BIOL 1011 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Greater Prairie Chicken, Piping Plover, Committee On The Status Of Endangered Wildlife In Canada
Conservation Biology
March 5, 2015
The use of ecological theory in conservation guidelines
Goal: Scientific basis for conservation
Target: Biodiversity crisis
Conserving Diversity:
a. Community or Ecosystem
• Protect unique, threatened habitats
b. Species
• Identify and eliminate threats to particular species
c. Genetic
• Maintain large populations
• Protect isolated populations (unique genetic types)
International Union for Conservation of Nature – first global environmental network
• Species approach: red list of endangered species
o Endangered (loggerhead sea turtle)
o Vulnerable (polar bear)
o Near Threatened (piping plover)
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
• Panel of scientific experts – identify and assess species at risk, based on:
o Number of individuals
o Number of populations
o Habitat availability
o Threats to populations/habitat
• Assesses listing species in different categories
o Extinct (great auk)
o Extirpated (greater prairie chicken)
o Endangered (loggerhead sea turtle)
o Threatened (Atlantic wolf fish)
o Special concern (grizzly bear)
• COSEWIC recommends listings to the Federal Minister of the Environment
o Initial response: 90 days
o Final decision: 9 months
o Government should reject report, send back for more information or
accept SARA (species at Risk Act)
Species at Risk Act: federal legislation since 2003
• Goals:
o Prevent extinction/extirpations of wildlife in Canada
o Provide for the recovery of endangered or threatened species
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