Ohio

Native plant update: Of Ohio’s 1,800 native plants species, 271 are endangered, 93 are gone

Published

4 months ago

March 16, 2024

Native plant update: Of Ohio’s 1,800 native plants species, 271 are endangered, 93 are gone

Jim McCormac
| Special to The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio is a crossroads state when it comes to natural history. A convergence of major habitat types comes together in our region, spawning a great diversity of flora, which in turn means a vast array of fauna. Midwestern prairies reach their eastern terminus here. While scattered relicts occur further east, about 5% of Ohio was prairie at the time of European settlement. Indiana was 15% prairie, Illinois about 60%, and Iowa 80%. The formerly great Midwestern prairies have largely been eradicated, with less than a percent remaining.

Boreal forests and bogs dipped into Ohio from the north, offering a taste of Canada. The Appalachian Mountains reach their western limits here; 32 of the state’s 88 counties are considered part of Appalachia. Four hundred and fifty one miles of the mighty Ohio River form Ohio’s southern boundary. The valley of this great stream is the northernmost limits for a number of southern plants.

All of this ecological diversity means plants, and lots of them. About 1,800 native species have been documented in Ohio. Unfortunately, we’ve been very hard on habitat.

In 1800, Ohio’s human population was about 45,000. Today, it is approaching 12 million, an increase of 26,527%. This avalanche of humanity has wrought great changes in our natural resources. Of Ohio’s 1,430,000 acres of pre-settlement prairie, less than one-tenth of a percent remain. Ninety-two percent of our bogs and other peatlands have been destroyed. While 95% forested at the time of settlement, Ohio’s forest cover has dipped to as low as 10%, and is about 33% today. Forestry practices and fragmentation have greatly diminished the ecological value of many remaining forested tracts.

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A great many of those 1,800 native plant species have taken it on the chin due to the hand of man. Nearly 650 species are now listed as being in some degree of imperilment by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Natural Areas and Preserves (DNAP). DNAP is the state’s authority on Ohio’s flora and maintains the biennially updated Rare Native Ohio Plants Status List. The most recent iteration lists 271 endangered, 159 threatened, and 92 potentially threatened species. A further 93 species are considered extirpated — gone from the state.

Sometimes plants are thought to be rare because of their obscurity factor. They are difficult-to-identify species such as grasses and sedges, known by few people, and their true status can be tough to quantify. Over time, however, botanists are usually able to accurately determine their status and many such plants have had their status downgraded or been removed from the list altogether. Other species are at the edges of their ranges in Ohio, and may only occur in a county or two, although they are common elsewhere. Some plants are genuinely rare, such as the five federally threatened species found in Ohio.

The gorilla in the room is habitat destruction, though. In 1837, a displaced Vermonter living in Illinois, John Deere, launched his steel chisel plow. It didn’t take long for the vast Midwestern prairies — some of America’s richest biodiversity — to become America’s breadbasket. Scores of prairie specialist plants were replaced with a botanical triumvirate of beans, corn and wheat.

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Cities and suburban sprawl have displaced forests and meadows, and poor treatment of Ohio’s 60,000 miles of streams and numerous natural lakes have led to greatly diminished water quality. One group of aquatic plants, pondweeds in the genus Potamogeton, have been especially hard-hit. Of the 23 species, six are endangered, one is threatened, two are potentially threatened, and five are no longer known to occur in Ohio.

Twelve species are listed as imperiled in Franklin County. Two are endangered and one of those is a beautiful little mustard known as spreading rock cress (Arabis patens). It is especially significant as it was discovered by botanist William Sullivant on rocky cliffs along the Scioto River in Dublin in 1842. Probably less than 100 plants survive. Sullivant’s father was Lucas Sullivant, founder of Franklinton.

Conservation and restoration of habitat is the most important thing that we can do to protect Ohio’s rich biodiversity. Only about 4% of Ohio is protected in the form of parks, wildlife areas, nature preserves, national forest and the like. The Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, various county parks and other conservation organizations have done much to ensure the perpetuation of our botanical heritage. But much more remains to be done if we are to arrest the decline in Ohio’s flora, and ideally, increase our botanical diversity.

Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a column for The Dispatch on the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month. He also writes about nature at www.jimmccormac.blogspot.com.

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Ohio

Body of missing Northeast Ohio woman found; boyfriend in custody

Published

3 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Body of missing Northeast Ohio woman found; boyfriend in custody

PLAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The boyfriend of a woman who was reported missing earlier this week is being held in jail on a $1 million bond after the woman’s body was found in a park near Canton.

Sean Goe, 26, of Plain Township, has yet to be charged with the murder of Raychel Sheridan, 24, also of Plain Township. He is being held on active warrants for burglary, grand theft of a firearm, and domestic violence, according to the Stark County Sheriff’s Office. The domestic violence charge involved Sheridan, the sheriff’s office says.

Goe was arrested Wednesday morning by Canton police at a homeless shelter. It ended a nearly multi-hour search for Goe after Sheridan was reported missing just after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday from a residence on the 4100 block of Orchard Dale Drive NW.

While deputies were searching the home and the surrounding area for Sheridan, deputies spotted a maroon Jeep Liberty registered to her driving on Guilford Avenue NW. Deputies pulled the Jeep over and found Goe was driving, but fled on foot.

The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force and the State Highway Patrol were called in to help search the area for Goe, who was found in the early-morning hours Wednesday at the homeless shelter.

The sheriff’s office says detectives searched the apartment shared by Sheridan and Goe determined Sheridan was killed in the residence. The sheriff’s office says unspecified evidence was recovered “indicating foul play.”

Canton sanitation workers found what it believed to be Sheridan’s body just before 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in a park in a southwest section of Canton, the sheriff’s office says.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Raychel’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Stark County Sheriff George Maier said in a statement.

The sheriff’s office released no other details Wednesday and says the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can contact the Stark County Sheriff’s Office at 330-430-3800.

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Ohio

Will Howard Sets Blunt Expectations For Ohio State Buckeyes

Published

10 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

Will Howard Sets Blunt Expectations For Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes boast arguably the most talented roster in the country heading into the 2024 season. While it’s certainly exciting, it also puts a whole lot of pressure on the team.

Really, anything short of a championship this year will be a disappointment, and new Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has doubled down on those expectations.

“For us, it’s natty or bust,” Howard said, via Zach Barnett of Football Scoop. “I mean, there’s no doubt in my mind.”

That goes for pretty much everyone, but it definitely hits different when the projected starting quarterback vocalizes it.

Howard is transferring over from Kansas State and is expected to be under center when the Buckeyes open their regular season agains Akron on Aug. 31.

Funny enough, as stacked as Ohio State’s roster is, the one area of potential concern is the quarterback position.

While the Buckeyes certainly have a talented group of signal-callers, there are questions as to whether or not any of the quarterbacks on the squad are truly capable of leading the team to a national title.

Howard was good—not great—in his final season at Kansas State, throwing for 2,643 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 61.3 percent of his passes in 2023. He also rushed for 351 yards and nine scores.

“We have all the talent. We have all the intangibles,” added Howard. “Now, we’ve just got to go do it. I’m tired of hearing how talented we are and how good our team is. It’s about the work ethic and how we go to work every single day, and I think we’re doing the things that we need to to put ourselves in that position to be there at the end of the year and now we’ve just got to go do it.”

Clearly, Howard knows what needs to be done. You get the feeling that the rest of the ballclub understands, as well.

But until Ohio State actually gets on the field in 2024, we won’t actually know how dominant the team really is…although you have to admit that the Buckeyes look pretty scary.

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Ohio officials looking for feedback on energy savings programs

Published

17 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

Ohio officials looking for feedback on energy savings programs

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVG) – The Ohio Department of Development wants to give Ohioans a voice in the creation of programs aimed at helping families save on their electric bills and improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

They’re seeking stakeholder engagement that will support the planning, design, and implementation of the new Ohio Home Energy Savings Program. The State of Ohio was allocated $249 million through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to provide qualifying Ohioans discounts for high-efficiency appliances and equipment, as well as funding for energy efficiency improvements to single- and multi-family homes.

“High energy bills are a concern for many Ohio families, and we want them to know relief is on the horizon,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “This effort will ensure the Home Energy Savings Program is crafted with direct input from the people it aims to help, allowing us to deliver meaningful solutions while also empowering residents to contribute to its success.”

This outreach effort, which kicks off July 11, will include a series of informal, in-person sessions in communities across the state, as well as two live webinars for interested Ohioans to learn more about the program and provide valuable insight on how it can best serve their needs.

All Ohio residents, businesses, utilities, contractors, government entities, and nonprofit/community-based organizations are encouraged to participate.

Dates and locations for each event are, as follows:

Webinar 1 July 11 | 6-7 p.m. Register for the webinar here

In-Person Session 1 – Bowling Green July 24 | 6-8 p.m. Bowling Green Simpson Banquet Room1291 Conneaut Avenue Bowling Green, Ohio 43402Register here

In-Person Session 2 – Toledo July 25 | 6-8 p.m. Toledo Public Library – Mott Branch1010 Dorr Street Toledo, Ohio 43607Register here

In-Person Session 3 – Cleveland Aug. 6 | 6-8 p.m. Cleveland Public Library – MLK Branch962 Stokes Boulevard Cleveland, Ohio 44106Register here

In-Person Session 4 – Youngstown Aug. 7 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. Youngstown Public Library – Main Branch305 Wick Avenue Youngstown, Ohio 44503Register here

In-Person Session 5 – Columbus Aug. 13 | 6-8 p.m. Columbus Public Library96 S. Grant Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43215Register here

In-Person Session 6 – Athens Aug. 14 | 6-8 p.m. Athens Community Center701 E. State Street Athens, Ohio 45701Register here

In-Person Session 7 – Cincinnati Aug. 27 | 6-8 p.m. Price Hill Branch Library970 Percell Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45205Register here

In-Person Session 8 – Dayton Aug. 28 | 6-8 p.m. Greater Dayton Recreation Center2021 West Third Street Dayton, Ohio 45417Register here

Webinar 2 Sept. 4 | 6-7 p.m. Register for the webinar here

Press planning to attend any of these events should RVSP to clowrie@werthpr.com.

For more information, visit the Home Energy Savings Program webpage or the U.S. Department of Energy website.

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