Plant Species Range

Species are mapped by U.S. Public Land Survey section, with the following exceptions:

• If a historical record could not be located to the section level of detail, then a broader area (several sections, a township, or even a county) was mapped as a generalized area
• For species designated as “Endangered” or “Threatened” by the Bureau of Endangered Resources of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, only the township location was indicated to prevent exploitation of rare species.

All available sources on species information have been utilized in the compilation of these range maps, including:

• Commission field surveys (both in conjunction with the Natural Areas Plan and lists from wetland and environmental corridor delineations)
• Herbarium specimens
• UW-Madison Herbarium and UW-Stevens Point Herbarium websites
• Published and unpublished species lists
• Knowledgeable local and regional botanists
• Files of the Wisconsin Bureau of Endangered Resources
• The Flora of the Chicago Region (1994) by Swink and Wilhelm

For many species, individual designations are included:

• E: State-designated endangered species, defined as any species native to the State of Wisconsin whose continued existence as a viable component of the State’s wild plants as determined by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, on the basis of scientific evidence, to be in jeopardy.
• T: State-designated threatened species, defined as any species of wild plants native to the State of Wisconsin which appear likely, within the foreseeable future and on the basis of scientific evidence, to become endangered.
• SC: State-designated special concern species, defined as any native species within the State of Wisconsin about which some problem of abundance or distribution is suspected, but not yet demonstrated. This designation is an informational, non-legal category designed to focus attention on certain species before they become endangered or threatened.
• U: Commission-designated Regionally-uncommon species, referring to species which, although with perhaps relatively extensive and apparently stable statewide populations, may still be of high concern on a regional level, and whose status warrants monitoring.
• A: Alien species, referring to those species not considered to be native to the State of Wisconsin.
   

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