Threatened species Flashcards
What are the 3 levels of listing for threatened species?
- International: International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
2.National – Australia: Environment Protection and
- Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
State – Queensland: Nature Conservation Act
communicate with people, consistency
legal
working in consulting
What are the redlist categories
Critically endangered (CR)
Endangered (SN)/ threatened in US
Vulnerable (VU)
What’s the difference between extinct and extinct in the wild?
There are no populations in the wild but may be populations in captivity
What is the environment protection and biodiversity concervsation act 1999?
Australian Government’s central piece
of environmental legislation.
Provides a legal framework to protect
and manage nationally and
internationally important flora, fauna,
ecological communities and heritage
places — defined in the Act as matters
of national environmental significance (anything migrates)
Subspecies are given equal weight to
species under the EPBC Act.
What is the nature conservation act?
Queensland’s state legislation
governing threatened species
Protected areas
National parks (yes, state managed!)
State forests & timber reserves
Indigenous joint management areas
Special wildlife reserves
Nature reserves
What is the criteria for
- Change in number - rate of change, if rapid, can be devastating - reduction in population size
- geographic range - how much do they have, if small range, and one specific area at higher risk.
- population size at a threshold and declining
- population size at a lower threshold
- Quantitative analysis showing probability of extinction in the wild meets certain criteria
Could you think of a reason it could be useful to have a different species with a different listing status in a different area?
the species may be common in one state and not in the other
How many species in Australia are extinct?
One of the worst records for
extinctions globally 90 spp
– 39 mammals
– 22 birds
– 4 frogs
– 1 reptile
– 1 invertebrate (probably more)
3 vertebrates since 2009
What are the frog that have gone extinct?
Southern gastric-brooding frog (Rheobatrachus silus), last seen in 1981
Northern gastric-brooding frog (Rheobatrachus vitellinus) 1985
Sharp-snouted day frog (Taudactylus acutirostris) 1997
Southern day frog (Taudactylus diurnus) 1979
What was the causes for extinction in Gastric brooding Frog?
Logging of the catchment, pigs, weeds, altered flow & water quality could have all impacted the species
Two of the first extinctions in Australia caused by the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis)[Bd] —> the main cause
of extinction and decline in Australian frogs
rainforest creeks
- Both species lived in rainforest creeks 350-1,400 m ASL
- Females swallow embryos, which develop in her stomach
- Young fully developed when regurgitated; could be up to 25!
What is an example of birds that is extinct? and what are the causes of extinction?
Extinct: Paradise parrot (Psephotus pulcherrimus)
Aus only mainland bird extinction
Formerly occurred in central and southern QLD
Already concerned for its decline, surveys in 1918-1927 found few.
Last recorded in 1927
Required termite mounds for breeding – were destroyed for flooring & tennis courts
Habitat cleared for agriculture, fire regimes interrupted, habitat grazed, drought
What reptile is extinct?
Christmas Island Forest Skink (Emoia nativitatis)
What are the primary causes of decline of australias terrestrial mammals?
introduced predators
What are two examples of extinct mammals in australian
Christmas island Pipistrelle and Bramble cay melomys
Why are Christmas island pipistrelles extinct?
- Endemic to Christmas Island (Australian territory)
- Surveys from 1994 – 2005 showed steep decline, disappearing from parts of the island
Actual threats unknown, but
believed to be invasive species: - Yellow crazy ants
- Common wolf snake
- Black rats
- Feral cats
- Giant centipedes
Habitat loss
The last individual was recorded on 26th August 2009
Despite numerous warnings, Aust Govt did not take sufficient action until too late