Conservation Status Assessment ***** Flashcards
Define the purpose of the Conservation Status Assessment (On the exam):
To evaluate the potential extinction or extirpation risk of elements of biodiversity (E.g., Species, community or ecosystem), including regional extinction or extirpation.
What is the first step of species conservation?
Conservation Status Assessments
What are the 2 main processes of the Conservation status Assessment?
- Prioritize Effort
- Determine legal status under SAR legislation
Who completes Status Assessments (3)?
- Conservation Data Centers (NatureServe)
- National General Status Ranking Working Group
- IUCN
What does the IUCN stand for?
International Union for the Conservation of Nature
What type of list does the IUCN produce?
Red List
Who recommends legal status in Canada?
1) COSEWIC
2) Provincial Endangered Species Committees
What are the two aspects to determining an At-Risk Species?
Definitions & Criteria
Are definitions in legislation qualitative or quantitative?
Qualitative
What conditions does quantitative criteria consider?
- Number of occurrences
- Population size
- Range extent
- Area of occupancy
- Long-term trend
- Short-term trend
- Threats
- Environmental specificity
- Intrinsic Vulnerability
- # of protected and managed occurrences
What is the purpose of the Conservation Data Centre (CDC)?
To assemble and provide information and services to sustain Manitoba’s natural biological diversity.
What is the process of evaluation of the CDC?
- Evaluation
- Research, Inventory and Monitoring
- Status Assessment
- Response and Recovery
What is NatureServe?
A Network connecting science with conservation, they have done conservation assessment on over 70,000 species, all of this data is available. This is a streamlined method of researching species.
Where does NatureServe have designation?
NatureServe’s network includes member programs in all 50 US states, the Canadian provinces and the Yukon Territory, and in many other countries across the Western Hemisphere.
KNOW HOW A SPECIES IS DESIGNATED****
Figures and Charts Visio sheet
How are Conservation Ranks assigned?
Assigned to species and communities as a way of assessing priorities for inventory (including identifying knowledge gaps), protection, and management.
Do Conservation Ranks have legal standing?
No
Do CDCs used Conservation Ranks?
Yes
What are the 3 levels of ranks?
GRANKS - Global
NRANKS - National
SRANKS - Subnational
How are criteria ranked for CDCs? (6)
- # of occurrences known or believed extant
- Viability, condition, and quality of extant occurrences
- Abundance
- Threats
- Trends in population range
- Fragility
What is the significance of a threat?
The degree to which the species is directly or indirectly threatened in the area of intersect and is based on:
1. The interaction between expected scope (proportion of occupied area affected)
2. Severity (percent reduction in population) and
3. Timing
How is the significant of a threat determined (2)?
Scope (proportion affected)
Severity (Percent reduction)
What are the 4 threat classifications?
Very High (70-100%)
High (31-70%)
Medium (11-30%)
Low (1-10%)
What is the main intent of the Provincial SRANK’s?
To prioritize efforts