Ohio

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

Published

1 year 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

Ohio Lottery Pick 3 Midday, Pick 3 Evening winning numbers for March 30, 2025

Published

10 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Press Room

The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at March 30, 2025, results for each game:

Pick 3

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 9-9-2

Evening: 2-9-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 6-2-0-2

Evening: 8-9-7-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 4-7-9-1-8

Evening: 3-9-4-9-9

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Rolling Cash 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.

09-14-19-25-35

Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Lucky For Life

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 10:35 p.m.

19-20-27-36-39, Lucky Ball: 06

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form. Our News Automation and AI team would love to hear from you. Take this survey and share your thoughts with us.

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Exciting Ohio State Freshman Has Made Big Change for 2025

Published

21 hours ago

March 30, 2025

Press Room

Exciting Ohio State Freshman Has Made Big Change for 2025

The Ohio State Buckeyes have definitely undergone some major changes on both sides of the ball this offseason, but perhaps their biggest change has been defensively.

Ohio State has lost a plethora of players to the NFL Draft, particularly along its defensive front, which spearheaded the nation’s No. 1-ranked defense in 2024.

Fortunately, the Buckeyes have a great group of young players ready to hit the field in 2025, and that includes four-star freshman linebacker Riley Pettijohn.

Pettijohn was the No. 2-ranked linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class, so big things are expected of him next season, and he knows it.

In preparation for his debut campaign in Columbus, Pettijohn has already gained 12 pounds, going from 215 to 227 pounds over the last few months.

As a result, Pettijohn is becoming a more versatile threat along Ohio State’s front seven.

“I think I can do a little bit of everything,” Pettijohn told reporters. “I can cover, I can rush the passer, I can play the run, too. I think those are all my strengths. But I think my speed plays a factor.”

Pettijohn probably won’t be a starter right off the bat, as Arvell Reese is projected to begin the season at middle linebacker. But Pettijohn may see some snaps, and he is excited for the opportunity.

“It’s a responsibility, getting everybody lined up, getting the call,” Pettijohn said. “Knowing my assignment, I did it in high school, but it’s just upscaled a little more, so it’s going to take some getting used to. But I know I’m ready.”

We’ll see if the McKinney, Tx. native can make an impact in Year 1.

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Mailbox: For Ohio State basketball fans, March Madness sure is lonely without the Buckeyes

Published

1 day ago

March 30, 2025

Press Room

Mailbox: For Ohio State basketball fans, March Madness sure is lonely without the Buckeyes

Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com. Letters are lightly edited for clarity.

On Ohio State basketball

To the editor: I have such an empty feeling. It feels like I lost someone. The best few weeks in sports. I sit on the sidelines left out of the dance. I watched Michigan yesterday, a team that won only eight games last year. Their bigs dominated. What a turnaround. BIG BUCKS bring BIG BUCKS, I hope.

Marty Osmond

To the editor: SHAME ON YOU! What a terrible title for the hard playing, very successful OSU women’s basketball team. They played their hearts out but did not win the Tennessee game. But they did amass a tremendous record of 26-7 against many great teams. With that record they were given a No. 4 seed in their bracket. And they won their first game. Give them credit. Find a better title that doesn’t suggest they were losers.

Maybe … Came up a little short … OSU women put together a great season.

Next time do a little more thinking about how readers will react to the title of an article.

Pete Kienle, Powell

To Pete: I thought the headlines on Mike Arace’s column were fair for a team that was upset at home for the second year in a row. In print, it was “Diminishing returns: OSU runs out of gas, again falls in second round in tournament.” On Dispatch.com, the headline was “Buckeyes can’t find their way from Columbus to Sweet 16.” It was a fine season by the Buckeyes, but a disappointing ending.

On Michigan

To Brian: What do Voldemort, MacBeth and Michigan have in common?

Harry Potter’s nemesis was Lord Voldemort, an evil wizard so powerful and frightening that it was dangerous to even say the name out loud. Instead, everyone referred to him as “He Who Must Not Be Named.”

In the theatre world, “Macbeth” is considered a play so powerful and strange that it is thought to be unlucky to say the name out loud and is therefore called only “The Scottish Play.”

Here in Buckeye Nation, and especially, I imagine, even more so within in the football program, Michigan is referred to as “That Team Up North (TTUN).” Is this because Michigan is a team so powerful and frightful that it is unlucky or dangerous to say the name out loud? Maybe not intentionally.

This irrational fear to name something actually has a formal name: The Voldemort Effect. (Google it!) Well, Harry’s triumph over Voldemort began with saying the name out loud, and we know that “Macbeth” is regularly performed successfully on stages worldwide, with most characters speaking the name “Macbeth” out loud. So, what about Ohio State and Michigan?

Perhaps this irrational reluctance to say the name has become a psychological stumbling block leading to unlikely losses by OSU teams that were more talented than Michigan. It certainly seems like something negative is playing with their heads.

As spring training gears up, I have a suggestion for coach Day: Get it out of your head – SAY THE NAME!

Harry Campbell, Columbus

Buy Ohio State books, posters, gear from CFP title win

On politics in sports letters to the editor

Hi Brian: You state politics should not be in the sports section, but the sports section of The Columbus Dispatch publishes columns by Nancy Armour that contain criticisms of the president of the United States. Is criticizing our president not political?

Bob Jacobs

To Bob: Actually, I never said politics should not be in the sports section. I said, and I quote myself in last week’s Mailbox, “All sports discussions are best without any political accusations, leaning or segmentation.” Also, in my personal life, I get up and walk away from any sports discussion that delves into politics. In fact, I get up and walk away from any discussion of any sort that delves into politics. It didn’t used to be that way, but now it’s a key to a happier life.