Plants

Climate change is impacting Illinois’ natural vegetation. Excessive heat, drought and flooding will cause damage to natural vegetation as well as crops. Warmer weather will bring invasive plants, pests, insects, and pathogens to Illinois, causing harm to plants.  Without cutting fossil fuel emissions and drawing down immense amounts of carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions, many plant species, like many animal species, are at risk of extinction.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has been working to protect native plant species in the state of Illinois for decades from disease, invasive species, habit loss, continued urbanization, and climate change. For instance, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission collaborates with private and public land holders to identify and protect threatened and endangered species of plants, trees, and animals on their lands. IDNR’s website connects citizens with resources to help learn about plants and other natural areas in our state, including a Natural Areas Inventory and an interactive map of natural places in Illinois. Other actions IDNR has taken to protect and restore plant species in Illinois include:

• In 2022 IDNR revised the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan’s Implementation Guide, adding 330 plants as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (Plant SGCN Appendix1b_2022)
• Natural Areas Program with the Division of Natural Heritage has ongoing contracts with INHS (focused on assessing the conservation status of native plant species in Illinois) and Plants of Concern (supporting their efforts to monitor at-risk plant species). 

• Each of the following programs and organizations conduct efforts connected to plant conservation, although in most cases there is not a direct emphasis on climate impacts.
  Endangered and Threatened Species Program (look at Species Recovery and Species Documentation)
  Illinois Invasive Species Council and their Terrestrial Plants Committee
  Endangered Species Protection Board (ESPB and ESPB Recovery Documents)

• Several years ago, INHS staff conducted an assessment of plant species vulnerability to climate change:  Scientists foretell the fate of Illinois’ threatened and endangered plants in a changing climate

IDNR Natural Areas
This page hosts several different links that provide information on Illinois’ natural areas, the threats they face, and what actions IDNR and others are taking to reduce these threats.

Natural Areas Map
Check out this resource and learn about Illinois’ 14 natural divisions: boundaries determined based on differences in topography, glacial history, bedrock, soils, and plants and animals. The site includes an interactive map to explore these natural features of the state.

IL Nature Preserves Commission
This commission is celebrating 60 years of protecting threatened and endangered plant and other species. Click here to learn more about what the INPC has achieved so far and what it plans for the future.