Running Buffalo Clover's Population Soars: From 1,000 to Nearly 7,000 in Ohio

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Running buffalo clover, once declared extinct, makes a remarkable comeback through ODNR's conservation efforts.

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The rare wildflower's population surged from 1,000 to nearly 7,000 plants between 2010 and 2019 at Ohio's nature preserves.

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ODNR Director Mary Mertz announces the plant's removal from endangered species list after successful revival.

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This resilient plant earned its name from stems that spread across ground, thriving from Appalachians to Central Plains.

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The grazing of bison helped maintain the clover's habitat before the plant's disappearance. Keywords: American bison, grazing animals, natural habitat, prairie ecosystem, historical landscape

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Federal authorities declared the plant extinct until its surprise rediscovery in West Virginia's wilderness in 1983.

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ODNR botanists spotted the elusive plant in Ohio five years later, breaking an 81-year absence.

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Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve in Hocking County now hosts Ohio's largest running buffalo clover population.

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ODNR reclassifies the plant as potentially threatened, maintaining vigilant monitoring of its growing populations.

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