Biologist Rodney Bartgis came across a patch
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Biologist Rodney Bartgis came across a patch of running buffalo clover in 1983. He was recording plants in West Virginia and was wandering around a car road in the New River Gorge when he spotted some “unique-looking” leaves, which he recognized as running buffalo clover. After the finding was confirmed, the clover was considered no longer extinct and placed on the endangered-species list in 1987.
Part of the reason it took a while to start to find the clover in the wild is that, unlike other rare plants, this one won't grow in unspoiled areas. It likes being run over. When the clover was first discovered, US Fish and Wildlife Services(USFWS) forest managers were told to avoid driving in the area populated by the plant. But this made the clover there disappear. In the Fernow Forest in West Virginia, Gundy, a research forester, realized the skidders used to pull trees had helped ensure the clover's growth before anyone knew it was there. So in her work monitoring the population in Fernow, Gundy runs over the clover with a skidder. "You need to remember to agitate it,“ she says.
Since 1987, researchers have found 154 populations. But it's not out of the woods yet. The clover still faces threats from invasive species. The USFWS will have a public comment period, when the clover's case for delisting will be reviewed. Even if it is delisted, biologists from the USFWS will observe populations for years closely to ensure that the species is secure.