Vegetation

  • Autumn olive covering forest floor near Powder Mill Natural Area, Ozark National Scenic Riverway
    Invasive Exotic Plants

    Invasive exotic plants often spread rapidly, displace native plants, and alter ecological processes.

  • Blooming Missouri bladderpod flowers. Photo courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.
    Missouri bladderpod

    Given the natural rarity of the Missouri bladderpod, proper stewardship of existing habitat is critical for the conservation of the species.

  • Thickets at Homestead National Monument of America
    Vegetation Communities

    Native and restored plant communities are part of the foundation of park ecosystems.

  • Flowering western prairie fringed orchid. © Susan Bury (CC BY-NC).
    Western Prairie Fringed Orchid

    The western prairie fringed orchid is classified as imperiled or critically imperiled in eight states and one Canadian province.

  • Beaver Marsh
    Wetlands

    Wetlands are important sites of biodiversity, providing habitat for nearly half of all endangered species.

Last updated: October 17, 2017