Plants

Lush and diverse plant life thrives in moist, cool side canyons of the Niobrara.

NPS photo

The Niobrara River valley is home to unusually diverse plant groups and ecosystems. The area is noted in scientific literature for the many plants that exist here beyond their normal geographic limits. Plants of eastern, western, and northern forest ecosystems and three Great Plains prairie ecosystems converge here. Approximately 160 plant species are at the edge of their natural range in the river valley.

Several factors cause Niobrara's habitat "neighborhoods" to have unusual biological diversity. The river valley provides an unbroken east-west riparian corridor connecting the drier western landscape with the more humid midwestern prairie and eastern forest. Plants typical of each condition intermingle in this transition zone.

The river valley diveristy of habitats is also due to differing slope, moisture, and soil conditions. As climate conditions change over time, plants typical of past colder conditions continue to survive in the sheltered cool, wet, north-facing branch canyons while they have disappeared from drier, warmer, more open areas.

For more information on native plants of Nebraska and their distribution, follow the links below.

Native vegetation map - Univ of Nebraska State Museum
http://www-museum.unl.edu/research/botany/nebraska_vegetation.html

Index of native plant species - University of Nebraska State Museum
http://www-museum.unl.edu/research/botany/atlas/nebraska_family.html

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

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Niobrara National Scenic River

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Species attribute definitions

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