I suspect that it's easier to get funding to research pretty plants or to try to preserve them, and less charismatic plants and animals are much more likely to

I suspect that it's easier to get funding to research pretty plants or to try to preserve them, and less charismatic plants and animals are much more likely to attract scorn from small-government types trying to "ferret out government waste". And if the money's going to be raised from private donors the effect is going to be even worse: save the redwoods or pandas, lots of money. Save the snail darter (crickets).