11: Species Conservation Status Flashcards
What are the types of focal species
Game species, keystone, flagship, sensitive, surrogate, umbrella, indicator, species at risk
What are flagship species
Species that attract people’s attention and conservation dollars
species selected to act as an ambassador, icon or symbol for a defined habitat, issue, campaign or environmental cause
What are charismatic megafauna
Characteristic to describe flagship species
Large, popular, relevant, help gain public support
What is a keystone species
an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem. Without its keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether
Extinction would cause an extinction cascade
What is an extinction cascade
When one species is removed it causes a number of species to disappear because of the changes in ecological conditions that result from removal of first species
E.g. of keystone species
Wolves in Yellowstone (regulate ungulates)
Examples of keystone resources
Salt licks, mineral pools
Deep pools
Hollow tree trunks/cavities
Rotting wood
What is a dominant species? E.g.?
Species that are very abundant and because of their biomass influence a lot of other species (high biomass = high impact)
e.g. snowshoe hare in boreal forest
What are sentinel species
Species sensitive to ecological change
“Canaries in a coal mine”
Examples of sentinel species
Top predators (peregrines used as indicator of DDT exposure)
Amphibians: sensitive to pollution, climate, etc
What is an umbrella species? E.g.
Generally large species with large home ranges whose minimum area requirements encompass those of the rest of the community
Often selected for making conservation decisions
e.g. grizzly bear
Surrogate species aka
Bioindicator species
What is a bioindicator species
living organisms (microbes, animals and plants) that are used as a potential tool to monitor the changes (either positive or negative) in environmental health
How are species at risk identified
Modeling
Observation-(synthesis)->Model-(prediction)-> Action
Three types of conservation models
- Habitat models
- Population models
- Landscape models
How are species at risk identified and designated?
By the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature)
Government and ENGOs: 1300 members orgs and 15000 experts
Global authority on status of species
IUCN Steps to making a designation? What are the types of classifications
Species -> evaluated (Y/N) -> adequate data (Y/N) ->
Extinct, extinct in the wild
Critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable
Near threatened, least concern
Slide 47*
What are the 5 criteria that can describe a critically endangered species
- Reduction in # of individuals
- Restricted range
- Predicted decline in #
- Less than 50 mature individuals
- Probability the species will go extinct within certain # of years
What is SARA
Species at risk act
Initiated in 1990s
To what species does SARA apply
Aquatic species, migratory birds and species on federal lands
Also includes ‘safety net’ if provinces do not act
What is critical habitat
Habitat that is “necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species”
SARA requires that it be identified, and threats be described
Limitations of SARA
Knowledge gaps,
Insufficient funding
Lack of planning resources
Delays in implementation
Non-listing due to socio economic factors
Reliance on provinces for implementation
What is a SARA emergency order? When was it used
Used when species face imminent threats to its survival or recovery
Used twice
- Greater sage-grouse (AB, SK, 2013)
- Western chorus frog (QC, 2016)
