The conservation status of the Black Grassdart ButterflyOcybadistes knightorum:a species at risk from climate change

Aquatic biota often face multiple anthropogenic threats such as river fragmentation and climate change that can contribute to high rates of aquatic species imperilment world-wide. Temperature-induced hypoxia is one under-explored mechanism that can threaten aquatic species in fragmented rivers with reduced flows. We applied ecosystem metabolism models to define the effect of water temperature on net ecosystem production (NEP) of oxygen at 12 sites of a fragmented river channel that supports three fish species at risk and experiences hypoxia. We found that water temperature and precipitation events at 75% of our sites were significantly and negatively correlated to NEP estimates and explained 28% of the variation in NEP within sites. Temperature-induced reductions in NEP at these sites likely contributed to hypoxic conditions threatening the three species at risk as NEP explained 41% of the variation in dissolved oxygen near all sites. Our results have applications for understanding drivers of hypoxic stress in fragmented watercourses, integrating water temperature-NEP effects with oxygen demands of sensitive fish species, and modeling future effects of climate change on aquatic species.

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High-latitude EU Habitats Directive species at risk due to climate change and land use

Global Ecology and Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01664 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. e01664

Author(s):

Risto K. Heikkinen ◽

Linda Kartano ◽

Niko Leikola ◽

Juha Aalto ◽

Kaisu Aapala ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

At Risk ◽

Land Use ◽

High Latitude ◽

Habitats Directive ◽

Species At Risk ◽

Eu Habitats Directive

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The Importance of Assessing Climate Change Vulnerability to Address Species Conservation

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management ◽

10.3996/052013-jfwm-039 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 450-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Karen E. Bagne ◽

Megan M. Friggens ◽

Sharon J. Coe ◽

Deborah M. Finch

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

At Risk ◽

Extinction Risk ◽

Species Conservation ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Small Subset ◽

Species At Risk ◽

Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽

Climate Change Vulnerability ◽

Risk Of Extinction

Abstract Species conservation often prioritizes attention on a small subset of “special status” species at high risk of extinction, but actions based on current lists of special status species may not effectively moderate biodiversity loss if climate change alters threats. Assessments of climate change vulnerability may provide a method to enhance identification of species at risk of extinction. We compared climate change vulnerability and lists of special status species to examine the adequacy of current lists to represent species at risk of extinction in the coming decades. The comparison was made for terrestrial vertebrates in a regionally important management area of the southwestern United States. Many species not listed as special status were vulnerable to increased extinction risk with climate change. Overall, 74% of vulnerable species were not included in lists of special status and omissions were greatest for birds and reptiles. Most special status species were identified as additionally vulnerable to climate change impacts and there was little evidence to indicate the outlook for these species might improve with climate change, which suggests that existing conservation efforts will need to be intensified. Current special status lists encompassed climate change vulnerability best if climate change was expected to exacerbate current threats, such as the loss of wetlands, but often overlooked climate-driven threats, such as exceeding physiological thresholds.

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

Rangifer ◽

10.7557/2.35.2.3647 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 49 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

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.

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