As the state botanist who oversees the New Mexico Forestry Division’s endangered plant program, Erika Rowe has a lot on her plate. Rowe has dedicated more than 20 years to protecting rare plants, and with degrees in natural resource management and forest ecology, New Mexico is lucky to have her expertise. Rowe presides over an upcoming talk on statewide conservation (6:30 pm Tuesday, March 11. Free. Christ Lutheran Church, 1701 Arroyo Chamiso, (505) 983-9461), so we spoke to her to learn more. This interview has been edited for clarity and concision. (Adam Ferguson)
Your talk gives an overview on the endangered plant program. What is this program all about? And how can people get involved?
We have statutory authority for the Division of Forestry here in the Energy, Minerals and National Resources Department, and my teeny, tiny botany program is within that. We are in charge of maintaining a state endangered species list and coordinating with all sorts of federal partners. We apply for grants under the Endangered Species Act with the US Fish and Wildlife Service that help fund our program. Under that, we set up monitoring to check in on the plant’s status and do survey updates on our federally listed species in the state, of which there are currently 13 listed. I’ve been trying to expand our program so we can maintain the state endangered species list and protection here in the state on all lands, as well as find other ways to check in on the other 200 plus rare plants. I also want to more actively join forces with the Native Plant Society and work with them in terms of doing small citizen projects like a plant watch where you’re assigned a designated area based on where you live. I would love it if we could get more engagement from a wider spectrum of people and expand the knowledge about native and rare plants.
What does the rare and endangered plant situation look like in Santa Fe?
One that we have, literally in our backyard, is the Santa Fe cholla. You can see the original type locality, which means it was the first population discovered and described. It’s at Fort Marcy Park by the Cross of the Martyrs. If you walk down the hill from the parking lot, it looks like normal cholla, and you wouldn’t know until it blooms around April and May. It has a really beautiful sort of salmon-y colored flowers instead of the dark pink ones. Another one that’s sort of in our backyard is in the Holy Ghost Canyon called Holy Ghost Ipomopsis, and it only grows there and nowhere else in the world. The flower is hot pink and pollinated by hummingbirds. And so in that particular case it was isolated a long time ago, and it’s speciated, so it became its own lineage. We don’t exactly know why something is where it is and why it’s only found in one canyon and nowhere else. However, in terms of endangered plants, we do know human impact definitely has played a role. We know of habitats and several populations of plants that have been destroyed, and urban development has certainly had an impact on those populations.
As a botanist and plant ecologist for the last 24 years, what has been the most dramatic learning moment of your career?
There have been many moments, like rare plant finds or helping create a new state park and other conservation efforts. But in Minnesota I established a monitoring program, and I would go out with a crew to establish longterm plots. We would often get selected plots out of private land and the land owners would tell me how there was a major shift around 15 years ago in the climate and things became different. Their wetlands became dry, the soil changed and the forests changed and are full of invasive species and they can’t control it. One farmer told me that he used to have beautiful wetlands full of beavers and the wetlands were high, but now it’s just reed canary grass. The water levels would bounce around because of irrigation which draws down the water table dramatically. I hear the same stories from locals who have been here for a long time. The snow pack and the monsoons aren’t the way they used to be. It also seems like more people are disconnected with their surroundings. People need to go out in nature without distractions to really appreciate the things they’re seeing and hearing, and for their own well-being. People should comment on things like the forestry department having a public comment period on different issues. If people want to actively do things and try to stay involved, join the Native Plant Society and see what’s going on with local activities and learn about what rare plants we have. New Mexico is unique in the fact that we are super biodiverse because we have mountains, deserts and wetlands. You don’t have to know what each rare plant’s purpose is but these plants are part of our landscape, and part of our sort of treasure chest. People would be proud and excited to know that we have some really special things here.
