Whitman County is home to many native species and through human activity many invasive species also.
Native species are any species that are historically found in an area. These species consist of a variety of organisms in Whitman county from beavers to Blanket flower. These species are important because they have evolved and adapted together for generations creating intricate biological interactions that rely on each other to function. In this area sagebrush is a native species that is highly adapted to harsh conditions like the low precipitation levels in Whitman County. Other native species build on this using sagebrush for cover and forage. Natives species spent generations adapting to conditions in Whitman County and in some cases only exist here making them important to protect.
Invasive species are non-native, introduced species that negatively alter the environment around it. Like native species these can consist of any organism plant or animal. In Whitman County most invasive species are plants specifically noxious weeds. These species change the environment in Whitman County in ways like increasing the frequency of fire. If seen remove or kill if possible to help reduce the spread of these species. Identification is key to fighting invasive species before they change the environment and reduce the survivability of our native species. Here is a list put together by Washington State University to aid in identification of noxious weeds in Whitman County.