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

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...