plants don't have as many people on the ground studying them. We need more information, we need more information on these rare plant populations so we can properly protect them. So I would say we need more botanists on the landscape and we need more training being done to get the next generation of botanists out there working. Also I think an important challenge is getting the word out to people to get them to support plant conservation, for them to understand how important plants are, and how plants support the big fuzzy animals that we all connect with. Without the plants we wouldn't be able to conserve all the rest of the biodiversity and all these other organisms. So I think getting that public support and funding, and getting more botanists trained are some of the big challenges. It turns out that plants make up really the majority of endangered organisms under the Federal Endangered Species Act, but they get just really a very small fraction of the funding. And so that makes it challenging to work in plant conservation because it's a real struggle to get the funding needed to get out there and to do the studies and to do the work to make sure that the plants are protected.

Melissa Petruzzello: For sure. My own master's degree is actually in plant biology and conservation, and you know, to just learn about the challenges that face plants and the lack of support or even awareness that there is for their conservation was disheartening. But it's nice to know that it seems like many botanic gardens such as the California Botanic Garden are kind of at the forefront of trying to raise awareness and facilitate the conservation of our wild plants. I love that. I don't know if I told you, but my own research was in desert plants in Zion National Park, and so I have a soft spot for desert plants in particular. I took a beating out there on the sand dunes in the summer and it was so hot and really quite miserable. And to think that these plants can live out there and just thrive is amazing. Your Amargosa niterwort on the salt in the desert and with the wind… It is just incredible that these plants can find special places and just exploit them for survival. It's beautiful and very inspiring, I think.

To play the devil's advocate a little bit (and not that I believe any of this), but one might argue that rare plants like the niterwort have kind of worked their way into an evolutionary dead-end with their very specific requirements and their sparse distribution. Some have said blatantly, or else implied, that the extinction of some species is a price we pay for progress. You know, cities or communities need that aquifer water, so what's it really matter if the niterwort is extincted? How would you respond to such a statement and why is it worth the effort to conserve rare plants specifically?

Dr. Naomi Fraga: Yeah, well, you know, I truly believe that we don't need to really pit biodiversity against human progress. I think that all organisms have a right to exist on our planet and that humans would greatly benefit if we choose our growth and our expansion in a way that doesn't have great impact on biodiversity. I think maybe people are recognizing that now. Right now, you know, we're in this time where we're currently sheltering in place. And one of the things that I normally do is I am out on the landscape looking at plants and it's something that I realize brings me a lot of benefit to my life in terms of my mental health and wellness, being out in the outdoors. And that is something that there's been lots of studies that show that biodiversity, wildlife, plant diversity, and that these natural landscapes benefit humans on all these different levels, not only from the basic services that plants provide in terms of, you know, food, medicine, shelter, oxygen, all these like essential things in our lives. And perhaps, you know, the Amargosa niterwort isn't necessarily the biggest supplier of oxygen, but it plays a role in its local landscape and it's part of the whole ecosystem, and in creating a biodiverse and rich place that a lot of people value, and I personally value. We haven't even scratched the surface on understanding all the benefits that all different plants provide our planet. And so to lose something to extinction is to lose it forever and it's to never know about that organism and how special and amazing it was, but it's also to not know what role it played on Earth. And I think that is just such a huge loss. I have a hard time understanding the justification that, you know, we can pick and choose what remains on this planet and what goes extinct.

Melissa Petruzzello: Right, right. Yes. And you know, those desert plants… maybe not a lot of people even get to see those specific ones that are out in a really inhospitable place, but they should be there. And we don't, as you said so eloquently, we don't know exactly all of the roles that they're doing. And I believe, and I'm sure you would agree, that they have intrinsic value and this right to live and it's not on us to really decide that. You mentioned the pandemic, and my optimism has been that I've just seen so many people posting about how they wish they could go to the parks, to the national parks, the state parks, and get outside, how they miss going outside. And I've also known there’s been an uptick of vegetable gardening! And I just feel like vegetable gardening is kind of this gateway botany activity that can hopefully raise good awareness of the value of plants in day-to-day life. They're enjoyable to plant in the garden! And I really think that that can open doors into a mindfulness of wild systems and plants that don't have direct, obvious utility to humanity. So I'm hopeful that maybe having us all sit inside and think, think about what we're missing could be good for conservation and the appreciation of nature outside. Speaking of the public, what takeaways would you like to leave with the general public on this topic? Can you recommend any resources for people learn about rare plants in their areas or other ways to get involved with protecting them?

Dr. Naomi Fraga: Sure. I think there's so many ways that people can get involved in plant conservation or find ways to give back to plants. For one, you mentioned gardening, and I think planting a garden is a tremendous way to get connected with plants and to understand their contributions to our lives in a more full way. And perhaps one thing that it does is it opens our eyes to the great diversity of the plant world and takes away that green haze and kind of brings it into closer perspective. I think it helps build a relationship with plants and build that connection, which I think then lends itself to conservation. When you finally get connected with the plant world and then you kind of wonder, how did I ever live - not, not that you could ever live without them - but how did I ever live without fully realizing I couldn't live without them?

That's very important, but a lot of people can also just visit their local parks and botanic gardens and make sure they give them support because these are places that are doing work on the front lines to make sure that plant conservation happens. So any kind of giving to a local plant conservation organization really goes a long way, because a lot of us are working on a shoestring budget. We really rely a lot on public support, and I think just visiting these natural history museums or botanic gardens or parks and getting connected maybe with your education programs, is another way that you can connect to plants and, and understand all the benefits that they provide, and you'll be surprised what you learn about plant diversity. Even though I've been studying plants for well over 20 years now, I feel like every year I learn something new and my appreciation of plants grows deeper. And learning is just, you know, a lifelong process. Building those opportunities and reaching out to your local organizations really provides you with an opportunity to learn about plants and their importance and to build your connection with them. And that's not only important for the plants and for our ability to conserve them, but I think it also enriches our own lives. So it's like so win-win

Melissa Petruzzello: For sure. Yes, I love all of those ideas. I hope in some small way that these episodes are helping to raise awareness and help people, you know, people who aren't so involved with plants maybe to feel a little twinge of what they're missing out on. Well, thank you so much Naomi for enlightening us about rare plants like the captivating and scrappy Amargosa niterwort and for giving us some insight into what goes on in protecting uncommon species. Your work is so important and appreciated, and I'm really glad you would take the time to be here.

Dr. Naomi Fraga: No, thank you so much for inviting me. It was really great speaking with you.

Melissa Petruzzello: This was really fun. For Encyclopædia Britannica, I'm Melissa Petruzzello and was joined today by Dr. Naomi Fraga. Thank you so much for listening to this episode, “Rare But Not Forgotten,” which was produced by Kurt Heinz. Until next time, stay curious!

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