Journal of Student Research 2023

Journal of Student Research 56 partner populations decline (Dee, 2019). Rare species also play important roles in food webs and invasion resistance, acting as biological indicators of habitat health (Wiegand, 2020). There are many different definitions of rarity, making it difficult to assign the title to a species. When there are a variety of meanings, it can make conservation decisions difficult (Dee, 2019). Overall, the definition of species rarity usually includes low abundance, habitat specificity, and/or range size restrictions. These factors can be influenced by human and ecological impacts like climate, resource availability, genetic diversity, and adaptive capacity (Wiegand, 2020). However, it is important to note that some species may be locally rare but abundant on a larger scale (Violle et al., 2017). There are three main reasons as to why plants can become rare: human impacts, plants in the edge of their range, and evolutionary factors. Human impacts on plant species can include habitat loss like dredging, deforestation and construction along with poaching. Some species have spiritual ties to them, making them a target for traditional medicine, luxury goods, or ornamental decorations (Dee, 2019). When plant species are at the edge of their predicted range, they can be considered rare in that area due to the lack of prevalence. Overall, they are characterized by the variability in population, genetic differences, decreased abundance, and lack in fitness of the species (Sexton, 2009). Range size of a species helps inform management decisions about species because of its relationship with rarity and extinction risk in that area (Sheth, 2022). As for rarity of plants due to natural causes, it can be because of competition, disease, herbivory, loss of mutualistic relationships, small habitats, and introduction of new species. When new species in an area have invasive characteristics, they can outplace a species or even hybridize with it depending on species type. Hybridization can promote extinction by reducing the original population (Levin, 1996). Rare plant surveys are conducted to determine the presence or absence of species in a designated area (Fertig, 2020). Plant surveys are important for the conservation of plant species and natural preserves because without knowing what species are present in a certain area, it is difficult to preserve them. Rare plant surveys can be used in biodiversity conservation, environmental monitoring, research, and encouraging community involvement (Chytrý et al., 2011). Since rare species have many important attributes, they contribute to the importance of surveys that focus on those species. The objective of this study was to complete a rare plant survey and generate a plant species list, including both vascular plants and bryophytes, for the Devil’s Punchbowl in Menomonie, WI. Another goal was to determine the community types present in the area using the species found during the survey in order to better understand the general ecology of the area. Plant species rarity according to the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory working list (Bleser, 2023) and coefficient of conservatism were assessed in order to determine the quality of the flora in the Devil’s Punchbowl.