Conservation Status as a Biodiversity Trend Indicator: Recommendations from a Decade of Listing Species at Risk in British Columbia

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 1306-1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMES F. QUAYLE ◽  
LEAH R. RAMSAY
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Species At Risk

Efferia okanagana, a new species of robber fly (Diptera: Asilidae) from the grasslands of southern British Columbia, Canada, with notes on taxonomy, biology, distribution, and conservation status

2011 ◽  
Vol 143 (6) ◽  
pp. 578-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Cannings
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Dna Barcode ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Flight Period ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Key To Species ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
The Status ◽  
A New Species

AbstractEfferia okanagana sp. nov. is described from specimens collected in the grasslands of the southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, mainly the Okanagan Valley. The male and female genitalia are described and illustrated. The existing key to species of Efferia Coquillett is modified to enable identification of male and female E. okanagana. The species belongs to the E. arida species group and perhaps is most closely related to E. arida (Williston) and E. pinali Wilcox. Efferia coulei Wilcox is the closest sympatric relative. Sequences of the cytochrome oxidase I gene (DNA barcode) for E. okanagana and E. coulei show distinct clusters for each species that are approximately 7.0% divergent (uncorrected p distance). Efferia okanagana has an early flight period (May and June) and lives in low-elevation grasslands dominated by bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) Á. Löve) (Poaceae), especially where the soil is gravelly. It is considered a potential species at risk by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.

Species richness and biodiversity conservation priorities in British Columbia, Canada

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn E Freemark ◽  
Mark Meyers ◽  
Denis White ◽  
Leanna D Warman ◽  
A Ross Kiester ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Programming Algorithm ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Species Groups

Patterns in the geographic distribution of seven species groups were used to identify important areas for conservation in British Columbia, Canada. Potential priority sites for conservation were determined using an integer programming algorithm that maximized the number of species represented in the minimum number of sites. Sweep analyses were used to determine how well the set of priority sites identified for each species group represented the other species groups. Although areas of highest species richness were different for each species group, they all included sites in the southern interior of British Columbia, where there is limited protection. Furthermore, less than 13% of the distribution ranges for 23 of 25 bird species of special conservation concern were located within existing protected areas. Species at risk of extinction were poorly represented (26%–42%) in priority sets of sites selected for amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, since these sites were generally scattered throughout the province. However, priority sites for species at risk represented 72%–91% of the species in other groups. Therefore, conservation activities in sites identified for such species have the potential to benefit many other species. These sites could be investigated in more detail to augment existing conservation and protection efforts in British Columbia.

scholarly journals Protecting biodiversity in British Columbia: Recommendations for developing species at risk legislation

FACETS ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alana R. Westwood ◽  
Sarah P. Otto ◽  
Arne Mooers ◽  
Chris Darimont ◽  
Karen E. Hodges ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Or Groups ◽  
Species At Risk Act ◽  
Species Declines

British Columbia has the greatest biological diversity of any province or territory in Canada. Yet increasing numbers of species in British Columbia are threatened with extinction. The current patchwork of provincial laws and regulations has not effectively prevented species declines. Recently, the Provincial Government has committed to enacting an endangered species law. Drawing upon our scientific and legal expertise, we offer recommendations for key features of endangered species legislation that build upon strengths and avoid weaknesses observed elsewhere. We recommend striking an independent Oversight Committee to provide recommendations about listing species, organize Recovery Teams, and monitor the efficacy of actions taken. Recovery Teams would evaluate and prioritize potential actions for individual species or groups of species that face common threats or live in a common area, based on best available evidence (including natural and social science and Indigenous Knowledge). Our recommendations focus on implementing an adaptive approach, with ongoing and transparent monitoring and reporting, to reduce delays between determining when a species is at risk and taking effective actions to save it. We urge lawmakers to include this strong evidentiary basis for species recovery as they tackle the scientific and socioeconomic challenges of building an effective species at risk Act.

scholarly journals Distribution and status of Howell’s Quillwort (Isoetes howellii, Isoetaceae) in Canada and its relation to Bolander’s Quillwort (Isoetes bolanderi)

2020 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-264
Author(s):  
Daniel F. Brunton ◽  
Margaret A. Krichbaum ◽  
Randall S. Krichbaum ◽  
Paul C. Sokoloff
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Primary Reason ◽  
The North ◽  
Canadian Population ◽  
River Region ◽  
Shallow Ponds ◽  
Number Of Individuals

The sparsely documented lycophyte, Howell’s Quillwort (Isoetes howellii), occurs in Canada in four distinct areas of British Columbia in a variety of microhabitats. Before 2010, two areas of occurrence were known in Canada. Two additional clusters of occurrences have been discovered in the last decade. In Canada, I. howellii is found in open, ephemeral wet swales, shallow ponds, and periodically flooded shorelines, channels, and back beach meadows. Habitat rarity may be the primary reason for the large gaps between areas of occurrence. The current viability of the Canadian population is dependent on maintaining the recently discovered large number of individuals in the North Thompson River Region. Isoetes howellii shares many similarities with fellow diploid, Bolander’s Quillwort (Isoetes bolanderi). The possibility that it represents a low-elevation subspecies of I. bolanderi requires further investigation. Isoetes howellii is rare in British Columbia and warrants consideration as a species at risk in Canada.

scholarly journals Conservation status of caribou in the western mountains of Canada: Protections under the species at risk act, 2002-2014

Rangifer ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justina C. Ray ◽  
Deborah B. Cichowski ◽  
Martin-Hugues St-Laurent ◽  
Chris J. Johnson ◽  
Stephen D. Petersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Predator Control ◽  
Conservation Units ◽  
Preventative Measures ◽  
The Status ◽  
Species At Risk Act

In April 2014, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) reviewed the status of caribou in the western mountains of Canada, in keeping with the ten-year reassessment mandate under the Species at Risk Act. Assessed as two ‘nationally significant’ populations in 2002, COSEWIC revised the conservation units for all caribou in Canada, recognising eleven extant Designatable Units (DUs), three of which -- Northern Mountain, Central Mountain, and Southern Mountain -- are found only in western Canada. The 2014 assessment concluded that the condition of many subpopulations in all three DUs had deteriorated. As a result of small and declining population sizes, the Central Mountain and Southern Mountain DUs are now recognised as endangered. Recent declines in a number of Northern Mountain DU subpopulations did not meet thresholds for endangered or threatened, and were assessed as of special concern. Since the passage of the federal Species at Risk Act in 2002, considerable areas of habitat were managed or conserved for caribou, although disturbance from cumulative human development activities has increased during the same period. Government agencies and local First Nations are attempting to arrest the steep decline of some subpopulations by using predator control, maternal penning, population augmentation, and captive breeding. Based on declines, future developments and current recovery effects, we offer the following recommendations: 1) where recovery actions are necessary, commit to simultaneously reducing human intrusion into caribou ranges, restoring habitat over the long term, and conducting short-term predator control, 2) carefully consider COSEWIC’s new DU structure for management and recovery actions, especially regarding translocations, 3) carry out regular surveys to monitor the condition of Northern Mountain caribou subpopulations and immediately implement preventative measures where necessary, and 4) undertake a proactive, planned approach coordinated across jurisdictions to conserve landscape processes important to caribou conservation.

scholarly journals Bridging science and law across jurisdictions in Canadian species at risk policy : four case studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Lena Di Giuseppe
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Precautionary Approach ◽  
Loggerhead Shrike ◽  
Definition Of

1.0 Introduction -- 2.0 Methods -- 3.0 Federal Legal Measures for Species at Risk in Canada -- 4.0 Provincial Legal Measures for Species at Risk in Ontario -- 5.0 Ontario Species at Risk: Two Case Studies -- 6.0 Provincial Legal Measures for Species at Risk in British Columbia -- 7.0 British Columbia Species at Risk: Two Case Studies -- 8.0 Policy Recommendations -- 9.0 Conclusions and Applications for Future Research. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness of current legal measures for protecting species at risk in Canada through an interpretive qualitative method. Four species case studies were analyzed: The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike, Jefferson Salamander, Northern Spotted Owl, and Vancouver Island Marmot. Policy recommendations for reforms arising from the research are: i) inter-jurisdictional cooperation is imperative for protecting species at risk; ii) dedicated species at risk legislation is crucial, and it is recommended that such legislation exist at both federal and provincial levels; iii) flexibility instruments and exemptions to existing law should be scientifically informed and used cautiously; iv) private landowners are significant stakeholders and stewardship efforts are important; v) scientific information and the definition of critical habitat for species at risk are crucial. The thesis concludes that a science-based precautionary approach to species protection is fundamental to address the plight of species at risk in Canada.

scholarly journals Bridging science and law across jurisdictions in Canadian species at risk policy : four case studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Lena Di Giuseppe
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Precautionary Approach ◽  
Loggerhead Shrike ◽  
Definition Of

1.0 Introduction -- 2.0 Methods -- 3.0 Federal Legal Measures for Species at Risk in Canada -- 4.0 Provincial Legal Measures for Species at Risk in Ontario -- 5.0 Ontario Species at Risk: Two Case Studies -- 6.0 Provincial Legal Measures for Species at Risk in British Columbia -- 7.0 British Columbia Species at Risk: Two Case Studies -- 8.0 Policy Recommendations -- 9.0 Conclusions and Applications for Future Research. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness of current legal measures for protecting species at risk in Canada through an interpretive qualitative method. Four species case studies were analyzed: The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike, Jefferson Salamander, Northern Spotted Owl, and Vancouver Island Marmot. Policy recommendations for reforms arising from the research are: i) inter-jurisdictional cooperation is imperative for protecting species at risk; ii) dedicated species at risk legislation is crucial, and it is recommended that such legislation exist at both federal and provincial levels; iii) flexibility instruments and exemptions to existing law should be scientifically informed and used cautiously; iv) private landowners are significant stakeholders and stewardship efforts are important; v) scientific information and the definition of critical habitat for species at risk are crucial. The thesis concludes that a science-based precautionary approach to species protection is fundamental to address the plight of species at risk in Canada.

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