Endangered Species Act Environmental Science
Biodiversity Refers to the variety of life Includes: Species richness - number of species Species diversity - measure of number and relative abundance of species
Biodiversity Ecosystem I Species A = 33 Species B = 33 Species C = 34 Ecosystem II Species A = 90 Species B = 5 Species C = 5 Species Richness = 3 Species Richness = 3 Higher Diversity Lower Diversity
Term Review Extinction - no individuals of species alive Extirpation - species no longer exists in a particular area Endangered-species in imminent danger of extinction Threatened-species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future
Causes of Extinction Overhunting - harvesting faster than reproduce e.g. passenger pigeon, bison, atlantic cod Habitat Destruction - habitat removed by development, degraded by pollution, or fragmented by development Alien Species - Species accidentally or intentionally introduced into a region where they did not occur before. e.g. zebra mussel, chestnut blight
Fragmentation Activity Review Catchum manybugs - lives deep forest, not edge 1000 m 1000 m Area= Perimeter= Safe Area= 1,000,000 m 2 4000 m 640,000 m 2 980,000 m 2 7980 m 348,100 m 2
Nature Preserve grass forest grass forest gra ss species 1 = 128 species 2 = 128 species 3 = 320 species diversity = 0.59
Importance of Biodiversity source of new medicines source of new foods source of ideas - e.g. velcro mental well-being
Endangered Species Act Purpose: To protect endangered and threatened species. Enacted in 1973 Under the direction of: US Fish and Wildlife Service NOAA - National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
Current Listed Species 1436 3/24/13
Ohio s Endangered Species Animals -- 27 Status Listing E Bat, Indiana (Myotis sodalis) E Bean, rayed (Vilosa fabalis) E Beetle, American burying (Nicrophorus americanus) E Butterfly, Karner blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) E Butterfly, Mitchell s satry (Neomympha mitcheliii mitchelii) E Catspaw, purple (pearlymussel) (Epioblasma obliquata obliquata) E Catspaw, white (pearlymussel) (Epioblasma obliquata perobliqua) E Clubshell (Pleuroema clava) E Dragonfly, Hine's emerald (Somatochlora hineana) E Fanshell (Cyprogenia stegaria) E Madtom, Scioto (Noturus trautmani) E Mapleleaf, winged (Quadrula fragosa) E Mucket, pink (pearlymussel) (Lampsilis abrupta)
Ohio s Endangered Species Status Listing E Mussel, sheepnose (Piethobasus cyphyus) E Mussel, snuffbox (Epioblasma triquetra) E Mussel, scaleshell (Leptodea leptodon) E Pearlymussel, cracking (Hemistena late) E Pimpleback, orangefoot (Plethobasus cooperianus) E Plover, piping (Great Lakes watershed) (Charadrius melodus) T Plover, piping (except Great Lakes watershed) (Charadrius melodus) E Pocketbook, fat (Potamilus capax) E Puma (=cougar), eastern (Puma concolor) E Riffleshell, northern ( Epioblasma torulosa rangiana) E Ring pink (mussel) (Obovaria refusa) T Snake, copperbelly water ( Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta) E Spectaclecase mussel (Cumberlandia monodonta) E Wolf, gray (Canis lupus)
Ohio s Endangered Species Plants -- 6 Status Listing E Clover, running buffalo (Trifolium stoloniferum) T Daisy, lakeside (Hymenoxys herbacea) T Monkshood, northern wild (Aconitum noveboracense) T Orchid, eastern prairie fringed (Platanthera leucophaea) T Spiraea, Virginia (Spiraea virginiana) T Pogonia, Whorled (Isotria medeoloides)
Summary of U.S. Listed Species Group Total Species (US) Mammals 85 Birds 93 Reptiles 36 Amphibians 26 Fishes 153 Clams & Snails 123 Corals 2 Insects, Spiders & Crustaceans 101 Flowering plants 782 Conifers 3 Ferns 30 Lichens 2 Total 1436
Change in List Size Number on list increased from about 300 in 1980 to over 1200 in 2000. Not much change in last 10 years. Why?
Petition Procedure Anyone can petition Service Review (90 days) - decide yes or no If yes, review and information gathering (12 months) - decide no, yes, candidate (others higher priority) If yes, publish proposed in Federal Register Get expert opinion and 60 day comment period - decide yes or no If yes, publish final ruling in Federal Register Species added 30 days later
Candidate Species 184 species which have enough info to warrant posting but others have higher priorities see ESA basics http://www.fws.gov/ endangered/esa-library/pdf/ ESA_basics.pdf
Proposed Species candidate species that were found to warrant of listing and were officially proposed as such in a Federal Register notice 106 see ESA Basics
Change in Status (36) Current Status Name Date Change T American Crocodile 2007 E -> T E Gray Wolf 1978 T -> E E Chinook Salmon 1994 T -> E
Removal from List (56) Listed Delisted Name Reason 1970 1999 Peregrine falcon Recovered 1967 1987 American Alligator Recovered 1967 2007 Bald Eagle Recovered 1967 1983 Blue Pike Extinct 1967 1990 Dusky Seaside Sparrow Extinct
Prohibits Taking Take: to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect or attempt to engage in any such contact. Fines (See ESA basics)
Critical Habitat Identify areas with features essential to the conservation of the species. Limits actions by federal agencies Limits federally funded activities (See ESA basics)
Incidental Take Permits Permit needed by private landowner to develop land with an endangered species. Requires a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) that shows project will minimize damage to species. (See ESA basics)
Other Work with Landowners Safe Harbor Agreements - landowners voluntarily aid in recovery of listed species, can return to baseline Candidate Conservation Agreements - work to reduce or remove threats to candidate species (See ESA basics)
Development of Recovery Plans Plans to help a species recover. Work with state, local and nongovernment agencies
Yellowstone Wolves Extirpated for 50 years Reintroduced from Canada 14-1995 17-1996
Wolf Packs 2013 71 wolves in 11 packs Down from 171 in 2007 (disease, competition)
Whooping Crane only 15 wild in 1940 in western flock in 2001 introduced new eastern flock hatched eggs at wildlife refuge in Wisconsin taught to migrate to Florida in fall via ultralight aircraft. Fall 2012 (9/28-11/23) Spring 2013 about to start Eastern flock currently has 114 Western flock currently has 279
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Maintains lists of species - 34,000 Prohibits or limits trade among member nations (175)
Other State Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Hunting and Fishing Groups - conservation Zoos Nature Preserves (e.g. Lake Katherine, Jackson) Conservatories (e.g. Columbus Conservatory)
Ecotourism Bring in tourists to see natural areas Income for natives Reduces poaching/clearing