| Abstract Detail
Floristics in North America: Current needs, priorities and opportunities Taylor, Kim [1]. Texas Floristics in the 21st Century: From Documentation to Conservation. Botanists and naturalists have been exploring and documenting the flora of Texas for over 180 years, yet new discoveries continue to be made. From state or county records to species new to science, documentation of plant diversity is integral to plant conservation. Despite the importance of floristic work, funding and institutional support for it has declined. This decline in boots on the ground poses serious challenges for conservation of rare species and habitats. The state of Texas has a documented flora of over 6000 vascular plant taxa, including 292 globally rare taxa with a NatureServe Conservation Status Rank of G1 or G2. With a land mass rivaling that of many countries, Texas remains a state of wide-open spaces, over 95 percent of which is held by private landowners. Evolving threats including urban sprawl, climate change, rapid population growth, and a declining public “belief” in science must be met with new and innovative approaches to documenting plant diversity and changing environments. We will examine recent floristic work in Texas, highlighting the continued need for targeted floristic work; discuss examples of floristic work directly impacting plant conservation; examine whether traditional floristic work can address the evolving threats to ecosystems; and explore new strategies for floristics in the 21st century.
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1 - Botanical Research Institute Of Texas, 1700 University Dr., Fort Worth, TX, 76107, United States
Keywords:
Floristics
conservation
Texas.
Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations
Session: CO13, Floristics in North America
Location: Tucson J/Starr Pass
Date: Wednesday, July 31st, 2019
Time: 3:00 PM
Number: CO13005
Abstract ID:959
Candidate for Awards:None |
