329 Biodiversity Flashcards
Endangered species
facing imminent extirpation or extinction
endangered example
Blue Whale Oregon Spotted Frog Northern Leopard Frog (SARA, COSEWIC)
Extirpated species
species that no longer exist in the wild in BC, but do occur elsewhere
extirpated examples
Greater Sage-Grouse (SARA, COSEWIC)
Threatened species
likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed
threatened species example
Fin Whale Coastal Giant Salamander (SARA, COSEWIC)
Vulnerable
particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events due to: restricted range, few populations, recent widespread declines, or other factors making them vulnerable to extirpation
vulnerable species example
Western Toad Sea Otter (SARA, COSEWIC)
red listed species
includes any indigenous species or subspecies that have, or are candidates for, extirpated, endangered, or threatened status in BC
Blue listed species
any indigenous species or subspecies considered to be of special concern (vulnerable) in BC
Canada Goose population on VI pre-europeans
Vancouver CG not numerous overwintered at coastal areas
CG 1920-1930s
Branta Canadensis moffitti introduced from Okanagan to Elk Lake. Introduced birds made small breeding population then increased to several hundred up coast to duncan
CG 1970s
hundreds of non-native hybrids introduced
CG now
15,000 resident CG that live here now year round, significant damage to human-modified and native landscapes
CG 1982
Little Qualicum river estuary health and productive brackish marsh, significant sedges, tufted hair grass, high above ground biomass, less than 20 records of CG
CG 1984
firt CG nesting on LQ estuary
CG mid 1990s
goose use had increased significantly, impacts to vegetation becoming evident
CG 2000s
impacts have escalated to the point of needing to be documented
CG 2005
gathering of comparative data. 24/56 marsh species significantly changed in frequency/mean cover. over 10,000m^2 changed to primarily bare substrate
detrital food web losses at LQ estuary
at least 17tonnes of above ground dry mass/year affecting higher trophic levels - apparent trophic cascade
secondary impact on LQ estuary
increased salinity due to increased aquifer drawdown from human use
LQ recovery
have to decrease current carrying capacity of geese could take decades especially due to hyper salinity, loss of organic matter, soil compaction
where are the worlds richest longline fishing grounds?
key foraging areas for seabirds! areas of upwelling, productive areas
longline fishing
a long fishing line deployed from a fishing vessel with up to 2500 hooks out at a time over many km’s
longline fishing bycatch
160-320,000 seabirds /yr up to 100,000 albatross/yr caught on hooks and drowned while tying to snatch bait from the line or while foraging behind vessel for waste
quantifying longline fishing bycatch
difficult b/c diverse, remote nature of fisheries, lack of systematic reporting, nature of seabird by catch rates themselves
majority of birds caught in longline fisheries
albatross petrel shearwater (some gulls, terns, gannets, boobies, cormorants)
why do conservation and longline fisheries management have common interests
time lost removing dead birds from hooks and nets fish catches foregone due to bait loss
trawl fishing
big nets in water bycatch bird deaths mostly as warp cables at back of boat, or entangled in net during hauling
trawl fishing bycatch
mostly larger bodied albatross and petrels up to 40 species 10s of thousands dying/year
‘discovery’ of fishing seabird bycatch
long-line fishing known since 1980s trawl fishery threat much more recently
trawl fishing in S Africa
all globally threatened or near threatened seabirds being caught BirdLifes Albatross Task Force working with trawl fisheries since 2006 to reduce bycatch- significantly reduced problem
gillnet fishing
static curtain of netting left to drift at different depths, designed to entangle fish by their gills used to target large species - salmon, tuna, cod banned in international waters since 1991 but continue to operate in territorial and coastal waters (200 nautical miles of coast) around the world
gillnet bycatch
large number of seabirds and seaducks - loons, grebes, seaducks, auks, cormorants, sharks, mammals ~400,000/yr
gillnet expansion
rapid in 1960s- development of nets from synthetic material- cheaper, stronger, invisible in water. Improved catch, greater mortality of non-target species
most frequently entangled species in gillnet
long-tailed duck
fisheries mitigation strategies
better targeted fishing efforts more visible nets bird-scaring line set longlines at night add weights to lines to sink out of reach of birds streamer lines hook ‘pods’ cover point and barb of baited hook, opens at depth
albatross at risk
17/22 species globally threatened remainder near threatened fisheries the major threat
bird-scaring line strategy
bird by catch = 0 fish catch increase = >30% more fish caught b/c bait was not lost to birds birds steal ~18 baits before being caught
challenges of implementing fishing mitigations
communicating effectively to diverse communities of fishermen worldwide - what works for 1 fishery may not work for others
Albatross Task Force
worlds first international team of seabird catch mitigation instructors. work with fisheries to raise awareness and demonstrate simple measures to reduce bycatch
S Africa mitigation
streamer lines compulsory in trawl fisheries, reduced albatross mortality ~90%
where does the ATF stand
albatross task force- necessary research is complete, significant advances reached, ensuring adoption of regulations in each country and across entire fleets is next crucial step
BirdLife remote tracking devices fitted to seabirds
study their movements at sea collate data in online database conserve seabirds around the world
how has improved technology helped with seabird tracking
smaller, cheaper, more reliable devices
why knowledge of seabirds is poor
many species (wandering albatross, sooty shearwater) spend most of life at sea, breed on rocky outcrops in remote parts of the world, travel widely far from land, distribution and behaviour is unknown
BirdLife database
www.seabirdtracking.org >50 species of seabird collected from ~100 breeding colonies >100 researchers 2004 brought together to allow unprecedented understanding
purpose of BC breeding bird atlas
collect and make freely available the most comprehensive, current source of info on provinces breeding birds. Address conservation priorities and research questions. Enable biologists and land manager to make wiser decisions.
breeding bird atlas helps biologists and land managers with what sorts of decisions
species at risk status environmental assessment climate change habitat management
How does BC breeding bird atlas accomplish their purpose
10km^2 distribution maps relative abundance maps written accounts of project findings detailed info on rare and at-risk breeding birds comprehensive baseline for future comparisons major online database with tools, resources for conservation and research
Breeding Bird Atlas - the records
600,000 records >320 species 5 breeding seasons (‘08-2012) publicly available, free
most important products of BBA
maps which inform conservation decisions and tell stand-alone stories
BBA are among the most published examples in the scientific literature of what
citizen science
main conservation applications of BBA
species status assessment OR reassessment (>40 species reassessed in BC) setting conservation priorities landscape conservation and stewardship environmental impact assessment development of BCRs
combining provincial BBA’s
BC, Man, Ont, Que, Maritimes combined data used by COSEWIC to determine status assessments standard data collection from broad regions highlights shifts in distribution and abundance
BCRs
bird conservation regions
What is an IBA
important bird area started in Canada in 1996 have ID’d 600 in 5 yrs discrete sites that support threatened birds, large groups, birds restricted by range and/or habitat
IBA size
variable - may encompass private/public land, mar include legally protected sites
IBA criteria
universally agreed upon for standardization, quantitative, scientifically defensible
IBAs used for
conservation, prioritizing lands, assessing impacts establishing developmental guidelines
IBA features
- internationally significant for conservation and biodiversity 2. recognized worldwide as practical observation tool 3. distinct areas open to practical conservation action 4. identified using standardized criteria
IBA focus
- Reinvigorate IBA program nationally, regionally 2. develop national caretaker network to engage citizens in conservation 3. develop monitoring protocols and systems to report on bird populations 4. encourage decision makers to consider IBAs in planning and regulatory processes
IBA regional caretaker networks
each IBA is assigned a lead volunteer who is assisted by citizen scientists and volunteers networks are in every province and mostly run by provincial nature conservation organizations
role of provincial organizations in IBA caretaker network
recruit volunteers enlist community/government support oversee review of summary information
provincial IBA program implementation
provinces are all currently at different stages of program implementation
IBA database
search site by name, species, province, habitat type, bird conservation region, and read its site summary, additional tools (graphs, frequency chart, protection status), site description, and conservation issues
why monitor bird populations
we want to understand status and trends of bird populations as an indicators for their environments overall health
IBA bird programs are designed
to be reliable and accurate specific protocols are still in development
Merlin Falcon Foundation role
Investigate the life history of our Northwest Merlin and educate by involving people in their conversation stewardship
What does MFF do
started in 1983 to observe migration pattern and wintering behavioural ecology, reproductive cycle, habitat/prey utilization Expanded fieldwork to BC in 1998
Why study Merlins
rarest breeding falcon in Washington state (and BC?) unknown, uncommon forest raptors
Merlin identification
chestnut brown on back, white with dark/chestnut brown streaks under throat to lower abdomen, males most into purple-blue black, females retain dark brown all year, females 1/4 larger than males
Merlin female vs male
f brown, m molts to purple-blue black - sexual dichromatism f 1/4 larger than m - sexual dimorphism
Merlin Migration
disperse from birth sites migrate across N America, possible into mid-California migration not well known
Merlin Breeding
courtship begins in Feb-March M/Fs call, chase each other in elaborate displays Ms show Fs nesting platforms and bring them food Fs lay 3-5 eggs in April-May