Flagship Species – Flagship Problems: recovery of species at risk and the conservation of biodiversity in Canada1This introduction is part of the virtual symposium “Flagship Species – Flagship Problems” that deals with ecology, biodiversity and management issues, and climate impacts on species at risk and of Canadian importance, including the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), and caribou (Rangifer tarandus).

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 369-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Sherman Boates ◽  
M. Brock Fenton
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Ursus Maritimus ◽  
Flagship Species ◽  
Piping Plover ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Charadrius Melodus

This is an Introduction to a series of review articles, entitled Flagship Species – Flagship Problems, that identify, review, and address key problems, solutions, and contradictions linked to conservation and recovery of four iconic species at risk in Canada (polar bear, Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774; Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L., 1758; Piping Plover. Charadrius melodus Ord, 1824; caribou, Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)), as well as one review article dealing with the more systemic impacts of habitat loss and degradation. The reviews are cast in the context of the broader challenge of maintaining and restoring biodiversity.

Conservation of Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) in North America: science, successes, and challenges1This review is part of the virtual symposium “Flagship Species – Flagship Problems” that deals with ecology, biodiversity and management issues, and climate impacts on species at risk and of Canadian importance, including the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), and caribou (Rangifer tarandus).

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 401-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.L. Gratto-Trevor ◽  
S. Abbott
Keyword(s):  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Piping Plover ◽  
Charadrius Melodus ◽  
Predator Management ◽  
Piping Plovers ◽  
The Cost

There are only about 8000 Piping Plovers ( Charadrius melodus Ord, 1834) in existence. Because they depend on environments that are under intense human pressures and controls in both their breeding and wintering grounds, these birds and their habitats are highly managed in many areas across their range. Efforts to recover this endangered and threatened species have engaged thousands of people from Newfoundland to the Caribbean, and have provoked a ground-swell of public support and, at times, fury, as well as a considerable body of research. Although populations have increased substantially in the U.S. Atlantic and U.S. Great Lakes, this is not true of all regions. Significant issues still exist with respect to the efficacy of predator management; need for more accurate model input information; effects of climate, pollutants, and water management; habitat loss and degradation from recreation and development; and whether the cost and effort of management for this species can be maintained or increased where needed.

scholarly journals Manitoba's declining Piping Plover population and the importance of special conservation areas

Blue Jay ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 9-16
Author(s):  
J. Paul Goossen ◽  
Ken Porteous
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Piping Plover ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Charadrius Melodus ◽  
Conservation Areas

Many endangered species have a spotty distribution where local and even entire provincial populations can blink in and out depending on varying habitat and climatic conditions. a challenge for wildlife managers is to decide how long to continue protecting an area for a species at risk when it no longer uses the area. Such could be the case in manitoba for habitat no longer used by the beach-nesting Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), listed as endangered both provincially and nationally

Conservation of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Canada: an uncertain future1This review is part of the virtual symposium “Flagship Species – Flagship Problems” that deals with ecology, biodiversity and management issues, and climate impacts on species at risk and of Canadian importance, including the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), and caribou (Rangifer tarandus).

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 419-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Festa-Bianchet ◽  
J.C. Ray ◽  
S. Boutin ◽  
S.D. Côté ◽  
A. Gunn
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Charadrius Melodus ◽  
Industrial Activities

Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) play a central role in the ecology and culture of much of Canada, where they were once the most abundant cervid. Most populations are currently declining, and some face extirpation. In southern Canada, caribou range has retreated considerably over the past century. The ultimate reason for their decline is habitat alterations by industrial activities. The proximate causes are predation and, to a lesser extent, overharvest. The most southerly populations of “Mountain” caribou are at imminent risk of extirpation. Mountain caribou are threatened by similar industrial activities as Boreal caribou, and face increasing harassment from motorized winter recreational activities. Most populations of “Migratory Tundra” caribou are currently declining. Although these caribou fluctuate in abundance over decades, changing harvest technologies, climate change, increasing industrial development and human presence in the North raise doubts over whether recent declines will be followed by recoveries. The Peary caribou ( Rangifer tarandus pearyi J.A. Allen, 1902), a distinct subspecies endemic to Canada’s High Arctic, has suffered drastic declines caused by severe weather, hunting and predation. It faces an increasing threat from climate change. While some questions remain about the reasons for the decline of Migratory Tundra caribou, research has clearly identified several threats to the persistence of “Boreal”, Mountain, and Peary caribou. Scientific knowledge, however, has neither effectively influenced policies nor galvanized public opinion sufficiently to push governments into effective actions. The persistence of many caribou populations appears incompatible with the ongoing pace of industrial development.

Habitat loss, climate change, and emerging conservation challenges in Canada1This review is part of the virtual symposium “Flagship Species – Flagship Problems” that deals with ecology, biodiversity and management issues, and climate impacts on species at risk and of Canadian importance, including the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), and caribou (Rangifer tarandus).

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 435-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Coristine ◽  
Jeremy T. Kerr
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Charadrius Melodus ◽  
Species Dispersal ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Pests And Diseases

In Canada, habitat loss has pushed many more species to the brink of extinction than expected in a region with extensive wilderness. However, species richness gradients depend strongly on climate, so species are concentrated in southern regions, where agricultural and urban land uses are both intensive and extensive. Agricultural pesticide use is associated with increasing rates of species endangerment in the south, but long-range transport of persistent organic pollutants is an emerging issue in remote northern regions. Because their distributions reflect climate so strongly, climate change threatens species throughout Canada. Evidence indicates that species’ distributions, phenologies, and interactions with pests and diseases are changing more rapidly in response to climate change than global mean values. Nevertheless, climate change is expected to impose dispersal requirements that surpass species’ maximum rates. Habitat losses may interact with climate change to impair species’ dispersal still further, creating the potential for widespread disruption of biological systems in the most diverse areas of Canada. New research is urgently needed to address questions, and the ethics, around species translocation, ecosystem engineering to anticipate future environmental conditions, and strategies to facilitate the persistence of rare species in landscapes dominated by human activities.

Conservation and management of Canada’s polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in a changing Arctic1This review is part of the virtual symposium “Flagship Species – Flagship Problems” that deals with ecology, biodiversity and management issues, and climate impacts on species at risk and of Canadian importance, including the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), and caribou (Rangifer tarandus).

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 371-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Peacock ◽  
A.E. Derocher ◽  
G.W. Thiemann ◽  
I. Stirling
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Ursus Maritimus ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Charadrius Melodus ◽  
Land Claims ◽  
Conservation And Management

Canada has an important responsibility for the research, conservation, and management of polar bears ( Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) because the majority of polar bears in the world occur within the nation’s borders. Two fundamental and recent changes for polar bears and their conservation have arisen: (1) the ongoing and projected further decline of sea-ice habitat as a result of climate change and (2) the implementation of aboriginal land claims and treaties in Canada’s North. Science has documented empirical links between productivity of polar bear population and sea-ice change. Predictive modeling based on these data has forecast significant declines in polar bear abundance and distribution of polar bears. With the signing of northern land claims and treaties, polar bear management in Canada has integrated local aboriginal participation, values, and knowledge. The interaction of scientific and local perspectives on polar bears as they relate to harvest, climate change, and declining habitat has recently caused controversy. Some conservation, management, and research decisions have been contentious because of gaps in scientific knowledge and the polarization and politicization of the roles of the various stakeholders. With these ecological and governance transitions, there is a need to re-focus and re-direct polar bear conservation in Canada.

scholarly journals Yes, they can: polar bears Ursus maritimus successfully hunt Svalbard reindeer Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus

Polar Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lech Stempniewicz ◽  
Izabela Kulaszewicz ◽  
Jon Aars
Keyword(s):  
Polar Bear ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Ice Cover ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Ursus Maritimus ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Attractive Potential ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Svalbard Reindeer

AbstractThe polar bear Ursus maritimus is one of the species most endangered by the rapidly declining sea–ice cover in the Arctic, which they use as a platform to hunt fatty, high-energy seals. In recent decades, more polar bears have been forced to remain longer on land, so their access to seals is limited. The importance of terrestrial food to polar bears is disputable, and more data are needed. Terrestrial ungulates could be an attractive substitute prey for them. Svalbard reindeer Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus are prevalent and their distribution is completely within the range of polar bears. They constitute an attractive potential prey offering a significant energy return. Pre-2000 sources state that polar bears do not attack Svalbard reindeer. This report is the first description and documentation of the complete course of a polar bear hunt for adult reindeer in Hornsund, SW Spitsbergen, and also of the bear’s hunting behaviour and the reindeer’s response. Further, we report several other recent instances of bear–reindeer interactions in Svalbard, suggesting that polar bears now hunt reindeer more frequently than they used to. This increase in hunting is probably linked to the reduced ice cover, with bears spending more time on land, and a growing reindeer population. This study adds to earlier papers on how polar bears in Svalbard have increasingly shifted to a more terrestrial diet, and indicates that they may have an enhanced role as an apex predator in the terrestrial ecosystem.

scholarly journals Observation of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) feeding on Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhyncus) – exceptional behaviour or upcoming trend?

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-248
Author(s):  
Jan Kavan
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Ursus Maritimus ◽  
Svalbard Reindeer

A polar bear (Ursus maritimus) was observed feeding on Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhyncus) on September 3rd 2018 near Skansbukta, central Svalbard. A well-developed male was observed to rest nearby and feed on fresh reindeer carcass. Polar bear hunting a reindeer is rather an exceptional behaviour at present, but could become more frequent with drastic decline of sea ice and thus loss of traditional hunting areas with presence of seals – the usual prey.

Correlates of recovery for Canadian Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)1This review is part of the virtual symposium “Flagship Species – Flagship Problems” that deals with ecology, biodiversity and management issues, and climate impacts on species at risk and of Canadian importance, including the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), and caribou (Rangifer tarandus).

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 386-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Hutchings ◽  
Robert W. Rangeley
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Charadrius Melodus

The collapse of Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua L., 1758) in the early 1990s, perhaps the greatest numerical loss of a Canadian vertebrate (1.5–2.5 billion reproductive individuals), is one from which the species has yet to recover. Populations, or stocks, are at or well below their conservation reference points. The lack of recovery has been linked to ongoing fishing mortality (targeted, bycatch), changes to life history (reductions in age and size at maturity, truncations in age and size structure), and increased natural mortality. Emergent and demographic Allee effects, coupled with altered interspecific interactions, render questionable the presumption that the recovery of heavily depleted populations can be reliably forecasted by population dynamical behaviour during decline. Contrary to international commitments and inconsistent with fishery rebuilding plans elsewhere, cod recovery plans exclude target and limit reference points, recovery timelines, and harvest control rules. We suggest that the long-term biodiversity, social, and economic benefits associated with cod recovery can be realised by novel changes, including quantitatively responsible recovery plans based on science-determined reference points, new or revised legislation, integrated management strategies, strengthened sustainable seafood certification practices, expansion of marine spatial planning and protected areas, and novel financial incentives for investment in long-term, sustainable fisheries.

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