The Verified Tally
For data to be included on the Verified Tally, it must adhere to our research reporting standards.
Read the Verified Taxa Tally web report
Download the Verified Taxa Tally PDF
The Historical Tally
Data that is included on the Historical Tally is either before the ToD was established, or in the early years of ToD when the reporting standards were not as strict. Any data that we cannot verify as being correct will be here.
Read the Historical Taxa Tally web report
Download the Historical Taxa Tally PDF
Why the Tally Matters
After Hurricane Rita, environmental stewards were asked, "What species were lost?" The information was not available as the last inventory of flora and fauna was conducted in 1936 in A Biological Survey of the East Texas Big Thicket Area by V. L. Cory and H. B. Parks. The work was significant but outdated. The survey provided critical scientific evidence that helped launch the conservation movement to preserve the area and ultimately led to the creation of the Big Thicket National Preserve.
The work of Dr. Daniel H. Janzen in Costa Rica served as a model for new studies. His work inspired researchers worldwide and served as the basis for All Taxa Biodiversity Inventories (ATBI) conducted by the National Park Service. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the first to implement ATBI, in 1998, with their Discover Life in America project. The effort was replicated in national parks across the nation.
In 2006, the Thicket of Diversity was established in partnership with the Big Thicket National Preserve of the National Park Service. The data collected established baselines. Succeeding inventory work showed changes in ecological systems and the impacts of climate change.
A variety of funding sources supported the growth of ToD's research and outreach. In 2012, a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) was approved between the Big Thicket Association and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This allowed the use of mitigation funds for research. These funds now sustain the Thicket of Diversity's valuable work.
Key Findings
New to Science species discovered by ToD researchers must be verified with a formal publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal or monographic work.
Researchers: David Lewis, macrofungi; Bart Buyck, macrofungi; Johnson, crayfish.
Cynthia Troxell - Lichens
Troxell was a researcher in the 1970s who collected a vast array of lichens and did extensive research on these in the Big Thicket. Her research even came back to assist our recent researcher, Egan, during his work.
Larry Brown - Vascular Plants
Larry Brown's vascular plant research is recognized for its expanse and longevity. He began long before the establishment of the Thicket of Diversity and achieved results through collaboration as evidenced by his voluminous publications. The Mercer Arboretum spent many volunteer hours digitizing his records and labeling his collections. Brown's checklists include a breakdown of vascular plants by Big Thicket Preserve unit. Larry Brown was a "walking plant encyclopedia." Brown received the Charles Leonard Weddel Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 in the field of Texas invasive plants and was recognized by the Big Thicket Association in 2012.