scholarly journals Identifying the critical habitat of Canadian vertebrate species at risk

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Lemieux Lefebvre ◽  
M. Landry-Cuerrier ◽  
M.M. Humphries
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Population Viability ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Critical Habitat ◽  
Habitat Occupancy ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Recovery Strategies ◽  
The Right

Identification of critical habitat is central to major conservation laws protecting endangered species in North America and around the world. Yet the actual ecological research that is required to identify which habitats are critical to the survival or recovery of species is rarely discussed and poorly documented. Here we quantitatively assess the information and methods used to identify critical habitat in the recovery strategies of 53 vertebrates at risk in Canada. Of the critical habitat identifications assessed, 17% were based on habitat occupancy information, 28% on habitat characteristics and (or) functions, and 40% assessed habitat suitability by linking functional use and biophysical characteristics. However, only 15% of the recovery strategies we evaluated examined relationships between habitat and population viability, abundance, individual fitness, or survival. Furthermore, the breadth of evidence used to assess critical habitats was weaker among long-lived taxa and did not improve over time. Hence, although any approach used to identify critical habitat is likely to be a step in the right direction in minimally protecting and maintaining habitats supporting critical life-cycle processes, there is a persistent gap between the widely recognized importance of critical habitat and our ability to quantitatively link habitats to population trends and individual fitness.

The effects of lead agency, nongovernmental organizations, and recovery team membership on the identification of critical habitat for species at risk: insights from the Canadian experience

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric B. Taylor ◽  
Susan Pinkus
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Nongovernmental Organizations ◽  
Federal Court ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Critical Habitat ◽  
Lead Agency ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Recovery Planning ◽  
Recovery Strategies ◽  
Species At Risk Act

Evaluation of legislation and procedures in place to help recover species at risk of extinction is an important component of conservation efforts. Despite its biological importance and key role in species protection and recovery legislation, identification of critical habitat is inconsistently applied. We analyzed data from 126 recovery strategies implemented under Canada’s nascent (2002) Species at Risk Act (SARA) to determine how lead agency, Federal Court rulings, and the proportion of independent team members influenced identification of critical habitat. Only 17% of strategies led by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans included critical habitat, compared with 63% of strategies led by Environment Canada, indicating that aquatic species at risk are much less likely to have critical habitat identified. A 50% increase in recovery strategies that identified critical habitat following precedent-setting court judgments suggests that legal action by nongovernmental organizations played a key role in the evolution of recovery policy for species at risk in Canada. The proportion of independent scientists on a recovery team was statistically unrelated to identification of critical habitat at a national scale, but case studies indicate that independent team members may play an important role in ensuring compliance and transparency during recovery planning.

scholarly journals Less specific recovery strategy targets for threatened and non-charismatic species at risk in Canada

Oryx ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 430-435
Author(s):  
Elysabeth Théberge ◽  
Joseph J. Nocera
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Threatened Species ◽  
Population Estimates ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Recovery Strategy ◽  
Recovery Strategies ◽  
Taxonomic Grouping ◽  
Special Concern ◽  
Lexical Density

AbstractRecovery strategies for species at risk have been criticized for a lack of specificity (i.e. measurable and quantifiable criteria) as well as for taxonomic biases, both of which may ultimately affect species’ recovery. However, it is unknown whether the clarity and specificity of written statements within recovery strategies can also influence recovery efforts for certain species at risk. To assess this we examined the variation in semantic uncertainty in the target statements of recovery strategies for Canadian species at risk at the federal and provincial levels. We quantified the lexical density and readability of recovery target statements and examined them for differences according to taxonomic grouping, jurisdiction and degree of endangerment. Recovery statements for the category threatened species had greater semantic uncertainty than those for higher (endangered) and lower (special concern) categories, which is likely to be a function of the fact that threatened species are less abundant than special concern species but are subject to greater errors in population estimates than endangered species. We also found that recovery statements for non-charismatic species (e.g. plants and invertebrates) had greater semantic uncertainty than those for other taxa, which may be related to the resources available for studying and conserving them. Our results suggest a need for greater specificity in recovery targets for threatened and non-charismatic species, and that more focused data collection on these species’ populations is warranted.

Movement and Demography of At-Risk Butterflies: Building Blocks for Conservation

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl B. Schultz ◽  
Nick M. Haddad ◽  
Erica H. Henry ◽  
Elizabeth E. Crone
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Population Viability ◽  
Movement Behavior ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Conservation Decisions

The number of insect species at risk of population decline and extinction is increasing rapidly. Yet we know almost nothing about the ecology of these species, except for at-risk butterflies. A growing body of literature shows how butterfly vital rates, including demography and movement, are essential for guiding conservation and recovery. History has shown us that without these data, conservation decisions often weaken, rather than enhance, population viability. This is especially true in changing landscapes. We review knowledge of vital rates across all at-risk butterflies. We have information on movement for 17 of 283 butterfly species and information on demography for 19 species. We find that habitat-specific movement behavior is key to understanding how to connect populations, and habitat-specific demography is central to managing habitats. Methods and analyses worked out for butterflies can provide a scaffold around which to build studies for the conservation of other at-risk insects.

Threats to Canadian species at risk: An analysis of finalized recovery strategies

2013 ◽  
Vol 166 ◽  
pp. 254-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny L. McCune ◽  
William L. Harrower ◽  
Stephanie Avery-Gomm ◽  
Jason M. Brogan ◽  
Anna-Mária Csergő ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Recovery Strategies

scholarly journals The long road to protecting critical habitat for species at risk: The case of southern mountain woodland caribou

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric C. Palm ◽  
Shaun Fluker ◽  
Holly K. Nesbitt ◽  
Aerin L. Jacob ◽  
Mark Hebblewhite
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Critical Habitat

‘Low-hanging fruit’ for conservation of marine vertebrate species at risk in the Mediterranean Sea

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Coll ◽  
Jeroen Steenbeek ◽  
Frida Ben Rais Lasram ◽  
David Mouillot ◽  
Philippe Cury
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
The Mediterranean

IMAGERY AND EMOTIONS IN THE PIANO PIECE „THE SICK DOLL“ FROM CHILDREN’S ALBUM OF P . I TCHAIKOVSKY

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-113
Author(s):  
Smilena Smilkova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Short Story ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Social Pedagogy ◽  
Sound Image ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University ◽  
Art Pedagogy

The proposed material examines the creative task of students majoring in Social Pedagogy at the University „Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov“ in Burgas, and studying the discipline Art Pedagogy – Part 1 – Music. In the course of the lecture course students get acquainted with the elements of musical expression, as a means of figurative representations and impact of music, with different techniques concerning individual musical activities, with the endless and diverse opportunities that music provides in the use of art pedagogy for social work teachers.Verbal interpretation of music is a necessary component when working with children with special educational needs, at risk and in the norm. Looking at Tchaikovsky’s short and extremely figurative piano piece „The Sick Doll“ from his charming „Children’s Album“, in the form of a short story, tale or essay, students express their personal vision, feeling and transformation of the musical image. The aim of the task is to transcribe the sound image into a verbal one. This requires speed, flexibility and logic in thinking, through imagination and creativity in its manifestation. Children love to listen, especially when they are involved. In search of the right way to solve problems and situations, future social educators could successfully benefit from the conversion of sound into words, according to the needs and deficits of the individual or group.

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