Endangered Species Management Flashcards
The goal of endangered species management is to:
- prevent extinction
- preserve biodiversity
- maintain ecosystem stability and function
- recover small populations
What are the steps for recovery?
- gather information about species
- identify threats to species
- develop plan for recovery
- implement recovery objectives
- monitor recovered population
How do you gather information about a species?
- diagnose population status
- identify reasons for endangerment
How is a population status diagnosed?
- estimate population numbers
- monitor population change
What are issues with estimating population numbers?
- challenges of accurate estimation
- made difficult by small populations
What does monitoring population change track?
- track population over time
- track range of species
Why are errors with monitoring population change risky?
- overestimating might cause premature delisting
- underestimating might waste resources
What does minimum viable population (MVP) represent?
the minimum number of individuals necessary to maintain a healthy population of the target species
What does the concept of MVP incorporate?
- total population size
- the need to prevent inbreeding
- behaviors affecting genetic diversity
What are the two types of recovery plan management?
- in situ management
- ex situ management
What does in situ management mean?
- management actions within the wild range of a species
- natural and native habitat
What does ex situ management mean?
- management of captive populations outside of native range
- zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens, etc
What are examples of in situ management?
- predator control
- habitat restoration
- protection from hunting or poaching
- removal of exotic species
- land acquisition and protection
- fish passages
- translocation
What is the purpose of extensive fencing?
intended to keep invasive species out of “natural” areas
What is translocation used for?
to establish breeding populations in new areas or “reunite” isolated individuals of extremely rare species
What are challenges to in situ management?
- requires cooperation among multiple stakeholder groups
- often require large management areas
- can be extremely expensive
What are different stakeholder groups?
- private landowners
- state governments
- national entities
- international organizations
- native peoples
What are specific examples of in situ management?
- fish passage devices made to help endangered and threatened species of migratory salmon move past dams
- extensive fencing throughout Hawaiian Islands to keep invasive species (goats/pigs) out of natural areas
- Timber harvests restricted in portions of old growth forests in Oregon and Washington to protect habitat of Northern Spotted Owl
What are examples of ex situ management?
- maintaining a captive population to ensure than all individuals are not lost in the wild
- breeding a captive population to maximize population genetic diversity
What is the goal of ex situ management?
goal of releasing species back into wild
What are specific examples of ex situ management?
- Guam Micronesian Kingfishers captured on Guam 1980s (now no birds left on Guam and <100 in captivity), plan to reintroduce after reducing Brown Tree Snake
- California Condor captured, bred, and reintroduced
What are reintroductions?
- populations of endangered animals can be reestablished by reintroducing animals from ex situ programs
- in some cases, populations can be established in new locations when native habitat too degraded
What is a hard release?
immediate release into the environment
What is a soft release?
added protections for releases species
- supplementary food provided
- brough back into cages or shelter at night
What questions are considered to evaluate recovery?
- have recovery goals been met?
- is recovered population continuing to grow?
- have the original threats been eliminated?
- legal path to “delisting” endangered species
What are two species that have done well as a result of endangered species management?
- Aleution Canadian Goose
- Bald Eagle
