11: Species Conservation Status

Question 1

What are the types of focal species

Answer 1

Game species, keystone, flagship, sensitive, surrogate, umbrella, indicator, species at risk

Question 2

What are flagship species

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What are charismatic megafauna

Answer 3

Characteristic to describe flagship species
Large, popular, relevant, help gain public support

Question 4

What is a keystone species

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What is an extinction cascade

Answer 5

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

Question 6

E.g. of keystone species

Answer 6

Wolves in Yellowstone (regulate ungulates)

Question 7

Examples of keystone resources

Answer 7

Salt licks, mineral pools
Deep pools
Hollow tree trunks/cavities
Rotting wood

Question 8

What is a dominant species? E.g.?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What are sentinel species

Answer 9

Species sensitive to ecological change
“Canaries in a coal mine”

Question 10

Examples of sentinel species

Answer 10

Top predators (peregrines used as indicator of DDT exposure)

Amphibians: sensitive to pollution, climate, etc

Question 11

What is an umbrella species? E.g.

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Surrogate species aka

Answer 12

Bioindicator species

Question 13

What is a bioindicator species

Answer 13

living organisms (microbes, animals and plants) that are used as a potential tool to monitor the changes (either positive or negative) in environmental health

Question 14

How are species at risk identified

Answer 14

Modeling

Observation-(synthesis)->Model-(prediction)-> Action

Question 15

Three types of conservation models

Answer 15

1. Habitat models
2. Population models
3. Landscape models

Question 16

How are species at risk identified and designated?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

IUCN Steps to making a designation? What are the types of classifications

Answer 17

Species -> evaluated (Y/N) -> adequate data (Y/N) ->
Extinct, extinct in the wild
Critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable
Near threatened, least concern
Slide 47*

Question 18

What are the 5 criteria that can describe a critically endangered species

Answer 18

1. Reduction in # of individuals
2. Restricted range
3. Predicted decline in #
4. Less than 50 mature individuals
5. Probability the species will go extinct within certain # of years

Question 19

What is SARA

Answer 19

Species at risk act
Initiated in 1990s

Question 20

To what species does SARA apply

Answer 20

Aquatic species, migratory birds and species on federal lands
Also includes ‘safety net’ if provinces do not act

Question 21

What is critical habitat

Answer 21

Habitat that is “necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species”
SARA requires that it be identified, and threats be described

Question 22

Limitations of SARA

Answer 22

Knowledge gaps,
Insufficient funding
Lack of planning resources
Delays in implementation
Non-listing due to socio economic factors
Reliance on provinces for implementation

Question 23

What is a SARA emergency order? When was it used

Answer 23

Used when species face imminent threats to its survival or recovery

Used twice
- Greater sage-grouse (AB, SK, 2013)
- Western chorus frog (QC, 2016)