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Many species in Canada have not yet been assessed by COSEWIC, but are suspected of being at some risk of extinction or extirpation. These species, referred to as ‘candidate wildlife species’ are identified by the Species Specialist Subcommittees (SSCs) or by the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK) Subcommittee as candidates for detailed status assessment. Candidates may also include wildlife species already assessed by COSEWIC as Not at Risk or Data Deficient, but where new information suggests they may be at risk.
SSC and ATK Subcommittee members use their expert knowledge and judgment to identify candidate wildlife species. They draw on numerous sources of information including (where available) the General Status of Wild Species in Canada Program, information drawn from other multi-jurisdictional monitoring, jurisdictional and international assessment processes (e.g. IUCN and ABI) and published ranking systems in the scientific literature. As time and resources allow, COSEWIC will commission status reports for high priority candidate wildlife species so that an assessment can be undertaken.
Status reports are commissioned by COSEWIC through an open competition. A Call for Bids is periodically posted on this website both for selected candidate species, and also for species already assessed by COSEWIC that require a reassessment. You can register to be notified when new Calls for Bids are posted on the website.
For more information on candidate wildlife species, visit the COSEWIC's Assessment Process and Criteria.
The Species Specialist Subcommittees’ Candidate Lists
Each SSC annually prepares and maintains a SSC candidate list of wildlife species that it considers at risk of extinction or extirpation nationally. Species on the SSC candidate lists are ranked into three priority groups by the SSCs to reflect the relative urgency with which each wildlife species should receive a COSEWIC assessment. Group 1 contains wildlife species of highest priority for assessment by COSEWIC, and includes wildlife species suspected to be extirpated from Canada. Groups 2 and 3 contain wildlife species that are of intermediate and lower priority for COSEWIC assessment, respectively. Rationales for inclusion of wildlife species on the SSC candidate lists differ among the taxonomic groups considered by COSEWIC, reflecting the vast differences in their life history, and differences in our knowledge about the species.
Candidate wildlife species included in the SSC candidate lists are listed in Part 2. The provinces or territories marked with † represent areas where the wildlife species is especially at risk. The candidate wildlife species marked with an asterisk (*) will appear on the next Call for Bids.
The COSEWIC Candidate List
The highest priority wildlife species from the SSC candidate lists are reviewed and ranked by COSEWIC, and result in the COSEWIC Candidate List. COSEWIC bases its ranking on prioritization data submitted by each SSC (Prioritization Criteria developed by COSEWIC for ranking wildlife species). The COSEWIC Candidate List identifies the highest priority candidate wildlife species for status report production. Wildlife species included in this List include those not yet assessed by COSEWIC and those in the Not at Risk or Data Deficient categories, where new information suggests they may be at risk of extinction or extirpation from Canada.
Wildlife species marked with one asterisk (*) were included on the Fall 2012 Call for Bids whereas those marked with two asterisks (**) will be included on the Fall 2013 Call for Bids.
Scientific name |
Common name |
Range in Canada |
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Ambystoma gracile
|
Northwestern Salamander |
BC
|
Ambystoma sp. **
|
Jefferson Salamander (Jefferson Salamander complex of unisexual populations) |
ON, QC, NB, NS
|
Bufo hemiophrys
|
Canadian Toad |
NT, AB, SK, MB
|
Necturus maculosus
|
Mudpuppy |
MB, ON, QC
|
Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens
|
Red-spotted Newt |
ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Rana palustris
|
Pickerel Frog |
ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
Ambystoma maculatum
|
Spotted Salamander |
MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Ensatina eschscholtzii
|
Ensatina |
BC
|
Lithobates catesbeianus
|
American Bullfrog |
ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Lithobates septentrionalis
|
Mink Frog |
ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Plethodon cinereus
|
Eastern Red-backed Salamander |
ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Rana luteiventris
|
Columbia Spotted Frog |
YT, BC, AB
|
Spea bombifrons
|
Plains Spadefoot |
AB, SK, MB
|
Taricha granulosa
|
Rough-skinned Newt |
BC
|
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
Ambystoma laterale
|
Blue-spotted Salamander |
MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Ambystoma macrodactylum
|
Long-toed Salamander |
BC, AB
|
Anaxyrus americanus
|
American Toad |
NU, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Eurycea bislineata
|
Northern Two-lined Salamander |
ON, QC, NL
|
Hemidactylium scutatum
|
Four-toed Salamander |
ON, QC, NB, NS
|
Hyla versicolor
|
Gray Treefrog |
MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Lithobates clamitans
|
Green Frog |
ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Lithobates sylvaticus
|
Wood Frog |
YT, NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Plethodon vehiculum
|
Western Red-backed Salamander |
BC
|
Pseudacris crucifer
|
Spring Peeper |
MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Pseudacris maculata
|
Boreal Chorus Frog |
YT, NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC
|
Pseudacris regilla
|
Northern Pacific Treefrog |
BC
|
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Aflexia rubranura
|
|
MB, ON
|
Argia vivida *
|
Vivid Dancer |
BC, AB
|
Bembidion lachnophoroides
|
[A Carabid Beetle] |
AB
|
Bombus terricola *
|
Yellow-banded Bumble Bee |
BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Campsomeris pilipes
|
Scoliid Wasp |
BC
|
Ceropales bipunctata
|
Pompilid Wasp |
ON
|
Coccinella novemnotata **
|
Nine-spotted Lady Beetle |
BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Coccinella transversoguttata richardsoni
|
Transverse Lady Beetle |
YT, NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Coreorgonal petulcus **
|
Erigonine dwarf spider |
BC
|
Haploa reversa
|
Reversed Haploa |
ON
|
Hemileuca nuttalli **
|
Nuttall's Sheep Moth |
BC
|
Hexura picea *
|
[A Midget Funnel-web Tarantula] |
BC
|
Hydroporus carri
|
Carr’s Diving Beetle |
AB
|
Ips woodi
|
[A bark beetle] |
BC, AB
|
Lasioglossum Dialictus sablense *
|
Sable Island Sweat Bee |
NS
|
Megathymus streckeri
|
Strecker's Giant Skipper |
AB
|
Melanoplus madeleineae
|
Magdalen Island Grasshopper |
QC
|
Metrius contractus contractus
|
Contracted Bombing Beetle |
BC
|
Octogomphus specularis
|
Grappletail |
BC
|
Pyrrhia aurantiago
|
False-Foxglove Sun Moth |
ON
|
Sphodros niger
|
[Atypid Purseweb Spider] |
ON
|
Trimerotropis huroniana **
|
Lake Huron Grasshopper |
ON
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
Agabus margaretae
|
Margaret's Diving Beetle |
AB, SK
|
Anisota manitobensis
|
Manitoba Oakworm Moth |
MB
|
Argyresthia flexilis
|
[a micromoth] |
BC, AB
|
Bombus fervidus
|
Yellow Bumble Bee |
ON
|
Coleotechnites lewisi
|
[A moth] |
AB
|
Dicromantispa sayi
|
[A mantidfly] |
ON
|
Ephemera guttulata
|
Eastern Green Drake Mayfly |
ON, QC, NB, NS, NL
|
Erythrodiplax berenice
|
Seaside Dragonlet |
NS
|
Euphydryas anicia bernadetta
|
Anicia Checkerspot |
AB, SK
|
Euphydryas editha hutchinsi
|
Edith’s Checkerspot |
AB, SK
|
Gomphus abbreviatus
|
Spine-crowned Clubtail |
NB, NS
|
Hemileuca nevadensis
|
Nevada Buckmoth |
SK, MB, AB
|
Lasiopogon pacificus
|
[A robber fly] |
BC
|
Lycaena editha
|
Edith's Copper |
BC, AB
|
Microhexura idahoana
|
[A diplurid funnel webspider] |
BC
|
Nicocles rufus
|
[A robber fly] |
BC
|
Pollicipes polymerus
|
Gooseneck Barnacle |
BC
|
Polystoechotes punctata
|
Giant Lacewing (Eastern population) |
ON, QC
|
Rhionaeschna mutata
|
Spatterdock Darner |
ON, NS
|
Speyeria mormonia erinna
|
Mormon Fritillary |
BC
|
Stichopogon fragilis
|
[A robber fly] |
BC
|
Stygobromus canadensis
|
Castleguard Cave Stygobromid |
AB
|
Tropocyclops prasinus
|
[a cyclopoid copepod] |
ON
|
Tubaphe levii
|
[a millipede] |
BC
|
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
Agabus immaturus
|
[A diving beetle] |
NB
|
Anacampsis lupinella
|
Lupine Leafroller |
ON
|
Antrodiaetus cerberus
|
[An antrodiaetid folding door spider] |
BC
|
Arctia brachyptera
|
Kluane Tiger Moth |
YT
|
Areniscythris saskatchewan
|
Saskatchewan Dune Scythrid |
SK
|
Callophrys johnsoni
|
Johnson’s Hairstreak |
BC
|
Callophrys mossii
|
Moss’s Elfin |
BC
|
Carabus vinctus
|
[A carabid beetle] |
|
Celithemis martha
|
Martha's Pennant |
NB, NS
|
Chlosyne hoffmanni
|
Hoffmann’s Checkerspot |
BC
|
Cicindela cuprascens
|
Coppery Tiger Beetle |
MB
|
Cicindela hirticollis athabascensis Graves
|
Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle |
AB, SK
|
Cicindela hirticollis couleensis
|
Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle |
BC, AB
|
Cicindela hirticollis rhodensis
|
Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle |
ON, QC, NB, NS, NL
|
Cicindela hirticollis shelfordi
|
Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle |
AB, SK, MB
|
Cicindela lepida
|
Ghost Tiger Beetle |
AB, SK, MB
|
Coleophora manitoba
|
[A Casebearer Moth] |
MB
|
Coleophora ramitella
|
[A Casebearer moth] |
ON
|
Cupido comyntas
|
Eastern Tailed Blue (British Columbia population) |
BC
|
Dicaelus purpuratus
|
[A carabid beetle] |
ON
|
Erora laeta
|
Early Hairstreak |
ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Erynnis propertius
|
Propertius Duskywing |
BC
|
Euphilotes ancilla
|
Rocky Mountain Dotted Blue |
AB, SK
|
Geolycosa spp.
|
[Burrowing wolf spiders] |
AB, SK, MB, ON, QC
|
Heterosternuta alleghenianus
|
[A diving beetle] |
QC, NB
|
Heterosternuta cocheconis
|
[A diving beetle] |
QC, NB
|
Hydrocollus filiolus
|
[A diving beetle] |
QC, NB
|
Lycaena dione
|
Grey Copper |
BC
|
Neoporus blanchardi
|
[A diving beetle] |
NS
|
Neoporus dilatatus
|
[A diving beetle] |
ON, QC, NB, NS
|
Neoporus tennetum
|
[A diving beetle] |
ON
|
Neurocordulia michaeli
|
Broadtailed Shadowdragon |
ON, NB
|
Oeneis bore gaspeensis
|
Gaspé Arctic |
QC
|
Okanagana synodica
|
Walking Cicada |
AB
|
Papilio machaon pikei
|
Pike’s Old World Swallowtail |
AB, BC
|
Pardosa pedia
|
[A wolf spider] |
SK
|
Polites sabuleti
|
Sandhill Skipper |
BC
|
Schizocosa cespitum
|
[A wolf spider] |
SK
|
Siphlonica aerodromia
|
[A mayfly] |
QC, NB, NS, NL
|
Speyeria egleis
|
Great Basin Fritillary |
AB
|
Speyeria zerene bremnerii
|
Bremner's Zerene Fritillary |
BC
|
Strictotarsus minipi
|
[A diving beetle] |
NL
|
Stylurus plagiatus
|
Russet-tipped Clubtail |
ON
|
Tachysphex pechumani
|
Antenna-waving Wasp |
ON
|
Usofila pacifica
|
[A telemid spider] |
BC
|
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Calamospiza melanocorys
|
Lark Bunting |
AB, SK, MB
|
Coccothraustes vespertinus **
|
Evening Grosbeak |
YT, NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Zonotrichia querula
|
Harris's Sparrow |
NT, NU, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
Aechmophorus clarkii
|
Clark's Grebe |
AB, SK, MB
|
Catharus minimus minimus
|
Gray-cheeked Thrush minimus subspecies |
NL
|
Gavia adamsii
|
Yellow-billed Loon |
NT, NU, BC, Pacific Ocean
|
Limosa haemastica
|
Hudsonian Godwit |
YT, NT, NU, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Spizella pusilla
|
Field Sparrow |
SK, ON, QC
|
Tringa incana
|
Wandering Tattler |
YT, NT, BC
|
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
Arenaria interpres morinella
|
Ruddy Turnstone, morinella subspecies |
YT, NT, NU
|
Calidris himantopus
|
Stilt Sandpiper |
NT, NU, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC
|
Charadrius vociferus
|
Killdeer |
YT, NT, NU, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Coccyzus erythropthalmus
|
Black-billed Cuckoo |
AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS
|
Dendragapus fuliginosus
|
Sooty Grouse |
BC
|
Empidonax minimus
|
Least Flycatcher |
YT, NT, NU, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Falco sparverius
|
American Kestrel |
YT, NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Megaceryle alcyon
|
Belted Kingfisher |
YT, NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Oporornis agilis
|
Connecticut Warbler |
NU, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC
|
Setophaga discolor
|
Prairie Warbler |
ON
|
Somateria spectabilis
|
King Eider |
YT, NT, NU, MB, ON, QC, NB, NL
|
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Coregonus nigripinnis *
|
Blackfin Cisco |
ON
|
Gasterosteus aculeatus **
|
Little Quarry Lake Benthic Threespine Stickleback |
BC
|
Gasterosteus aculeatus **
|
Little Quarry Lake Limnetic Threespine Stickleback |
BC
|
Lepomis megalotis *
|
Longear Sunfish |
ON†, QC†
|
Oncorhynchus mykiss
|
Rainbow Trout (Alberta populations) |
AB†
(AB Native Population as DU Only)
|
Percina shumardi **
|
River Darter |
MB†, ON†
|
Prosopium coulterii **
|
Pygmy Whitefish |
YT†, NT, BC, AB†, ON†
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
Acrocheilus alutaceus
|
Chiselmouth |
BC†
|
Ameiurus natalis
|
Yellow Bullhead |
ON, QC†
|
Carpiodes cyprinus
|
Quillback |
AB†, SK†, MB†, ON, QC†
|
Coregonus artedi
|
Cisco (Lake Herring) |
NT, NU, BC†, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC
(BC Population as Distinct DU Only)
|
Coregonus autumnalis
|
Arctic Cisco |
YT, NT†, NU†, BC†
|
Coregonus clupeaformis
|
Lake Whitefish |
YT, NT, NU, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, NL
|
Coregonus nasus
|
Broad Whitefish |
YT, NT, NU, BC†
|
Coregonus pidschian
|
Humpback Whitefish |
YT†
|
Coregonus sardinella
|
Least Cisco |
YT, NT†, NU†, BC†
|
Cottus cognatus
|
Slimy Sculpin |
YT, NT, NU, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE†, NL
(PE Population as DU Only)
|
Couesius plumbeus
|
Lake Chub (Northern British Columbia Hotsprings populations) |
BC
|
Esox niger
|
Chain Pickerel |
QC†
|
Etheostoma caeruleum
|
Rainbow Darter |
ON, QC†
|
Hybognathus hankinsoni
|
Brassy Minnow |
BC†, AB, SK†, MB, ON, QC†
|
Hybognathus regius
|
Eastern Silvery Minnow |
ON†, QC
|
Moxostoma anisurum
|
Silver Redhorse |
AB, SK†, MB, ON, QC†
|
Moxostoma erythrurum
|
Golden Redhorse |
MB†, ON
|
Moxostoma valenciennesi
|
Greater Redhorse |
ON†, QC†
|
Notropis blennius
|
River Shiner |
AB†, SK†, MB†
|
Notropis buchanani
|
Ghost Shiner |
ON†
|
Notropis heterodon
|
Blackchin Shiner |
MB†, ON, QC
|
Notropis rubellus
|
Rosyface Shiner |
ON, QC†
|
Noturus miurus
|
Brindled Madtom |
ON†
|
Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii
|
Coastal Cutthroat Trout |
YT, BC
|
Stenodus leucichthys
|
Inconnu |
YT, NT†, BC†
|
Thymallus arcticus
|
Arctic Grayling |
YT†, NT†, NU†, BC†, AB†, SK, MB
|
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
Esox masquinongy
|
Muskellunge |
MB, ON, QC
|
Ichthyomyzon castaneus
|
Chestnut Lamprey (Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence populations) |
ON, QC
|
Ichthyomyzon castaneus
|
Chestnut Lamprey (Saskatchewan - Nelson River populations) |
SK, MB, ON
|
Margariscus margarita
|
Pearl Dace |
NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, NL
|
Percina maculata
|
Blackside Darter |
SK, MB, ON
|
Prosopium cylindraceum
|
Round Whitefish |
YT, NT, NU, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NL
|
Rhinichthys obtusus
|
Western Blacknose Dace |
SK, MB, ON
|
Salvelinus alpinus
|
Arctic Char |
YT, NT, NU, MB, QC, NB, NL
|
Salvelinus namaycush
|
Lake Trout |
YT†, NT, NU, AB†, SK, MB, ON, QC†, NB†, NS†, NL
|
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Cyclopterus lumpus
|
Lumpfish |
Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean
|
Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
|
Pink Salmon |
BC, Pacific Ocean
|
Oncorhynchus keta
|
Chum Salmon |
BC, Pacific Ocean
|
Oncorhynchus mykiss
|
Steelhead |
BC
|
Sebastes alutus
|
Pacific Ocean Perch |
Pacific Ocean
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
Alosa pseudoharengus
|
Alewife |
Atlantic Ocean
|
Alosa sapidissima
|
American shad |
BC, QC, NB, NS, NL, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean
|
Bathyraja spinicauda
|
Spinytail skate |
NU, NS, NL, Atlantic Ocean
|
Gadus macrocephalus
|
Pacific Cod |
Pacific Ocean
|
Pollachius virens
|
Pollock |
NB, NS, NL, Atlantic Ocean
|
Sebastes entomelas
|
Widow Rockfish |
BC, Pacific Ocean
|
Sebastes flavidus
|
Yellowtail Rockfish |
BC, Pacific Ocean
|
Sebastolobus alascanus
|
Shortspine Thornyhead |
BC, Pacific Ocean
|
Somniosus microcephalus
|
Greenland Shark |
Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean
|
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
No candidates currently listed |
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Acroscyphus sphaerophoides **
|
Mountain Crab Eye Lichen |
BC
|
Anaptychia elbursiana
|
Whiskered Millipede Lichen |
BC, AB
|
Circinaria hispida
|
Desert Tumbleweed Lichen |
BC, AB, SK
|
Glypholecia scabra
|
Desert Rock-scab |
NT, NU, BC, SK
|
Pannaria lurida **
|
Wrinkled Shingle |
NB, NS, NL
|
Ramalina sinensis
|
Burning Bush (Fan ramalina) |
BC, MB
|
Sticta limbata
|
Powdered Moon Lichen |
BC, NB, NS
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
No candidates currently listed |
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
No candidates currently listed |
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Pusa hispida hispida **
|
Ringed Seal |
YT, NT, NU, MB, ON, QC, NL, Arctic Ocean
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
Berardius bairdii
|
Baird's Beaked Whale |
Pacific Ocean
|
Cystophora cristata
|
Hooded Seal |
Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean
|
Erignathus barbatus
|
Bearded Seal |
NT, NU, MB, ON, NL, Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean
|
Phoca groenlandica
|
Harp Seal |
Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean
|
Ziphius cavirostris
|
Cuvier’s Beaked Whale |
Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean
|
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
|
Pacific White-sided Dolphin |
Pacific Ocean
|
Mirounga angustirostris
|
Northern Elephant Seal |
BC, Pacific Ocean
|
Physeter macrocephalus
|
Sperm Whale |
Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean
|
|
No candidates currently listed |
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Anguispira kochi kochi
|
Banded Globe (Eastern population) |
ON
|
Anguispira kochi occidentalis
|
Banded Globe (Western population) |
BC
|
Fisherola nuttalli *
|
Shortface Lanx |
BC
|
Mesodon clausus
|
Yellow Globelet |
ON
|
Mesodon zaletus
|
Toothed Globe |
ON
|
Neohelix dentifera
|
Big-tooth Whitelip |
ON, QC, NB
|
Webbhelix multilineata
|
Striped Whitelip |
ON
|
Zacoleus idahoensis **
|
Sheathed Slug |
BC
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
Birgella subglobosa
|
Globe Siltsnail |
MB, ON, QC
|
Fluminicola fuscus
|
Ashy Pebblesnail |
BC
|
Inflectarius inflectus
|
Shagreen |
ON
|
Micromenetus dilatatus
|
Bugle Sprite |
NS
|
Oreohelix strigosa stantoni
|
Cypress Hills Mountainsnail |
AB, SK
|
Oreohelix subrudis limitaris
|
Boundary Mountainsnail |
AB
|
Philomycus carolinianus
|
Carolina Mantleslug |
ON
|
Physella gyrina athearni
|
Blunt Albino Physa |
AB
|
Pisidium cruciatum
|
Ornamented Peaclam |
ON
|
Planorbella corpulenta
|
Corpulent Rams-horn |
MB, ON
|
Planorbella corpulenta whiteavesi
|
Whiteaves's Capacious Rams-horn |
ON
|
Solemya borealis
|
Boreal Awning-clam |
Atlantic Ocean
|
Stagnicola kennicotti
|
Western Arctic Stagnicola |
NT, NU
|
Valvata lewisi ontariensis
|
Loosely-coiled Valve Snail |
ON
|
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
Gastrocopta corticaria
|
Bark Snaggletooth |
ON, QC, NB
|
Glyphyalinia luticola
|
Furrowed Glyph |
ON
|
Helisoma anceps royalense
|
Lake Superior Rams-horn |
MB, ON
|
Lasmigona costata
|
Fluted Shell |
MB, ON, QC
|
Leptodea ochracea
|
Tidewater Mucket |
NB, NS
|
Margaritifera margaritifera
|
Eastern Pearl Mussel |
QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
Megapallifera mutabilis
|
Changeable Mantleslug |
ON
|
Physella columbiana
|
Rotund Physa |
BC
|
Physella concolor
|
Haldeman Physa |
BC
|
Physella hordacea
|
Grain Physa |
BC
|
Physella latchfordi
|
Latchford's Physa |
ON, QC
|
Physella lordi
|
Twisted Physa |
BC, AB
|
Physella nuttalli
|
Nuttall Physa |
BC
|
Pisidium insigne
|
Tiny peaclam |
BC, AB, ON, PE
|
Pomatiopsis lapidaria
|
Slender Walker |
ON
|
Quadrula pustulosa
|
Pimpleback |
ON
|
Stagnicola montanensis
|
Mountain Marshsnail |
AB
|
Stagnicola walkeriana
|
Calabash Pondsnail |
ON
|
Stagnicola woodruffi
|
Coldwater Pondsnail |
ON
|
Truncilla truncata
|
Deertoe |
ON
|
Valvata perdepressa
|
Purplecap Valvata |
ON
|
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Buxbaumia minakatae
|
|
ON, NS, NL
|
Gollania turgens
|
|
YT, BC
|
Seligeria acutifolia
|
Acuteleaf Small Limestone Moss |
BC
|
Seligeria careyana
|
|
BC
|
Tortula porteri **
|
|
ON, QC
|
Tortula scotterii
|
|
NT, BC
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
No candidates currently listed |
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
No candidates currently listed |
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Chrysemys picta marginata
|
Midland Painted Turtle |
ON, QC
|
Chrysemys picta picta
|
Eastern Painted Turtle |
NB, NS
|
Crotalus viridis *
|
Prairie Rattlesnake |
AB, SK
|
Diadophis punctatus
|
Ring-necked Snake |
MB, ON, QC, NB, NS
|
Heterodon nasicus
|
Plains Hog-nosed Snake |
AB, SK, MB
|
Pituophis catenifer sayi
|
Bullsnake |
AB, SK
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
Nerodia sipedon sipedon
|
Northern Watersnake |
ON, QC
|
Opheodrys vernalis
|
Smooth Greensnake |
SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Storeria dekayi
|
DeKay's Brownsnake |
ON, QC
|
Thamnophis radix
|
Plains Gartersnake |
AB, SK, MB
|
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
Chelonia mydas
|
Green Sea Turtle |
Pacific Ocean
|
Elgaria coerulea
|
Northern Alligator Lizard |
BC
|
Lepidochelys kempii
|
Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle |
NS, Atlantic Ocean
|
Storeria occipitomaculata
|
Red-bellied Snake |
MB, ON, QC, NB, NS
|
Thamnophis elegans
|
Terrestrial Gartersnake |
BC, AB
|
Thamnophis ordinoides
|
Northwestern Gartersnake |
BC
|
Thamnophis sirtalis
|
Common Gartersnake |
NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS
|
|
|
An expanded Vascular Plants candidate list of over 500 vascular plants, grouped into two priority classes, is now available to the public in html or as an Excel worksheet file on the following link (Working List of Prioritized Vascular Plant Candidates). This list is provided with the understanding that it is a working copy undergoing modification. In preparing the list, information from the General Status of Species in Canada Review process, undertaken by all federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions, is taken into account when species are ranked for inclusion on the list.
(last update, March 2011)
|
Group 1 - High priority candidates |
Alchemilla alpina
|
Alpine Lady's-mantle |
NL
|
Boechera quebecensis **
|
Quebec Rockcress |
QC
|
Claytonia ogilviensis
|
Ogilvie Mountain Springbeauty |
YT
|
Erigeron leibergii **
|
Leiberg’s Fleabane |
BC
|
Fraxinus latifolia
|
Oregon Ash |
BC
|
Group 2 - Mid priority candidates |
Working List of Prioritized Vascular Plant Candidates |
Group 3 - Low priority candidates |
Working List of Prioritized Vascular Plant Candidates |
Candidate Wildlife Species |
Rationale |
Amphibians |
Ambystoma
sp. **
Jefferson Salamander
ON, QC, NB, NS
|
The Jefferson Salamander complex of unisexual, female Ambystoma populations has a unique genetic system and represents a distinct, monophyletic lineage that arose some 5 million years ago, making them the oldest lineage of unisexual vertebrates known (Bogart, 2003; Bi and Bogart, 2010). They are, effectively, sexual parasites, and require the sperm of diploid males of related, co-occurring bisexual species of Ambystoma in order to reproduce (Bogart et al., 2009). This reliance exposes them to a unique threat because several of their sexual host populations are considered endangered or in decline. Unisexual Ambystoma usually outnumber their sexual host species (Uzzell, 1964; Nyman et al., 1988; Bogart and Klemens, 1997). However, as they cannot reproduce without the presence of diploid males of their sexual hosts, then loss of the diploids means eventual extirpation of the unisexual populations.
Each individual in the Jefferson Salamander complex of unisexual, female salamanders carries the genomes of more than one bisexual species of Ambystoma. But these unisexual salamanders are not hybrids. They have a nuclear genomic constitution consisting of at least one genome like that of Ambystoma laterale (L) and up to four other genomes from A. laterale and any of four other Ambystoma species, most commonly A. jeffersonianum (J), but also A. texanum (T), A. tigrinum (Ti), and/or A. barbouri (B) (Bogart, 2003; Bogart and Klemens, 1997; 2008; Bogart et al., 2009). The salamanders can be diploid, triploid, tetraploid and even pentaploid (Bogart, 2003), but the most frequent of the 20 or more different genomic combinations known are LJJ and LLJ triploids. In contrast to their nuclear genomic variation, all individuals possess a mitochondrial genome like that of A. barbouri (Robertson et al., 2006, Bi and Bogart 2010). Thus the unisexual Ambystoma populations are not the product of ongoing hybridization (Bogart et al., 2009). They constitute a monophyletic lineage dating to the early Pliocene (Bi and Bogart, 2010).
Like their nuclear genomic constitutions, the morphologies of these unisexual salamanders are also extremely variable. Though, on the whole, they tend to be robust, grey to blue-black salamanders ranging in size from 10 to 20 cm (total length), their precise morphological characteristics are intermediate between the species whose genomes they carry. Since virtually all have some contribution from A. laterale, the Blue-spotted Salamander, some degree of blue-flecking along the sides is almost always present.
Viable unisexual populations of the Jefferson Salamander complex are patchily distributed across the lower Great Lakes region and St. Lawrence Valley, with isolated populations in Wisconsin, Maine, northern New Brunswick and central Nova Scotia. In Canada, these salamanders are invariably found in association with A. jeffersonianum, A. laterale or A. texanum. All individuals of these complexes are female, except for a very small percentage (~1%) which appear to be sterile males. The females are normally more abundant than their diploid bisexual sperm donors. Like other Ambystoma salamanders they have a complex life history and require permanent or semi-permanent water bodies for breeding and adjacent moist forest for foraging and hibernation. Loss or degradation of wetland breeding habitats and fragmentation of terrestrial habitats threaten unisexual Ambystoma populations throughout their Canadian range. Resource extraction, including logging and mining, reduce the quality of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. These are the same threats that imperil their sexual host species, of which one (A. tigrinum) is assessed by COSEWIC as Extirpated and two others (A. jeffersonianum) and (A. texanum) are assessed Endangered. A fourth host species, (A. barbouri) does not occur in Canada. Wherever these species disappear, the unisexual populations will inevitably also disappear.
i. Taxonomic level: The taxonomic status of these salamanders has been disputed since their discovery because they do not correspond to any usual definitions of species other than that they comprise a monophyletic, mitochondrial lineage. Knowledge of their peculiarities began with Clanton (1934) who discerned in populations of A. jeffersonianum in southern Michigan distinctly different “dark” individuals, with a 1:1 sex ratio, and “light” individuals, all of which were females. Based on this observation and the morphological variation then thought to exist in both A. laterale and A. jeffersonianum, Bishop (1947) considered all these salamanders to be a single, variable species – A. jeffersonianum. In Canada, Logier and Toner (1961) thus combined all known localities of A. jeffersonianum and A. laterale. Meanwhile, Minton (1954) proposed that the intermediate forms were hybrids between A. laterale and A. jeffersonianum and Uzzell (1964) recognized them as separate, triploid species. Uzzell named those with two A. jeffersonianum chromosome sets and one A. laterale chromosome set (i.e. LJJ) A. “platineum” and those with one A. jeffersonianum chromosome set and two A. laterale chromosome sets (i.e. LLJ) A. “tremblayi”. Lowcock et al., (1987), however, demonstrated that A. “platineum” and A. “tremblayi” could not be considered valid species as many more chromosomal variants occur than just the two reciprocal triploids. The unisexuals are thus distinct from any other species of Ambystoma but are un-named.
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: Ca. 40%. Southern Ontario and Quebec, and parts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
iii. Existing global conservation status: GRANK: GU (last reviewed 21 Sept., 2001; NatureServe, 2010). Despite their lack of formal taxonomic status, these salamanders are recognized as animals of Special Concern in Connecticut and as Endangered in Illinois and New Jersey.
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Unknown; some populations have been lost as a result of loss and degradation of wetland breeding sites and fragmentation of terrestrial habitats. Some populations may still be extant but no longer able to reproduce where populations of A. jeffersonianum (assessed by COSEWIC in 2010 as Endangered), A. texanum (assessed by COSEWIC in 2004 as Endangered) or A. laterale, the diploid species they depend upon as suppliers of sperm, have disappeared.
v. Threats: The main anthropogenic and ecological threats to these salamanders are the same as those documented for A. texanum and A. jeffersonianum: habitat destruction, land use, and acidification of breeding ponds (Brodman 2005a,b; deMaynadier and Hunter, 1998; Petranka, 1998).
Loss of suitable terrestrial habitat and breeding ponds is the most significant threat to A. jeffersonianum complex salamanders and their allied species in Canada. Much of the native forest of southern Ontario, New Brunswick and Central Nova Scotia has been cleared for agriculture, urban development, aggregate extraction, and resource development.
Habitat alteration may have direct or indirect impacts on salamander populations. Breeding ponds may be rendered unusable by fish-stocking or by hydrologic and other changes engendered by surrounding development. Migratory paths between breeding ponds and summer habitat may be blocked by development, silt fencing, drainage ditches, plantations or other barriers. Hydrological alterations can reduce the breeding pond hydroperiod so the pond consistently dries up before the larvae can transform. Clearing fallen trees or debris from summer habitat and from the edges of breeding ponds limits food and protective cover for salamanders and interferes with their dispersal. Clearing breeding ponds of sticks and other attachment sites for egg masses is also detrimental. Rodent burrows are used by salamanders for hiding, feeding, and over-wintering so reducing rodent populations could have indirect detrimental effects.
Road mortality is a persistent threat. Individuals are killed on roads especially while migrating to or from breeding ponds. Curbs and catch basins can act as barriers or traps, respectively, and roads are often a source of chemical pollutants that degrade adjacent aquatic and terrestrial habitat. Roads also increase the vulnerability of migrating adults to predators.
Loss of sexual host populations is a threat unique to unisexual Ambystoma populations because they require the presence of diploid males of their sexual hosts for reproduction.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: The known range of the unisexual populations is fragmented into three wholly disjunct and restricted areas: 1) southern Ontario and Quebec, 2) northern New Brunswick, and 3) central Nova Scotia.
vii. Limiting biological factors: Reliance on fishless, semi-permanent wetlands for breeding; fluctuations in numbers of adults from year to year; need for a suitable configuration of terrestrial forest habitat and aquatic breeding sites; reliance on complex, 3-dimensional forest-floor structure, coarse woody debris, and moist microclimates; migratory behaviour between aquatic breeding sites and terrestrial foraging habitats, which increases susceptibility to road mortality, predation, and other sources of mortality, especially in fragmented landscapes; total reliance on the presence of males of related, diploid species at risk for reproduction.
References:
Bi. K., and J. P. Bogart. 2010. Time and time again: unisexual salamanders (genus Ambystoma) are the oldest unisexual vertebrates. BMC Evolutionary Biology 10: 238doi:10.1186/1471-2148-10-238
Bishop, S.C. 1947. Handbook of Salamanders. Ithaca, NY. Comstock.
Bogart, J. P. 2010. Update COSEWIC Status Report on Jefferson Salamander, Ambystoma jeffersonianum. (draft). Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
Bogart, J. P., and M. W. Klemens. 1997. Hybrids and genetic interactions of mole salamanders (Ambystoma jeffersonianum and A. laterale) (Amphibia: Caudata) in New York and New England. American Museum Novitates (3218):1-78.
Bogart J.P., and M.W. Klemens. 2008. Additional distributional records of Ambystoma laterale, A. jeffersonianum (Amphibia: Caudata) and their unisexual kleptogens in northeastern North America. American Museum of Natural History Novitates 3627: 1-58.
Bogart, J.P., K. Bi, J. Fu, D.W.A. Noble and J. Niedzwieki. 2007. Unisexual salamanders (genus Ambystoma) present a new reproductive mode for eukaryotes. Genome 50: 119-136
Bogart, J.P., J. Bartoszek, D.W.A. Noble and K. Bi. 2009. Sex in unisexual salamanders: discovery of a new sperm donor with ancient affinities. Heredity 103: 483-493.
Brodman, R. 2005a. Ambystoma jeffersonianum, Jefferson Salamander. In Lannoo, M., editor. Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. 611–613.Berkeley, California, U.S.A University of California Press.
Brodman, R. 2005b. Ambystoma laterale, Blue-spotted Salamander. In Lannoo, M., editor. Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. 614–616.Berkeley, California, U.S.A University of California Press.
Clanton, W. 1934. An unusual situation in the salamander Ambystoma jeffersonianum (Green). Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan No. 290:1-14
Demaynadier, P.G., and M.L. Hunter. 1998. Effects of silvicultural edges on the distribution and abundance of amphibians in Maine. Conservation Biology 12: 340-352.
Logier, E.B.S. and G.C. Toner. 1961. Check List of the Amphibians & Reptiles of Canada & Alaska. Life Science Division, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. Contribution No. 53: 92 pp.
Lowcock, L.A., L.E. Licht and J.P. Bogart. 1987. Nomenclature in hybrid complexes of Ambystoma (Urodela: Ambystomatidae): no case for the erection of hybrid “species”. Systematic Zoology: 36:328-336.
Minton, S.A. 1954. Salamanders of the Ambystoma jeffersonianum complex in Indiana. Herpetologica 10: 173-179.
NatureServe. 2010. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: February 12, 2011 ).
Nyman, S., M.J. Ryan and J.D. Anderson. 1988. The distribution of the Ambystoma jeffersonianum complex in New Jersey. Journal of Herpetology 22:224-228.
Petranka, J.W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press. 587pp.
Robertson, A.V., C. Ramsden, J. Niedzwiecki, J. Fu and J.P. Bogart. 2006. An unexpected recent ancestor of unisexual Ambystoma. Molecular Ecology 15: 3339-3351.
Uzzell, T.M. 1964. Relations of the diploid and triploid species of the Ambystoma jeffersonianum complex (Amphibia, Caudata). Copeia 1964:257-300.
PREPARED BY: Amphibians and Reptiles SSC, January 2012
|
Arthropods |
Coccinella
novemnotata **
Nine-spotted Lady Beetle
BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
The historic range of Coccinella novemnotata included most of southern Ontario and Quebec, as well as the southern prairies from Brandon to the mountains, and southern British Columbia. In eastern Canada work in insect collections has documented the shrinkage of geographic range. The most recent record from Ontario is in the early 1980s. In southern Quebec a small population at Mont St-Hilaire found in 2006 is the only record since 1980 (McCorquodale et al. 2011). In southern BC there are no records since 2000. In Alberta populations persist, apparently at lower levels than in the 1980s (Acorn 2007). This species has disappeared from much of the eastern United States as well (Wheeler and Hoebeke 1995; Harmon et al. 2007). Competition with newly arrived non-native lady beetles is often assumed to be the proximate factor for the declines. However data are limited to support this. Changes in land use, especially characteristics of fence rows, pesticide use and disease are other possible factors in the decline.
i. Taxonomic level: high – species.
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: moderate - high – about 20% (but recent declines in US may make this figure much higher).
iii. Existing global conservation status: high – Natureserve S2 for eastern provinces, S3 for western.
iv. Canadian population size and trends: high – Decline (>90%) over three decades in east and BC based on survey of collections.
v. Threats: high – Competition with non-native lady beetles, diseases from non-native lady beetles, land use changes, pesticides.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: high – AO = approx. 4 km2 in eastern Canada, unknown in Alberta and prairies, possibly gone in BC.
vii. Limiting biological factors: moderate – the reasons for the widespread and substantial decline are unknown.
References:
Acorn, J. 2007. Ladybugs of Alberta, finding and connecting the dots. The University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, Alberta. 169 pp.
Harmon, J.P., Stephens, E. and Losey, J. 2007. The decline of native coccinellids (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in the United States and Canada. Journal of Insect Conservation 11: 85-94.
Losey, J.E., Perlman, J.E. and Hoebeke, E.R. 2007. Citizen scientist rediscovers rare nine-spotted lady beetle, Coccinella novemnotata, in eastern North America. Journal of Insect Conservation. 11: 415-417.
McCorquodale, D.B., Giberson, D.J. and Marriott, S.M. 2011. Changes in the status and geographic range of Canadian lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae) and the selection of candidate species for risk assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada – Part 3. Report to COSEWIC Arthropods Species Specialist Committee. 60 pp.
PREPARED BY: David McCorquodale
|
Hemileuca
nuttalli **
Nuttall's Sheep Moth
BC
|
Kingdom: Animalia –Animal, animals, animaux
Phylum: Arthropoda – arthropods, arthropods, Artrópode
Subphylum: Hexapoda - hexapods
Class: Insecta – insects
Subclass: Pterygota – insects, winged insects
Order: Lepidoptera – butterflies and moths
Family: Saturnidae
Subfamily: Hemileucinae
Genus: Hemileuca Walker
Species: nuttalli (Strecker)
Hemileuca nuttalli is a large, colorful, day-flying silkmoth restricted to the low elevation Antelope-brush grassland ecosystems found in the south Okanagan River Valley of British Columbia. Globally, the species ranges through the dry interior of Great Basin and Interior Columbia River drainage in western North America.
There are a small number of records from Osoyoos, Vaseux Lake (3 records: two of these were larvae reared to adults and the only two records at the RBCM), White Lake (Dennis St. John, personal observation) and Oliver (1 record).
The primary larval hostplants are Purshia and Snowberry, although other plants have been documented in southern parts of the species range. The southern Okanogan valley and in particular the native Purshia are under intense pressure from is high value for conversion for wine production as well as for residential development.
i. Taxonomic Level: – species – high
ii. Portion of Global Range in Canada: < 5% - low
iii. Existing global conservation status: – low - IUCN: none, Natureserve, G-rank G5, State/Province – Colorado (S4), Wyoming (SNR), BC (SNR). National Status – US (N5), Canada (NNR)
iv. Canadian population and trends: - high – few records (6 or less) within provincial museums and collections. Collections from Osoyoos, Oliver, White Lake and Vaseaux Lake; inferred long term and continuing loss of habitat in Canada, due to loss of Antelope-brush habitat in the southern Okanagan; Field biologists working in the Okanagan region for many years provide anecdotal evidence and both remark ‘it appears to be much less common than Behr’s Hairstreak’ (Mike Sarrell and Dennis St. John).
v. Threats: – high – continual loss of habitat due to development.
IUCN #1 Residential and commercial development - The primary threat to Nuttall’s Sheep Moth is the cumulative habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation of the Antelope-brush plant community . Approximately 67% of the Antelope-brush / Needle-and-thread grass plant communities have been destroyed by agricultural and urban development since 1800 (Lea, 2008, B. White, pers. comm., 2010);
IUCN # 2 Agriculture and aquaculture - Pesticide drift from adjacent agricultural and viticulture management areas may prove to be detrimental to populations and habitat through direct mortality at localized sites. Depending on the adjacent agricultural crop, the timing, quantity, application and chemical components within a pesticide differ and this information is not available for each site. Herbicide treatments for invasive plants may affect non-target species including Antelope-brush and nectar host plants;
IUCN #6 Human intrusions and disturbance - Recreational activities, such as all-terrain vehicle use, may impact habitat at some sites on both private and crown land;
IUCN #7 Natural system modifications - Alteration of the natural fire regime by wildfire protection and suppression programs appears to have increased fire intensity and severity throughout the Okanagan valley. Wildfires were likely once more common throughout Antelope-brush habitats (Young and Clements, 2002). Fire suppression ultimately leads to large stand-replacing fires rather than small less intense surface and patchy fires that otherwise leave Antelope-brush plant community patches intact. During 2005 there were extensive fires within the Okanagan valley, and Antelope-brush habitats were significantly impacted from these fires (O. Dyer, pers. comm., 2009). Alternately, fire can also enhance the germination of Antelope-brush seeds in rodent caches, and in some areas, induce sprouting (Blaisdell and Mueggler, 1956; Driver et al., 1980; Young and Clements, 2002). It is unknown if fire induces re-sprouting in Antelope-brush in the south Okanagan. Changes to fire regimes and the introduction of invasive plant species may also have modified the structure and composition of Antelope-brush plant communities. Tree encroachment, in the absence of frequent fire, has likely reduced the size and extent of Antelope-brush plants at some sites, due to shading and competition (S. Desjardins, pers. comm., 2009; D. St. John, pers. comm., 2009; O. Dyer, pers. comm., 2009). Grazing likely impacts Antelope-brush at some sites, either through direct grazing and/or compaction of soil thus limiting future establishment of the host plant(s);
IUCN #8 Invasive and other problematic species and genes - Many introduced plants occur throughout Antelope-brush ecosystems. Some plants appear to have little impact to the ecosystems, while others including Cheatgrass, Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta), Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea diffusa), and Dalmatian Toadflax (Linaria genistifolia ssp. dalmatica) have significant adverse impacts (South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program, 2009). For example, Sulphur Cinquefoil can form monospecific stands and may eventually out-compete Behr’s Hairstreak nectar host plants and prevent re-establishment of Antelope-brush plants after wildfires. Numerous invertebrate predators have been introduced to B.C. as biological control agents (targeting invasive plant species) and have unknown impacts to native lepidoptera populations. For example, parasitic tachinid flies (Family Tachinidae) have been introduced as a biological control agent for the European Gypsy Moth. These flies are known to have a detrimental effect on all Lepidoptera. Currently, these flies have only been introduced to the eastern United States and Canada. There is a possibility these species could be introduced to western North America through natural dispersal mechanisms or intentionally for biological control;
IUCN #11 Climate change and severe weather - Climate change is a potential but poorly understood threat to Behr’s Hairstreak in the south Okanagan, primarily due to the impacts such change could bring to the ecosystem. Climate change may increase summer drought in southern B.C., potentially resulting in premature senescence of larval and nectar host plants, or may change rain patterns during the larval period, potentially reducing juvenile survival. Additional research is required. Alternatively, the climate envelope suitable for Antelope-brush growth could potentially increase as a result of climate change. Wilson and Hebda (2008) state Behr’s Hairstreak [climate] impact model shows the occurrence of suitable climate for grassland in northwest B.C. just south of the Yukon border by 2080. However, current rates of habitat loss and fragmentation within the known range, combined with the natural dispersal capabilities of both Antelope-brush seeds (R. Hebda, pers. comm., 2008 to O. Dyer, pers. comm., 2008) and Behr’s Hairstreak adults, are likely to prevent natural expansion.
vi. Small extent of occurrence and area of occupancy: – high (area can be determined from other listed species occurring in the same habitats i.e. Behr’s Hairstreak - approximate range extent, including Osoyoos, White Lake, Vaseux Lake and Oliver, is < 250km2).
vii. Limiting biological factors: – moderate to high - depends on Antelope-brush (Purshia tridentata) in the Okanagan. In the United States, it is also known to use Snowberry (Symphoricarpos) as a host plant (Tuskes, 1984).
References:
St. John, Dennis. 2010 (unpublished report). An inventory strategy for Nuttall’s Buckmoth (Hemileuca nuttalli nuttalli (Strecker, 1875)) with commentary on Common Sheep Moth (Hemileuca eglanterina (Boisduval, 1852)) and Sagebrush Sheep Moth (Hemileuca hera hera (Harris, 1841)). B.C. Ministry of Environment, Penticton Office, Penticton, B.C.
Tuskes, P.M. 1984. The biology and distribution of California Hemileucinae (Saturniidae). J. Lepid. Soc. 38:281-309.
Tuskes, J., Tuttle, J. and Collins, M. 1996. The Wild Silk Moths of North America: A Natural History of the Saturnidae of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press. 264. pp.
Personal Communications: Sarrell, Mike. Entomologist, Osoyoos, B.C., St. John, Dennis. Entomologist, Okanagan Falls, B.C.
PREPARED BY: Gary Anweiler, June 2010; Updated by Jenny Heron, July 2011
|
Coreorgonal
petulcus **
Erigonine dwarf spider
BC
|
The erigonine linyphiid genus Coreorgonal Bishop & Crosby is endemic to the Pacific Northwest. Two of the three described species are very rare with globally restricted ranges. One of these, C. petulcus (Millidge), is endemic to a small area of the Georgia Basin of British Columbia and Washington with only one population in Canada at the extreme southern end of Vancouver Island. Extensive hand collecting and more than 50 000 days of pitfall trapping throughout southern Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland of British Columbia have demonstrated that the relatively widespread species C. monoceros (Keyserling) is common in the Georgia Basiin but C. petulcus is found only in an old coastal Douglas-fir forest site on Department of National Defence property at Rocky Point (Metchosin) and, possibly, in similar habitat at adjacent Pearson College property. These forests are at risk to destruction by fire – the habitat is very dry and loaded with a large amount and variety of woody fuel. The habitats are undergoing significant change resulting from understory ingrowth of native species as well as large and expanding populations of invasive plant species such as gorse, English ivy, and Scotch broom. The Rocky Point property is highly valuable and, although not currently for sale, was considered by the federal government in recent years for disposal for residential/commercial development. Coreorgonal petulcus is nationally ranked N1N2 in NatureServe Canada’s (2010) draft provincial/national conservation rankings of all spider species found in Canada. The existence of only one Canadian population of this species at a single vulnerable location makes it an apparently excellent species for consideration by COSEWIC.
i. Taxonomic level: high – species.
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: high – ~10% of very small global range (Georgia Basin endemic).
iii. Existing global conservation status: high – Not ranked globally; NatureServe draft N-RANK – N1N2 (between critically imperiled and imperiled).
iv. Canadian population size and trends: high – one population, trend unknown.
v. Threats: high – Single location at risk to complete destruction from single catastrophic event (e.g., forest fire). Detrimental habitat change due to forest ingrowth and invasion of alien plant species is ongoing. DND properties are occasionally subject to disposal for for residential/commercial development.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: high – single Canadian population – EO and AO less than 2 km2 .
vii. Limiting biological factors: moderate – may be restricted to old, undisturbed forests.
References:
Bennett, R.G., Blades, D., Dondale, C.D., Buckle, D.J., and West, R.C.. 2010. The spiders of British Columbia [online database]. in: Klinkenberg, Brian (Editor). E-Fauna BC: electronic atlas of the fauna of British Columbia. Available online at http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/spiders.html. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
Crawford, R.L. 1988. An annotated checklist of the spiders of Washington. Burke Museum Contributions, 5: 1-48.
Metchosin Biodiversity Project. 2011. Metchosin Bioblitz 2011 results. Available online at http://metchosinbiodiversity.com.
Millidge, A.F. 1981. The erigonine spiders of North America. Part 3. The genus Scotinotylus Simon (Araneae: Linyphiidae). Journal of Arachnology 9: 167-213.
PREPARED BY: Robb Bennett 8/7/2011 (revised 24/2/2012)
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Argia
vivida *
Vivid Dancer
BC, AB
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NOTE: Argia vivida was originally submitted as a candidate species in a detailed 2009 report by Dwayne Lepitzki (Mollusc Subcommittee). His submission stressed the characteristics of the population at Banff, Alberta. At the Arthropod Subcommittee meeting in 2009, Rob Cannings noted that considerable recent distributional data from BC was not included in this work. He was asked to update the Lepitzki submission and report to the Subcommittee’s 2010 meeting. The present document modifies the Lepitzki submission to add additional BC data and analysis.
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Argia vivida Hagen (Vivid Dancer) is a damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae associated with cool, warm or hot springs in southern British Columbia and adjacent Alberta from Meager Creek in the Coast Range east to the Rocky Mountains at Banff (Cannings et al. 2000, Cannings 2002, Acorn 2004). The association with small springs is so strong that Williamson (1932, in Walker 1953) stated “So dependant is it on springs that its presence anywhere can be taken as positive proof of adjacent spring water.” Argia vivida, living in restricted habitats threatened by human-caused development, are more likely to be at-risk than other odonates in BC and Alberta, even if more populations are discovered (Cannings et al. 2000). The species may have been more widespread during the hypsithermal period but has subsequently been restricted to warm sites (Pritchard 1989 in Cannings et al. 2000).
Global Distribution
Southern BC and the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, south through the western United States to Baja California. Also recorded from South Dakota and Iowa. (Westfall and May 1996).
Canadian Distribution
Before the 1970s, A. vivida was recorded only in the springs at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site (C&BNHS) within Banff National Park (BNP), Alberta (the most northerly Canadian population) and three locations in the Kootenay region of BC (Cannings and Stuart 1977). Further surveys (Cannings et al. 2000, Cannings et al. 1998, Salter 2003) discovered it in other parts of the southern interior of BC as well as adding more Kootenay localities. Nevertheless, because of the large number of hot springs in the Kootenays, the bulk of the province’s population perhaps lives there. As of 2010, the species is recorded in 15 localities in the Kootenays, 8 in the South Okanagan, 4 in the Fraser Canyon (pers. comm. D. Knopp 2007, sight and photo records) and 2 in the eastern Coast Range near Pemberton.
According to Acorn (2004), in Alberta the species is known only from the Cave and Basin springs at Banff. However, the species also breeds in the warm and cool springs in the Middle Springs Wildlife Corridor and Middle Springs bog in BNP (Rice 2002; Hornung and Pacas 2006). An additional new distribution record, a cool spring approximately 6 km north-northwest (bearing 342o) of the C&BNHS, was discovered in September 2002 (Lepitzki et al. unpubl. data, mentioned in Rice 2002) and appears to support a separate, reproducing population.
Each of the populations in BC and Alberta probably represent single locations. Further, given little chance of genetic exchange among populations, there may be separate designatable units. Using COSEWIC National Ecological Areas, all Canadian populations would be contained in the Southern Mountain Ecological Area. However, using the COSEWIC National Freshwater Biogeographic Zones, the total Canadian population is found in two Biogeographic Zones: Pacific and Saskatchewan-Nelson. Similarly, using the COSEWIC Terrestrial Amphibian, Reptile, and Mollusc Faunal Provinces, the total Canadian population is found in two faunal provinces: Intermountain and Rocky Mountain. The ecozone concept of the National Ecological Framework for Canada (Marshall and Schut 1999) places all records in the Montane Cordillera Ecozone (see also Cannings and Cannings 1998).
Biological information
The larvae of A. vivida develop in small spring-fed streams and pools and the adults apparently do not move far from water. The adults fly low and perch frequently on the ground. Conrad and Pritchard (1990), Pritchard (1982, 1989, 1991) and Pritchard and Pelchat (1977) documented the development and behaviour of A. vivida in hot springs at Banff, Alberta and Albert Canyon and Halcyon Hotsprings, BC.
Mark-recapture population estimates were obtained for two populations in BNP in 2003 (average populations of 1204 and 511 were estimated) with two individuals moving between Middle Springs and the C&BNHS, approximately 1 km apart (Hornung and Pacas 2006). Hornung and Pacas (2006) found significantly higher A. vivida larvae numbers in the Middle Springs (no exotic fish) than at the C&BNHS (exotic fish present). They suggested that not only were safeguarding the hydrologic variation of thermal springs and allowing water to flow and pool downstream important in the species’ conservation but that condition of habitat in-between the springs also must be addressed (Hornung and Pacas 2006). Ham and Kortello (2005) also used mark-recapture techniques on A. vivida in the Middle and C&BNHS springs in 2004 to examine the effects of forest thinning that had occurred just outside the boundaries of the Town of Banff between the Middle Springs and C&BNHS. Their population estimates for A. vivida ranged from 1936 to 18,780 and they too had two damselflies disperse between the Middle and C&BNHS springs. Ham and Kortello (2005) concluded that the forest thinning did not appear to impede movement of A. vivida but that careful planning of future thinning and treatment of woody debris was required to preserve habitat quality of A. vivida in Banff. A follow-up study in 2008 (Kortello and Ham in review) using point count techniques in cleared, thinned, and intact forested areas between Middle and C&BNHS springs recommended that a mosaic of small cleared areas be interspersed with intact forest for fuel reduction treatments near A. vivida breeding habitat.
Conservation
In BC Argia vivida is red-listed with a rank of S2; its global rank is G5 (BC Conservation Data Centre). In Alberta the NHIC rank is S1, Secure (Rice 2000).
According to Rice (2001), the species is only locally abundant and suggests that Alberta “is responsible for the welfare of the majority of A. vivida found in Canada”. Given that there are ten times as many known localities for the species in BC (30: 3), spread over thousands of square kilometres, this may be an exaggeration. The Alberta localities are, however, all protected in a National Park and the estimated populations are much larger than those estimated in BC. Rice (2001) also notes that “there appears to be minimal immediate threat to A. vivida populations within Alberta as critical breeding habitat is completely contained within Banff National Park.” Later she and the Aquatic Specialist for BNP concluded while A. vivida populations in Alberta are entirely contained within BNP, they are not immune to threats of habitat destruction from water diversion and urban development (Hornung and Pacas 2006). Certainly many of the BC populations are threatened.
Cannings (2002) suggests small populations may be vulnerable to disturbance of their small, scattered habitats as larvae live in pools and outflow streams of thermal springs. In the Okanagan Valley, spring-fed streamlets are often polluted and trampled by livestock. Hot springs, where most populations live, are almost always developed by people (Cannings 2002). Both direct and indirect development (outflow stream diversion) makes hot spring populations vulnerable although there does appear to be room for some development if sources of springs and sections of free-running outflow streams are maintained (Cannings et al. 2000). For example, at Fairmont Hot Springs there is a recreational development, but at the source of the springs, mossy pools and free-running streams have been retained and A. vivida still breeds there in numbers. The outflow at Albert Canyon has also been diverted, but where the stream is still flowing in mossy areas, damselflies are present.
Cannings et al. (2000) conclude that vegetation and especially water flow must not be significantly disturbed at any spring inhabited by A. vivida. The species must have occurred at Radium Hot Springs before that large spring was developed, but a cursory examination of the site indicates no natural outflow and no Argia apparently living there now (R. Cannings, pers. obs.). Sue Salter (2003) discovered that one of the two Argia sites at Pebble Creek Hot Springs near Pemberton was diverted by bathers, radically changing the water temperature. Argia larvae disappeared from the site; counts of 15-20 individuals in 2000 and 2001 dropped to zero in 2002. In all localities habitat is extremely limited and mostly unprotected and in the absence of protection plans, activities such as logging, dumping, road expansion, and increased parking, have continually reduced the area available to damselflies (P. Catling, pers. obs.).
Even in provincial protected areas there is damage by bathers because BC Parks has insufficient budget to control access or manage the springs to maintain conservation values. Resource managers have had to make difficult decisions to either ignore the habitat degradation by human bathers or to modify the springs to the extent that the natural habitat for invertebrates is obliterated. In the East Kootenays, Ram Creek Hot Springs Ecological Reserve is an example of the former. Lussier Hot Springs in Whiteswan Provincial Park is an example of the latter (Salter 2003). No Argia have ever been recorded at Lussier.
Acorn (2004) provides an interesting perspective from Dr. Gordon Pritchard, who worked on the population at the C&BNHS prior to and during activities that “tore up the springs to make a new boardwalk”. The recently approved management plan for the C&BNHS provides Parks Canada direction to substantially redevelop and increase visitation to the C&BNHS by 5% over the next three years from the current >100,000 visitors per year (Parks Canada 2007). However, one of the actions is to protect other rare species and inhabitants including damselflies. Other COSEWIC assessed species (COSEWIC 2008) at the C&BNHS include the extinct Banff Longnose Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae smithi) (a fish) and the endangered Banff Springs Snail (Physella johnsoni).
STATUS SUMMARY
i. Taxonomic level: Species. High.
ii. Portion of global range in Canada: Less than 10%. But distribution fragmented; most populations predictably small and isolated from each other. Low?
iii. Existing global conservation status: NatureServe G-rank is G5. Low.
iv. Canadian population size and trends: BC rank S2, Alberta rank S1. Population size unknown but relatively small for a species of Canadian Odonata. Alberta populations at several separate sites within the C&BNHS and Middle Springs estimated between 231 and 2408 adults by Hornung and Rice (2006) and from 1936 to 18,780 adults by Ham and Kortello (2005). Thirty known BC populations probably much smaller. In a survey of the South Okanagan in 1997, Cannings et al. (1998) observed fewer than ten adults at any locality. Salter (2003) recorded larvae at several springs. For example, at Ram Creek Hot Springs she recorded 15 to 26 individuals (means of 3 replicates at each of three sites) in November 2000.
Several heavily developed hot springs (eg Radium, Lussier), where A. vivida almost certainly once occurred, now have no populations. These represent probable declines. Some of these springs are even in officially protected areas but human interference has not been prevented. Direct declines have been recorded at Pebble Creek Hot Springs, BC, where an entire site has been destroyed (Salter 2003). Declines have occurred through habitat destruction over more than a century. Overall, however, the declines are probably less than 50% -- High.
v. Threats: Threats are documented and real, resulting in observed negative impacts. Habitats are restricted and fragile and are the constant focus of human disruption and destruction. Hot springs are damaged, diverted and otherwise permanently altered by bathers. Cool springs and streams (eg, Kearns Creek, Okanagan Falls) are trampled and polluted by cattle. Both are threatened by logging, forestry thinning, road building and the introduction of alien species -- High
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy:
Large extent of occurrence (approximately 127,000 km2) but highly fragmented into often very small populations. Small area of occupancy (approximately 33 km2 or, based on 2x2 km grids, 132 km2) -- High
Limiting Biological Factors: Total dependence on naturally fragmented, scattered, and small thermal spring habitats; species has both aquatic and aerial life stages -- High
LEPITZKI ANALYSIS 2009
i. Taxonomic level: Species, may be at least two separate DUs - high
ii. Portion of Global Range in Canada: <10% global distribution in Canada (estimated from map in Acorn 2004, to be confirmed) – low
iii. Existing conservation status (to be confirmed / updated) -- high
BC CDC – S2, Red List (Cannings et al. 2000)
AB NHIC – S1, Secure (Rice 2001).
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Unknown but expected to fluctuate as do most insects. Alberta populations at separate sites within the C&BNHS and Middle Springs estimated to range between 231 and 2408 (Hornung and Rice 2006) and from 1936 to 18,780 (Ham and Kortello 2005) adults. BC populations probably much smaller and decline inferred by decline of habitat, some springs now being without a population -- high
v. Threats: Human-use and development of thermal springs; even habitat in Banff National Park may not be secure from human-caused habitat disturbance, forestry thinning activities,
waterflow diversions, and effects of exotic species introductions – high
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: Small AO expected -- high
vii. Limiting Biological Factors: Total dependence on naturally fragmented, scattered, and small thermal spring habitats; species has both aquatic and aerial life stages -- high
References
Acorn, J. 2004. Damselflies of Alberta: flying neon toothpicks in the grass. University of Alberta Press, Edmonton. xi + 156 pp.
Cannings, R.A. 2002. Introducing the dragonflies of British Columbia and the Yukon. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria. 96 pp.
Cannings, R.A. and S.G. Cannings 1998. Odonata (Damselflies and Dragonflies) in G.G.E. Scudder and I.M. Smith, (eds.). Assessment of species diversity in the Montane Cordillera Ecozone. Burlington: Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network, 1999. Available at: http://www.cciw.ca/eman-temp/reports/publications/99_montane/odonata/intro.html.
Cannings, R.A., S.G. Cannings and L. Ramsay. 2000. The dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) of the Columbia Basin, British Columbia: Field surveys, collections development and public education. Living Landscapes. Royal BC Museum Columbia Basin projects. Available at: http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
Cannings, R.A. and K.M. Stuart. 1977. The dragonflies of British Columbia. Handbook 35, BC Provincial Museum, Victoria. 254 pp.
Cannings, R.J., D. St. John and G. Hutchings. 1998. A survey of rare dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) in the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys. BC Conservation Data Centre, BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria. 22pp.
Conrad, K.F. and G. Pritchard. 1990. Pre-oviposition mate guarding and mating behaviour of Argia vivida (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Ecological Entomology 15: 363-370.
COSEWIC. 2008. Canadian wildlife species at risk. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. December. 87 pp. Available at: http://cosewic.gc.ca.
Ham, S. and A. Kortello. 2005. Dispersal movements and corridor habitat for Argia vivida in Banff. Report submitted to Ian Pengelly, Fire and Vegetation Specialist, Parks Canada. 11 pp.
Hornung, C.L.R. and C. Pacas. 2006. Investigating damselfly populations at springs in Banff National Park, Canada with special focus on Argia vivida, Amphiagrion abbreviatum, and Ischnura cervula (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Aquatic Ecology 40(1): 49-58.
Kortello, A. and S. Ham. In review. Movement and habitat selection by Argia vivida (Hagen) (Odonata, Coenagrionidae) in fuel-modified forest. Journal of Insect Conservation.
Lepitzki, D.A.W., B.M. Lepitzki, M. McIvor and D. McIvor. Unpubl. Data. Range extension of the Vivid Dancer Damselfly (Argia vivida) in Banff National Park, Alberta.
Marshall, I.B. and P.H. Schut. 1999. National Ecological Framework for Canada. Available at http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/nsdb/ecostrat/intro.html.
Parks Canada. 2007. Cave and Basin National Historic Site of Canada management plan. Pp. 58-65 in Parks Canada. Mountain Parks National Historic Site Management Plans. 82 pp. Available at http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ab/caveandbasin/plan/index_e.asp.
Pritchard, G. 1982. Life-history strategies in dragonflies and the colonization of North America by the genus Argia (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Advances in Odonatology 1: 227-242.
Pritchard, G. 1989. The roles of temperature and diapause in the life history of a temperate-zone dragonfly: Argia vivida (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Ecological Entomology 14: 99-108.
Pritchard, G. 1991. Insects in thermal springs. Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada 155: 89-106.
Pritchard, G. and B. Pelchat 1977. Larval growth and development of Argia vivida (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) in warm sulphur pools at Banff, Alberta. The Canadian Entomologist 109: 1563-1570.
Rice, C. 2001. Dragonflies and damselflies, 2000 preliminary status ranks for Alberta. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Edmonton. 78 pp.
Rice, C. 2002. Odonates (dragonflies & damselflies) and other aquatic macroinvertebrates inhabiting thermal and cool springs in Banff National Park. Report prepared for Charlie Pacas, Aquatic Specialist, Banff, National Park. 28 pp.
Salter, S.P. 2003. Invertebrates of selected thermal springs of British Columbia. Report to the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, Victoria. 90 pp.
Walker, E.M. 1953. The Odonata of Canada and Alaska. Volume 1. University of Toronto Press, Toronto. 292 pp.
Westfall, M.J., Jr. and M.L. May. 1996. Damselflies of North America. Scientific Publishers, Gainesville. 649 pp.
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Hexura
picea *
[A Midget Funnel-web Tarantula]
BC
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Hexura picea Simon (Araneae: Mecicobothriidae) is a small, litter-inhabiting “tarantuloid” (mygalomorph) spider restricted to areas of old forest on or near the coast in the Pacific Northwest (sw BC, w WA, w OR). Specimens use their extraordinarily elongated spinnerets to fashion tangled sheet-and-tube webs in litter and moss at the base of old conifers, especially Sitka spruce, and under debris around them. In Canada, the species was discovered less than 30 years ago; it is represented by a disjunct population found only in remnant old-growth rainforest of the central west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia enclosing the small area between Bamfield and Port Renfrew. There, specimens occur in relatively small numbers at the five known collection sites and only a few dozen museum specimens exist. However, an accurate population census has not been done, in part because of the relative inaccessibility of much of its range. About 50% of the Canadian range is protected; logging of remnant old forest is ongoing in the remainder of the Canadian range of Hexura picea.
i. Taxonomic level – species –high
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada - 100% (Vancouver Island population is strongly disjunct from other Pacific Northwest populations) - high
iii. Existing global conservation status – Nationally ranked as “3” (“sensitive”) by NatureServe. Currently ranked by NatureServe as a “Priority 2” species in first efforts at G-ranking of Canadian spider species. - moderate
iv. Canadian population size and trends – No reliable estimate but population size is probably very small -- population restricted to small area of central west coast of Vancouver Island (< 1000 km²) and individuals are never abundant at any of the known sites. No data on trends but decline of approximately 50-70% is inferred due to heavy logging pressure within approximately 50% of the population’s known range. - moderate
v. Threats – Only found in patches of coastal old-growth rainforest, especially Sitka spruce. Approximately 50% of the range is protected but heavy logging pressure affects the population in the remaining unprotected 50% of range. - high
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy – A targeted survey for this spider has not been conducted. Population is likely fragmented. Five collection sites are known – Bamfield, Cheewat Beach, Carmanah Valley, Walbran Valley, and Harris Creek. The first four sites are joined by a largely contiguous narrow coastal band of suitable habitat; the Harris Creek site is likely disjunct from the others. Extent of occurrence is < 1000 km²; current known area of occupancy is probably < 150 km². The Vancouver Island population is disjunct from the United States populations and therefore there is no possibility of rescue – high (?)
vii. Limiting biological factors – This species is not known to disperse by “ballooning” and probably does not easily colonize areas of suitable but unoccupied habitat (no specimens yet found in areas of suitable habitat to immediate northwest and southeast of known range). Spider is restricted to forest floor in old-growth coastal rainforest. – high
References:
Coyle, F.A. 2005. Mecicobothriidae. p.50-51 in D. Ubick, P. Paquin, P.E. Cushing, and V. Roth (eds.) Spiders of North America: an identification manual. American Arachnological Society.
Gertsch, W.J. and Platnick, N.I. 1979. A revision of the spider family Mecicobothriidae (Araneae: Mygalomorphae). American Museum Novitates, No. 2704: 1-39.
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Lasioglossum
Dialictus *
Sable Island Sweat Bee
NS
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Type locality: Sable Island, N43.9319 W059.9985
This is one of only four bee species known to occur on Sable Island, and is the only endemic bee. The species has only recently been described as part of a large-scale taxonomic revision of Lasioglossum (Dialictus) in Canada (Gibbs, 2010). Both sexes are clearly distinct from congenerics. Specimens collected in 2008 have been found to be genetically distinct from related Lasioglossum using DNA barcodes (J. Gibbs unpublished data).
Examination of thousands of Dialictus from mainland Nova Scotia, and other coastal areas of eastern North America, has not revealed any specimens of L. sablense. Only 12 specimens have been found from Sable Island and are currently housed at the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids, and Nematodes and the Packer Collection at York University.
As an endemic of Sable Island this species has one of the most restricted ranges of any bee in North America. It is also one of only a few, and possibly the only authentically endemic bee species in Canada.
i. Taxonomic level –species - high
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada – 100% (Sable Island endemic) – high
iii. Existing global conservation status – None (but endemic to a protected area). - high
iv. Canadian population size and trends – Unknown, presumably small due to restricted range. - moderate
v. Threats –Erosion and habitat loss due to climate change, increased storm damage and sea level rise. Possible competition for food from introduced megachilids– high
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy – Sable Island (EO 90 km2, IAO, 80km2, actual area of vegetated habitat on island ~10km 2 - high
vii. Limiting biological factors – Bees are haplodiploid with a sex determination mechanism that results in the increased production of sterile males in small populations. Most species of Lasioglossum (Dialictus) form primitively eusocial colonies with non-reproductive workers which have smaller effective population sizes than simple surveys of adults might suggest. This species is dependent on floral resources (pollen, nectar) for food and presumably nests in sandy soil. Potentially at threat from introduced species - high
Reference:
Gibbs, J., 2010. Revision of the metallic Lasioglossum (Dialictus) of Canada (Hymenoptera, Halictidae, Halictini). Zootaxa, 578 pp.
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Trimerotropis
huroniana **
Lake Huron Grasshopper
ON
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Kingdom: Animalia -- Animal, animals, animaux
Phylum: Arthropoda -- arthropodes, arthropods, Artrópode
Subphylum: Hexapoda -- hexapods
Class: Insecta -- hexapoda, insectes, insects, inseto
Subclass: Pterygota -- insects ailés, winged insects
Infraclass: Neoptera -- modern, wing-folding insects
Order: Orthoptera -- crickets, criquet-locustes, gafanhoto, grasshoppers, grilo, katydids,
locustes, locusts, sauterelles
Suborder: Caelifera
Infraorder: Acrididea
Superfamily: Acridoidea MacLeay, 1819
Family: Acrididae MacLeay, 1819 -- grasshoppers, short-horned grasshoppers
Subfamily: Oedipodinae
Genus: Trimerotropis Stål, 1873
Species: Trimerotropis huroniana E. M. Walker, 1902
Trimerotropis huroniana is a Great Lakes endemic (only occurs in Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario). It also has a narrow ecological tolerance being restricted to sparsely vegetated, high quality, undisturbed dunes of Great Lakes shores. The habitat, and therefore the grasshopper, is threatened by home and cottage development, recreational activities, increasing erosion of the sandy shores, and conversion of open sand by invasive European Common Reed. The apparently limited tolerance of the species to habitat change, results in the loss of local populations when habitat is degraded, not just a reduction in population numbers.
i. Taxonomic level: high - Species.
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: moderate ~10-25% global range.
The Lake Huron Grasshopper is a regional endemic species that is known only from Great Lakes sand dunes in northeastern Wisconsin, the eastern Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, and on the central Lake Huron shoreline of Ontario. In Ontario it is currently only known from a single site (Carter Bay, Manitoulin Island). Three other historical sites exist (Giant’s Tomb Island and Wasaga Beach, Georgian Bay and Southampton, Lake Huron) but there are no recent records despite searches.
iii. Existing global conservation status: high - Global Rank: G2G3, National Rank (US): N2N3, National Rank (Canada): NH (but should be S1), Subnational Rank (Ontario): S1.
iv. Canadian population size and trends: high - No information on population size is available. Trends – long-term trend is declining based upon the species apparently no longer occurring at three former sites.
v. Threats: high - The habitat, and therefore the grasshopper, is threatened by home and cottage development, recreational activities, increasing erosion of the sandy shores, and conversion of open sand by invasive European Common Reed.
vi. Small extent of occurrence (EO) or area of occupancy (AO): high - In Ontario, currently only known to be extant at a single site on Manitoulin Island.
vii. Limiting biological factors: moderate - It also has a narrow ecological tolerance being restricted to sparsely vegetated, high quality, undisturbed shoreline dunes where it may be displaced as a result of increases in native species.
References:
NatureServe. 2011. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: July 25, 2011 ).
Rabe, M.L. 1999. Special Animal Abstract for Trimerotropis huroniana (Lake Huron locust). Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Lansing, MI 3pp. Online. Available: http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/abstracts/zoology/Trimerotropis_huroniana.pdf
Sjogren, M. 2001. Conservation assessment for Lake Huron Locust (Trimerotropis huroniana). USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region. 12 pp. Online. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/wildlife/tes/ca-overview/docs/insect_Trimerotropis_huroniana-LakeHuronLocust.pdf
PREPARED BY: Colin Jones
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Bombus
terricola *
Yellow-banded Bumble Bee
BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
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This species is closely-related to the endangered species B. affinis (COSEWIC 2010), the critically endangered species B. franklini (Kevan 2008) and the declining species B. occidentalis (Colla & Ratti 2010). There has been some controversy as to whether or not B.terricola should be considered conspecific with B. occidentalis. Recent morphological and molecular work has shown these two species are distinct (Dramova,O. Honours Thesis, York University).
Until recently, B.terricola was commonly found throughout its large range (Evans et al. 2008). In the past decade it seems to have disappeared from much of its US range despite intensive searches in NY, VT, IL, WI, ME (Evans et al. 2008). In a recent study considering its eastern US range, B. terricola was found to have decreased significantly in relative abundance and range extent (Cameron et al. 2011). At the southern-most part of its range (Smoky mountains National Park), it has not been seen since 1989. Isolated populations have been recently found in the northeastern part of its range. In Canada, B.terricola has declined to low numbers in southern Ontario despite being previously one of the most common species (Colla and Dumesh 2010; P. Williams pers.comm.). In Guelph and Belwood, Ontario, the species declined in relative abundance from 3% of bumble bees collected to 0.008% since the 1970’s (Colla & Packer 2008). Isolated populations have recently been found in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and parts of Ontario (S. Colla, in prep; C. Sheffield pers. comm; S.Marshall pers. comm.).
i. Taxonomic level –species - high
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada – Approx. 70%. Occurs from the Maritimes to British Columbia, and south into the US along mountain ranges. – high
iii. Existing global conservation status –Xerces Society Red-list Imperiled – high
iv. Canadian population size and trends –Declining at the regional-level - moderate
v. Threats – Habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, introduced disease from managed bumble bees – high
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy – Large range – low
vii. Limiting biological factors – Members of this subgenus seem to be especially vulnerable to threats, for reasons that are currently unknown. This species may require good quality wooded habitat near suitable forage space and may be restricted by its climate tolerances. - moderate-high
References:
Cameron, S., J.D. Lozier, J.P. Strange, J.B. Koch, N. Cordes, L.F. Solter & T.L. Griswold. 2011. Patterns of widespread decline in North American
bumble bees. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108: 662-667.
Colla SR & L Packer. 2008. Evidence for the decline of eastern North American bumble bees, with special focus on Bombus affinis Cresson. Biodiversity and Conservation. 17: 1379-1391.
Colla, S.R. & C.M. Ratti 2010. Evidence for the decline of the Western Bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis Greene) in British Columbia. Pan-Pacific Entomologist. 86:32-34
Colla, S.R. & S. Dumesh. 2010. Natural history notes for the bumble bees of southern Ontario. JESO 141: 38-67.
COSEWIC 2010. Status report and assessment for the Rusty-patched Bumble bee, Bombus affinis
Evans et al. 2008, Status review of three formerly common species of bumble bee in the subgenus Bombus. Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation [Online] http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/xerces_2008_bombus_status_review.pdf
Kevan, P.G. 2008. Bombus franklini. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. [Online] www.iucnredlist.org [Accessed] 10 June 2010.
|
Birds |
Cypseloides
niger *
Black Swift
BC, AB
|
i. Taxonomic level: Species/subspecies – single DU in Canada
ii. Portion of global range in Canada: About 21% of the global breeding range of the entire species is in Canada and about 29% of the global breeding population. The remainder are scattered in the western US and south through Mexico to Costa Rica.
iii. Existing global conservation status: The NatureServe rank is G4 (Apparently Secure); the IUCN rank is Least Concern. National General Status rankings are 4 (Secure) for Canada, 4 for BC, and 5 (undetermined) for AB. Provincial rankings are S4 (Apparently Secure) in BC, and S1 (Critically Imperilled) in AB. It is ranked as Critically Imperilled to Vulnerable (S1 to S3) in adjacent states.
iv. Canadian population size and trends: A crude population estimate suggests that 70,000 birds breed in Canada. The great majority of these birds reside in BC; much fewer occur in western AB. This is a difficult species to monitor, because of its remote nesting habitat. Declines have been occurring in Canada since at least the mid 1970s. Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) results show a statistically-significant decline of 88% for this species between 1973 and 2009 (average of -5.5% per year). In the most recent 10-year period, the decline is estimated at 81% (-15.5% per year), but this is not statistically significant. Declines appear to be stronger in Canada than in the US, but the species is very poorly monitored by BBS in the US.
v. Threats: Causes of decline are poorly known, but this species shares declines with many other species of aerial insectivores. The entire guild may be threatened by changes in abundance and/or seasonal availability of flying insects. Climate change (drying of ephemeral waterfalls) has been proposed as an additional threat for this species.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: The extent of occurrence likely exceeds COSEWIC criteria thresholds. The area of occupancy in Canada is not presently known, but is expected to be small based on the species’ highly specialized and local habitat requirements. The wintering range is largely unknown.
vii. Limiting biological factors: This species has a specialized diet, feeding exclusively on flying insects, especially ants. It also has a highly specialized nesting habitat; requiring sheer cliff faces with waterfalls. It lays only one egg per year and has a long fledging period (>45 d). It is probably long-lived.
|
Coccothraustes
vespertinus **
Evening Grosbeak
YT, NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL
|
i.Taxonomic level: Species - single DU
ii. Portion of global range in Canada: Approximately 57% of global breeding population and 54% of the breeding range is in Canada.
iii. Existing global conservation status: The global rank from NatureServe was G5 (secure; last reviewed 1996) and for the IUCN the last rank was Least Concern. General Status ranks, as of 2010, were 4 (Secure) across much of its Canadian range, with the exception of YT, MB, ON, NB and PE where it is ranked as 3 (Sensitive).
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Population estimate based on an extrapolation from Boreal Avian Modelling density estimates is approximately 14.6 million birds in Canada. Long-term trend data from the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) show a significant decline of 3.4% per year between 1970 and 2009 (95% confidence limits -5.3% to -1.4%). This is equivalent to a loss of 74% of the population over the last 39 years. Short-term trend data show a significant decline of 8.4% per year between 1999 and 2009 (95% confidence limits -14.7% to -1.6%), amounting to a loss of 58% of the population in the last 10 years. The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas indicates a 30% loss of area of occupancy over the last 20 years, whereas preliminary data from the Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas suggest a 59% loss. The Christmas Bird Count reports a 40-yr decline of 74% (1966-2006), whereas Project FeederWatch (1988-2006) shows a 50% decline in frequency of occurrence, and a 27% decline in flock size where the species continues to be seen (Bonter and Harvey 2008).
v. Threats: Not well documented, but could include loss and degradation of breeding or wintering habitat, decline in primary food source(s), especially spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana and C. occidentalis). However, results from correlative studies on the relationship between budworm and Evening Grosbeak abundance are inconsistent (Gillihan and Byers 2001). The species is reported to be more abundant in stands older than rotation age in SK (Cumming and Diamond 2002), but it is also reported to be tolerant to, or even favours forest management at moderate levels of intensity (e.g. thinning; Hagar et al. 1996; Hayes et al. 2003). The species can be a victim of salmonellosis (Daoust et al. 2000).
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: No.
vii. Limiting biological factors: No apparent limitation from nesting microhabitat; reproduction mainly tied to abundant sources of food nearby (Gillihan and Byers 2001).
References:
Bonter, D.N. and Harvey, M.G. 2008. Condor 110: 376-381.
Cumming, E.E. and Diamond, A.W. 2002. Can. Field-Nat. 116: 69-75.
Daoust, P.-Y. et al. 2000. Can. Vet. J. 41: 54-59.
Gillihan, S.W. and Byers, B. 2001. Evening Grosbeak, Coccothraustes vespertinus. The Birds of North America No. 599.
PREPARED BY: Marc-André Villard, February 2011
|
Fishes (freshwater) |
Prosopium
coulterii **
Pygmy Whitefish
YT†, NT, BC, AB†, ON†
|
i. Taxonomic Level – Species: The Pygmy Whitefish, Prosopium coulterii, has a disjunct Canadian distribution, with populations found in five of the National Freshwater Biogeographic Zones (NFBZ; Yukon, Pacific, Western Arctic, Saskatchewan-Nelson, and Great Lakes – upper St, Lawrence River). Fragmented populations are scattered throughout BC in the Columbia, Fraser, and Skeena rivers; in the Peace and Liard systems, and in the upper Yukon and Alsek systems of northern BC and the Yukon. East of the Continental Divide, the species is known from Great Bear Lake (NT), and in low numbers in the Waterton Lakes drainage (AB), upper Athabasca River drainage (AB), and Athabasca Lake (SK). A disjunct population also exists in western Lake Superior and the species has recently been detected in Winnange Lake (N49.77850 W93.69328) in northwestern Ontario. Populations in the western Yukon are part of an evolutionary lineage that is highly distinct from populations in the rest of its range (~3% divergent in mitochondrial DNA and in nuclear DNA sequences – Witt et al. 2011). Its distribution as isolated occurrences in multiple NFBZs, the presence of at least two major evolutionary lineages, and its highly fragmented distribution suggest that this species has multiple DUs, some with very small ranges.
ii. Portion of Global Range in Canada: Over 90% of its global range is in Canada. The species has a limited distribution in American waters of the Columbia system in Washington, Idaho, and Montana and in the Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior.
iii. Existing Global Conservation Status: Considered imperiled in the US Columbia drainage (Washington), vulnerable in Wisconsin, apparently secure in Alaska and Michigan. In eastern Canada, where it is known only from Lake Superior and in a single, small inland lake north of Lake Superior, its status is undetermined. The BC and Yukon populations are considered apparently secure (S4). The Alberta Endangered Species Conservation Committee recently assessed the species’ status as Threatened. In Ontario, the status is undetermined (SU).
iv. Canadian Population Sizes and Trends: With the possible exception of Lake Superior and some British Columbia populations (McPhail 2007), Pygmy Whitefish are not common wherever they occur. They are generally found in areas and habitats that have experienced little human impact, and populations in these areas are likely stable. They do not appear to thrive in areas where they are close to human contact, or in competition with other whitefishes and may be susceptible to environmental stresses such as habitat degradation, and increases in water temperature resulting from global warming or alteration of flow regimes. It is believed that damage to rearing habitats by a variety of industrial developments has led to severe declines in some areas of Alberta, and perhaps BC.
v. Threats: Western populations (especially those in Alberta) are currently threatened by habitat degradation resulting from logging, oil and gas exploration and development, urban development, and mining, and accidental spills of deleterious substances associated with these activities (Sullivan 2011). Potential threats also include global warming and stocking of exotic species.
vi. Small Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy: Applicable to western DUs in Yukon, Pacific, Saskatchewan-Nelson, and Western Arctic NFBZ, and northwestern Ontario where DUs are known only from single or a small number (< 5) of lakes.
vii. Limiting Biological Factors: May co-exist with other species of whitefish, it is a glacial relict, and has a large, but often discontinuous and restricted local range. The species is characterized by slow growth, low fecundity and short life cycle, and may be sensitive to habitat perturbations.
viii. Information Sources: Results of DFO sampling surveys in northwestern Ontario, Alberta Government surveys in Alberta, and extensive information from Peace Williston Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program in BC will be assessed.
References:
McPhail, J.D. 2007. The Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia. University of Alberta Press.
Sullivan, M. 2011. Status of the pygmy whitefish (Prosopium coluterii) in Alberta: Update 2011. Alberta Status Report No. 27.
Witt, J., R. Zemlak, and E.B. Taylor. 2011. Phylogeography and the origins of range disjunctions in a north temperate fish, the pygmy whitefish (Prosopium coluterii) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence analysis. J. Biogeography 38: 1557-1569.
PREPARED BY: D. Watkinson, W. Tonn, and E.B. Taylor, February 2012
|
Gasterosteus
aculeatus **
Little Quarry Lake Limnetic Threespine Stickleback
BC
|
i.Taxonomic Level – DUs within Gasterosteus aculeatus species complex: The Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) comprises a species complex (i.e., morphologically, genetically, and behaviourally distinct forms of uncertain taxonomic status) which includes sympatric biological species commonly referred to as “Benthic” and “Limnetic” species pairs, so-named for their distinct foraging ecology. Sympatric pairs and SARA-listed Endangered benthic and limnetic species pairs of sticklebacks co-exist in three lake systems in southwestern British Columbia (BC) (Enos Lake, Paxton Lake, and Vananda Creek); the pair in Little Quarry Lake on Nelson Island, BC, is a recently discovered pair (Gow et al. 2008). Since their discovery in 1980s and 1990s, the pair is Enos Lake has formed a hybrid swarm and the pair in Hadley Lake is now extinct.
ii. Portion of Global Range in Canada: The Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks are Canadian endemics with 100% of their global range in a single Canadian Lake.
iii. Existing Global Conservation Status: The Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks were only recently discovered and they have no provincial, national, or global rankings. All the other pairs are listed as either Extinct (SX, Hadley lake pair) or S1 in BC, N1 in Canada, and G1 globally.
iv. Canadian Population Sizes and Trends: There is no information on the population size of the Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks or on trends in population sizes. Based on studies on other species pair lakes, population sizes of each species are likely on the order of few tens of thousands (e.g., COSEWIC 2010).
v. Threats: The biggest threat to the Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks is from exotic species introductions. Two of the six known species pair lakes have become extinct (Hadley Lake) or developed into hybrid swarms (Enos Lake), likely driven by introduction of exotic predators (Brown Bullhead and American Signal Crayfish in Hadley and Enos lakes, respectively).
vi. Small Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy: The Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks are found in a single lake with a surface area of 0.22 km2.
vii. Limiting Biological Factors: Limits to the Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Stickleback abundance are not well understood, but likely include food production, cover, predation, spawning habitat or other factors. It is likely that the main limiting factor is food supply, i.e., the capability of each lake to produce plankton and benthos. The primary factor determining conservation status is their extreme endemism and the susceptibility to rapid declines from interactions with exotic species.
viii. Information Sources: Information from the literature, ongoing research at the University of British Columbia, and monitoring efforts by local stewardship groups will be accessed.
References:
COSEWIC. 2010. COSEWIC Assessment and Update Status Report on the Paxton Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Environment Canada, Ottawa.
Gow, J.L., S.M. Rogers, M. Jackson, and D. Schluter. 2008. Ecological predictions lead to the discovery of a benthic–limnetic sympatric species pair of threespine stickleback in Little Quarry Lake, British Columbia. Can. J. Zool. 86: 564-571.
PREPARED BY: E.B. Taylor, February 2012
|
Gasterosteus
aculeatus **
Little Quarry Lake Benthic Threespine Stickleback
BC
|
i.Taxonomic Level – DUs within Gasterosteus aculeatus species complex: The Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) comprises a species complex (i.e., morphologically, genetically, and behaviourally distinct forms of uncertain taxonomic status) which includes sympatric biological species commonly referred to as “Benthic” and “Limnetic” species pairs, so-named for their distinct foraging ecology. Sympatric pairs and SARA-listed Endangered benthic and limnetic species pairs of sticklebacks co-exist in three lake systems in southwestern British Columbia (BC) (Enos Lake, Paxton Lake, and Vananda Creek); the pair in Little Quarry Lake on Nelson Island, BC, is a recently discovered pair (Gow et al. 2008). Since their discovery in 1980s and 1990s, the pair is Enos Lake has formed a hybrid swarm and the pair in Hadley Lake is now extinct.
ii. Portion of Global Range in Canada: The Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks are Canadian endemics with 100% of their global range in a single Canadian Lake.
iii. Existing Global Conservation Status: The Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks were only recently discovered and they have no provincial, national, or global rankings. All the other pairs are listed as either Extinct (SX, Hadley lake pair) or S1 in BC, N1 in Canada, and G1 globally.
iv. Canadian Population Sizes and Trends: There is no information on the population size of the Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks or on trends in population sizes. Based on studies on other species pair lakes, population sizes of each species are likely on the order of few tens of thousands (e.g., COSEWIC 2010).
v. Threats: The biggest threat to the Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks is from exotic species introductions. Two of the six known species pair lakes have become extinct (Hadley Lake) or developed into hybrid swarms (Enos Lake), likely driven by introduction of exotic predators (Brown Bullhead and American Signal Crayfish in Hadley and Enos lakes, respectively).
vi. Small Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy: The Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks are found in a single lake with a surface area of 0.22 km2.
vii. Limiting Biological Factors: Limits to the Little Quarry Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Stickleback abundance are not well understood, but likely include food production, cover, predation, spawning habitat or other factors. It is likely that the main limiting factor is food supply, i.e., the capability of each lake to produce plankton and benthos. The primary factor determining conservation status is their extreme endemism and the susceptibility to rapid declines from interactions with exotic species.
viii. Information Sources: Information from the literature, ongoing research at the University of British Columbia, and monitoring efforts by local stewardship groups will be accessed.
References:
COSEWIC. 2010. COSEWIC Assessment and Update Status Report on the Paxton Lake Benthic and Limnetic Threespine Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Environment Canada, Ottawa.
Gow, J.L., S.M. Rogers, M. Jackson, and D. Schluter. 2008. Ecological predictions lead to the discovery of a benthic–limnetic sympatric species pair of threespine stickleback in Little Quarry Lake, British Columbia. Can. J. Zool. 86: 564-571.
PREPARED BY: E.B. Taylor, February 2012
|
Percina
shumardi **
River Darter
MB†, ON†
|
i.Taxonomic Level – Species: The River Darter, Percina shumardi, has a disjunct distribution in Canada. Its core distribution in Canada is in northwestern Ontario and Manitoba. The only populations in the Great Lakes drainage basin were found in low numbers in the Lake St. Clair drainage.
ii. Portion of Global Range in Canada: About 30% of the global range is in Canada. The species is widely distributed in 20 states in the Mississippi basin of the US, from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Red River of the North drainage, and to the Great Lakes.
iii. Existing Global Conservation Status: The River Darter is globally ranked as G5 (secure). In Canada, the species is listed as S5 (secure) in Manitoba (S4, apparently secure) and S3 (vulnerable) in Ontario. The River Darter exhibits a major disjunction of at least 1000 km between two closest occurrences in the Saskatchewan-Nelson and Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence River Biogeographic Zones which constitute two DUs. Recent data from DFO surveys strongly suggest that the two DUs will have significantly different levels of risk. The species is widespread in the US and although it is considered secure in the country as a whole, it is critically imperiled in five states, including all states with Great Lakes populations, imperiled in two states, and vulnerable in four states.
iv. Canadian Population Sizes and Trend: In the Saskatchewan-Nelson DU, the species is widespread, but not abundant, and it appears to have declined significantly in the Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence DU, where it is only known from the Lake St. Clair drainage. There are no known studies that have specifically examined trends in the abundance of the River Darter; however, extensive recent (2002-present) sampling within its known range in the Great Lakes found only a single specimen in Lake St. Clair.
v. Threats: Many darter species have exhibited dramatic declines in the Great Lakes as the result of negative interactions with the invasive Round Goby and other invaders – the River Darter is likely no exception. Habitat degradation has likely occurred in parts of its range, especially in the Great Lakes Upper St. Lawrence River (St. Clair region), which has negatively impacted its preferred large river habitat with coarse substrates and moderate flow. The habitat of the River Darter in Ontario is an area of some of the most intensive agricultural, industrial, and urban development in the province, if not the country, that has lead to increased siltation, turbidity and nutrient loading, and several other freshwater species-at-risk are found here.
vi. Small EO/AO: Applicable to Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence River DU – known range restricted to the Lake St. Clair drainage.
vii. Limiting Biological Factors: Unknown.
viii. Information Sources: Results of DFO sampling surveys in Lake St. Clair will be assessed.
PREPARED BY: Nick Mandrak, February 2012
|
Coregonus
nigripinnis *
Blackfin Cisco
ON
|
i. Taxonomic Level: Species
Koelz (1929) originally recognized four subspecies of C. nigripinnis with each restricted to the following lakes: C. n. nigripinnis (lakes Michigan and Huron), C. n. cyanopterus (Lake Superior), C. n. prognathus (Lake Ontario) and C. n. regalis (Lake Nipigon). Subsequently, the Lake Ontario and Superior forms were synonomized with Lake Cisco (C. artedi), but C. nigripinnis is recognized as a valid taxon in lakes Nipigon, Huron, and Michigan.
ii. Portion of Global Range in Canada
The Blackfin Cisco once occurred in lakes Huron, Michigan, and Lake Nipigon, but it is now extirpated in the former two Great Lakes. (Nelson et al. 2004). Consequently, all of the extant global range of the Blackfin Cisco is in Canada.
iii. Existing Global Conservation Status
The Blackfin Cisco is globally ranked as G1 (critically imperiled) and the IUCN has assessed the species as extinct, but noted that this requires updating. The species is considered extinct in the United States. In Canada, the species is listed as SU (Unrankable).
iv. Canadian Population Sizes and Trend
The last record of Blackfin Cisco from the Canadian waters of Lake Huron was in 1960. An examination of 1,943 ciscoes from deepwater gill net sets at 46 sites in 2002 and 2003 failed to capture any Blackfin Cisco. Catches from annual fish community index netting of Lake Nipigon undertaken by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources indicates a 50% decline in relative abundance of Blackfin Cisco between the period 2000-04 and 2010.
v. Threats
Factors known to have caused the decline in Blackfin Cisco in the Great Lakes are over-exploitation by commercial fisheries and Sea Lamprey predation. A commercial fishery for Lake Whitefish on Lake Nipigon has existed since 1917, and incidental capture of Blackfin Cisco may have had a negative impact on the population. Introduced species such as Alewife and Rainbow Smelt probably also compete with deepwater ciscoes for prey, and prey on larvae. Rainbow Smelt has been commercially harvested in Lake Nipigon, with reported harvests over the period 1991 to 1998 increasing from <10,000 lbs to > 280,000 lbs. Over the same period, by-catch of ciscoes in Lake Whitefish commercial fishery declined from > 120,000 lbs to < 10,000lbs.
vi. Small EO/AO
The surface area of Lake Nipigon, the only known location of C. nigrippinis in Canada, is 4,500 km2. Therefore, the species would meet the EO threshold for Endangered under COSEWIC quantitative criterion B.
vii. Limiting Biological Factors
It is restricted to deep, coldwater habitats of large lakes. The diet of Blackfin Cisco is largely restricted to mysid shrimp.
viii. Information Sources
1. Rick Salmon, Biologist, Lake Nipigon Fisheries Assessment Unit, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Nipigon, Ontario
2. NatureServe. 2010. Nature Serve Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: February 2, 2011)
3. Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
4. Salmon, R. and A. van Ogtrop. 1996. Status of the Lake Whitefish Fishery in
Lake Nipigon. Ont. Min. Natur. Resour. Northwest Sci. & Technol. Lake
Nipigon Fisheries Assessment Unit., Thunder Bay, Ont. TR-102. 19 pp.
|
Lepomis
megalotis *
Longear Sunfish
ON†, QC†
|
i. Taxonomic Level - Species
The Longear Sunfish, Lepomis megalotis, has a disjunct distribution in Canada. Its core distribution in Canada is in northwestern Ontario, southwestern Ontario, and southwestern Québec.
ii. Portion of Global Range in Canada
About 10% of the global range is in Canada. The species is widely distributed in 25 states in the Mississippi basin of the US, from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Winnipeg River and Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River drainages.
iii. Existing Global Conservation Status
The Longear Sunfish is globally ranked as G5 (secure), but in Canada the species is listed as S3 (vulnerable) in Ontario, and (S2, imperiled) in Québec. It is also been added to the list likely to be designated as Threatened or Vulnerable under the Québec Act Respecting Threatened or Vulnerable Species. The species consists of two DUs based on its disjunct distribution and presence in two freshwater Biogeographic Zones: Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence; and, Saskatchewan-Nelson. The Longear Sunfish exhibits a major disjunction of at least 1000 km between the closest occurrences in the Saskatchewan-Nelson and Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence River Biogeographic Zones. Within the Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence River Biogeographic Zone, the species exhibits a major disjunction of about 500 km between southwestern Ontario and the southwestern Québec, similar to the one exhibited by Eastern Sand Darter (assessed as TH).
Although the species is widespread in the US and is considered secure in the country as a whole, it is critically imperiled in two Great Lakes states and imperiled in one Great Lakes state.
iv. Canadian Population Sizes and Trend
There are no studies that have specifically examined trends in the abundance of the Longear Sunfish in Canada. Little is known of the status of populations in the Saskatchewan-Nelson Biogeographic Region of northwestern Ontario, largely as a result of its sporadic, largely remote distribution, and limited recent sampling. It appears to have declined significantly in the Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence Biogeographic Region. Extensive recent (2002-present) sampling throughout its range in southwestern Ontario has caught few individuals, and no individuals have been caught any of the 17 known locations within Québec since 1983 despite extensive sampling.
v. Threats
Habitat degradation has occurred extensively in the Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence Biogeographic Region, which has negatively impacted its preferred wetland habitat. This is an area of some of the most intensive agricultural, industrial, and urban development in Canada, that has lead to increased siltation, turbidity and nutrient loading, and unless these practices are prevented and/or mitigated further declines are inevitable.
vi. Small EO/AO
Probably applicable, particularly if a third DU is recognized (by sub-dividing the Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence River Biogeographic Region DU) based on the 500 km disjunction between Ontario and Quebec populations.
vii. Limiting Biological Factors
Unknown.
viii. Information Sources
Extensive DFO sampling in southwestern Ontario. Extensive provincial sampling in Quebec.
|
Lichens |
Pannaria
lurida **
Wrinkled Shingle
NB, NS, NL
|
This is a leafy cyanolichen with a fragmented subtropical to hemiboreal global range. In North America, it is distributed from the Gulf States (Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi) and along the eastern seaboard. In Canada, it occurs in southern Nova Scotia, southern New Brunswick, and a single outlier in southwestern Newfoundland. It occurs in wet mixed forests, especially on trunks of red maple and ash, usually within three metres of the ground.
i.Taxonomic level: A single species with several subspecies. The one in Cananda, the Appalachian mountains and northeastern North American populations has been segregated as P. lurida ssp. russellii (Tuck.) P. M. Jørg.
ii. Portion of global range in Canada: This lichen has been declining and has disappeared from its former range in New England, so that >50 % of the remaining global population of ssp. russellii is in Canada.
iii. Existing global conservation status: Tentative NatureServe rank of G3G5
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Known from 21 sites in Canada: 17 localities in NS, some of which are tightly clustered, 3 localities in NB, and a single locality in NL. At least one of the NB populations has been lost. Population trends in NS unknown.
v. Threats: The wrinkled shield lichen is a cyanolichen that is very sensitive to air pollution which may account for the lack of recent records from the USA (Hinds & Hinds 2077), and the reason for its decline in New England. This lichen requires very moist habitats and therefore is sensitive to alteration of the water table or habitat destruction such as forest road construction or other developments. A recent threat is hardwood logging for biomass energy production.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: IAO < 68 km2.
vii. Limiting biological factors: This lichen does not form vegetative propagules and therefore must be resynthesized at every generation by the re-association of a separately dispersed lichen fungus ascospore and a compatible strain of cyanobacterium on the surface of a deciduous tree trunk growing in a very moist habitat – clearly a rather rare event.
Refernces:
Ekman, S. & Jørgensen, P. M. 2002 Towards a molecular phylogeny for the lichen family Pannariaceae (Lecanorales, Ascomycota) Canadian Journal of Botany, 2002, 80:(6) 625-634
Harris, R.C & Ladd, D.M. 2005. Lichens of the Ozarks – Preliminary draft, Nedw York Botanical Garden.
Hinds, J.W. & Hinds, P.L. 2007. Macrolichens of New England. New York Botanical Garden Press.
Maass, W.S.G., B.L. Hoisington, and H. Harries. 1986. Pannaria lurida in Atlantic Canada. Proceedings of the Nova Scotia Institute of Science 36:131-135.
Swinscow, T.D.V. & Krog, H. 1986 Some observations on the thallus in Pannaria with description of a new species. Lichenologist 18:309-315.
PREPARED BY: Mosses and Lichens SSC, August 2011
|
Teloschistes
chrysophthalmus *
Golden-Eye Lichen
MB, ON
|
Teloschistes chrysophthalmus is a fruticose species, with a highly dissected range in North America, typically found growing on sheltered, nutrient-rich, well-lit twigs and tree trunks. T. chrysophthalmus has been recorded most frequently from tropical and subtropical areas of both Hemispheres; Europe; Australia; North America. It is now rare in England but was formerly widespread in Southern England. Since 1968 it has been recorded from three sites in Europe. However, it has disappeared from all of those sites and is now only known from a few localities: Southern Ireland (Fletcher and Purvis, 2009), Southern England (found in 2009), and an island off the coast of France (found in 2008). It also was formerly widespread in northeastern United States known from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut (Hinds and Hinds, 2007), New York (Fink), especially Long Island (Brodo, 1966) and Goat Island – Niagara Falls (Harris, 1990), and New Jersey (Fink 1867). It is now presumed extirpated from all these localities with the latest known discovery having been made in 1938 from Nantucket Island, Massachusetts (Hinds and Hinds, 2007). There are numerous records from more Midwestern and southern U.S. (rare in California, but slightly more common on the Channel Islands), Texas, Nebraska, Mississippi, Louisiana, Iowa, and North Carolina and Mexico but it is declining or considered extirpated or extinct in all of these areas.
In Canada its distribution includes extreme southern Ontario, along the Lake Ontario and Lake Erie shorelines, and in southern Manitoba (Brodo et al, 2001) where it is found growing on Populus spp. and Quercus spp. There are no known records from the east or west coasts.
i. Taxonomic level: species
ii. Portion of global range in Canada: Estimated to be less than 1%.
iii. Existing global conservation status: G4G5
iv. Canadian population size and trends: In Canada, this lichen is known only from 4 sites: 3 sites in Manitoba and 1 site in Ontario. All sites are within 100 km of the United States Border. It is not known if the Lake Erie site still exists. Three of the four sites are currently located within provincial parks or forests which are subject to logging and recreational activities.
v. Threats: Habitat destruction through degradation of air quality and urban development resulting in reduced humidity. It appears to prefer sheltered sites with high humidity. Deposition of acidic air pollutants originating in major industrialized areas may be a threat. Recreation activities and logging in the provincially designated areas may also be a threat.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: Small area of occupancy, probably < 5 km2.
vii. Limiting biological factors: This lichen reproduces by ascospores and possibly by fragmentation, which suggests it should be more widespread. Climate, pollution sensitivity, and/or habitat requirements may determine its spread and survival. Populations are fragmented with large distances between populations.
|
Anzia
colpodes *
Black-foam Lichen
ON, QC, NB, NS, PE
|
Endemic to temperate eastern North America, southward to Texas and Georgia, and northward to the Great Lakes region and the Maritime Provinces. This foliose lichen grows on trunks and large branches of tolerant hardwoods in mature broadleaf-deciduous forests.
i. Taxonomic level: species.
ii. Portion of Global Range in Canada: < 50 percent of extant global range in Canada
iii. Existing global conservation status: G3G5 (Nature Serve, but rank based on limited, older data). Widespread declines have been reported in the northern half of its range, as well as in the Ozark Mountains. It is extirpated in several states (NH, VT, MA, CT, RI, OH, WI), endangered in WV and MI, and rare in New York. It also occurs in the Gulf states (Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi) and adjacent areas.
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Small population size. About 12 sites are known in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, but most of these have not been reexamined for 20 years or more. Scattered records for southern Ontario and Quebec are all several decades old. Suspected to be declining, given known declines in many US states.
v. Threats: Threats uncertain, but include logging of old-growth hardwood forests.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: IAO < 48km2
vii Limiting Biological Factors: This lichen reproduces by lichen ascospores shot from the fruit bodies. Thalli sometimes bear small round lobules that could function as vegetative propagules, though this is not very likely. The usual method of reproduction involves resynthesis at each generation. This re-association depends upon the chance arrival of a lichen ascospore and the presence of a compatible strain of green alga on the trunk surface clearly a rather rare event. The identity of the algal partner is uncertain; its low frequency in a free-living state (outside lichen thalli) may also be a factor affecting the success-rate of thallus reestablishment and rarity of this lichen.
|
Acroscyphus
sphaerophoides **
Mountain Crab Eye Lichen
BC
|
This monotypic fruticose lichen is made up of upright branches with apothecia embedded in branch apices resembling the eyeballs of crabs. Spores are released to the surface of the hymenial layer and are dispersed by wind. In Canada, the lichen grows over base enriched rock or conifer wood in exposed coastal hyper-maritime and subalpine localities (Goward 1999). The lichen is widespread but only a dozen localities are known world-wide with a Pan-Pacific distribution ranging from China, Nepal, Russia, Japan, British Columbia, Washington State Mexico and Peru(Joneson 2003; Niu et al. 2008, GBIF 2011).
i.Taxonomic level: Species in the Caliciales. Evolutionary relationships are shown by Tibell (2003). There is evidence that distinct chemical races exist among global populations of Acroscyphus sphaerophoroides (Niu et al. 2008).
ii. Portion of global range in Canada:15- 20%.
Existing global conservation status: GNR
iii. Existing global conservation status: Global rank GNR and the BC rank is S1
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Three sites and three specimens are known from Canada collected in 1989, 1992, and 1996. Thre is also one location is known in Washington and a location in Mexico that has not been confirmed.
v. Threats: Logging is a threat to the species on dead wood when dead wood is removed or damaged during logging activities. The species also grows on rock surfaces within the influence of steep coastal creeks and waterfalls, habitats that are potentially threatened by hydropower development. Air pollution from industrial development, e.g near Kittimat located by two of the known sites is an additional potential threat.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: IAO: <12 km²
vii. Limiting biological factors: Apothecia are rare but there is no means of vegetative reproduction. Habitat requirements appear to be very specific. Known localities in British Columbia are characterized by considerable rainfall (2500 mm or greater) with high humidity throughout the year. Enrichment by bird droppings may also be an important habitat attribute and may help explain the distribution on the various recorded substrates.
References:
GBIF 2011. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. http://data.gbif.org (accessed on September 28, 2011 and based upon specimens from the Museum of Evolution Uppsala, UPS).
Goward, T. 1999. The Lichens of British Columbia, part 2–Fruticose Species. Crown Publications, Victoria, British Columbia.
Joneson, S. and Glew, K. A. 2003. Acroscyphus (Caliciaceae) in North America. The Bryologist 106(3):443-446.
Niu, D.L, Wang, L.S., Zhang, Y.J. and Yang C.R. 2008. Acroscyphus sphaerophoroides (lichenized Ascomycota, Caliciaceae) in Hengduanshan Mountains Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 36: 423-429
Tibell, L. 2003. Tholurna dissimilis and generic delimitations in Caliciaceae inferred from nuclear ITS and LSU rDNA phylogenies (Lecanorales, lichenized ascomycetes). Mycological Research 107: 1403-1418.
PREPARED BY: Mosses and Lichens SSC, August 2011
|
Mammals (marine) |
Pusa
hispida **
Ringed Seal
YT, NT, NU, MB, ON, QC, NL, Arctic Ocean
|
The Ringed Seal is ubiquitous in ice-covered marine waters of the Arctic and sub-Arctic. It is central to the mixed economy (subsistence and cash) of many Inuit communities and also the principal prey of the Polar Bear.
The Ringed Seal is dependent on stable sea ice as essential habitat, especially for pupping and protection from predators. Pups born outside of ice lairs are so small that even large gulls can be predators (Lyderson and Smith 1989). Since April 1989 when the species was assessed as Not at Risk, the evidence of rapid climate change has mounted. It is now widely accepted that climate change poses a serious threat to Ringed Seals given the expected (extensive) loss of sea ice (Learmonth et al. 2006; Kovacs and Lyderson 2008). Early break-up of sea ice and associated changes in the marine ecosystem have already resulted in reduced reproduction, poorer pup condition and higher pup mortality in Ringed Seals in some parts of the Canadian Arctic (Smith and Harwood 2001; Ferguson et al. 2005; Stirling 2005).
i. Taxonomic level – Full species.
ii. Portion of global range in Canada – ~ 50%
iii. IUCN Red List or Nature Serve G rank – NatureServe: G5 (global status 1996); IUCN: least concern (2008). COSEWIC: Not at Risk (1989). The United States is considering listing the Ringed Seal under the ESA, based on new information indicating that rapid climate change threatens the species’ productivity and survival.
iv. Canadian population size and trends – >100,000, possibly millions and suspected decline.
v. Threats – Climate change and the associated loss of sea ice, which is ongoing and likely to affect a large proportion of the population.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy – not applicable.
vii. Limiting biological factors – The Ringed Seal is not behaviourally adapted to haul out or give birth on land, and is critically dependent on sea ice for pupping, pup rearing, protection from predators, and resting.
References
Ferguson, S. H., Stirling, I. and Mcloughlin, P. M. 2005. Climate change and ringed seal (Phoca hispida) recruitment in western Hudson Bay. Marine Mammal Science 21(1): 121-135
Kovacs, K. M. and Lydersen, C. 2008. Climate change impacts on seals and whales in the North Atlantic Arctic and adjacent shelf seas. Science Progress 91(2): 117-150
Learmonth, J. A., Macleod, C. D., Santos, M. B., Pierce, G. J., Crick, H. Q. P. and Robinson, R. A. 2006. Potential effects of climate change on marine mammals. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review 44: 431-464.
Smith, T. G. and Harwood, L. A. 2001. Observations of neonate ringed seals, Phoca hispida, after early break-up of the sea ice in Prince Albert Sound, Northwest Territories,
Canada, spring 1998. Polar Biology 24: 215-219.
Stirling, I. 2005. Reproductive rates of ringed seals and survival of pups in Northwestern Hudson Bay, Canada, 1991-2000. Polar Biology 28: 381-387.
|
Molluscs |
Fisherola
nuttalli *
Shortface Lanx
BC
|
This regionally endemic and globally at-risk freshwater limpet was historically present throughout much of the Columbia River drainage in Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, and southern British Columbia. It is the only species of Fisherola, and globally the most northern representative of its clade. In Canada, the species was first recorded from the Wigwam River in 1863 by the British North American Boundary Commission. The Kootenay River population in B.C. is presumed extirpated. After nearly four decades, a population was rediscovered in the Columbia River (2009) just downstream of the lead-zinc smelter at Trail (Duncan pers. comm. 2009). Fisherola nuttalli has narrow habitat tolerances and lives in medium to large rivers (30–100 m wide) and requires cold, unpolluted, fast-flowing, well-oxygenated water and cobble-boulder substrates. It is often at the edges of rapids. It has been extirpated and continues to be threatened by habitat loss and degradation caused by dams and impoundments that reduce flow and level of water and increase sedimentation and siltation; water removal; and nutrient-loading, chemical discharge and other pollution due to agriculture and industry. In the U.S. F. nuttalli is not faring well (Xerces Society 2009) and large populations remain in only four rivers: the lower Deschutes River (Oregon); the Okanogan River and the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River (Washington); and the Snake River (Oregon/Idaho). Other, smaller populations are known in the John Day and Imnaha rivers, and near the Bonneville Dam, lower Columbia River (Oregon); the Methow River (Washington); and Grande Ronde River (Washington/Oregon). The species is extirpated from Montana.
i. Taxonomic level: Species
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: Maybe 10% (historically)? Perhaps now more important globally due to the loss of U.S. populations.
iii. IUCN Red List or NatureServe Rank: Global rank: G2. National ranks: N1 (Canada); N2 (USA). Subnational ranks: BC (SH). Idaho (S1), Montana (SXT), Oregon (S1S2), Washington (S2).
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Columbia River population confirmed (2009), but likely small. Kootenay River: extirpated.
v. Threats: Impoundment, warming, nutrient enhancement, and pollution; loss of rocky substrate (siltation and sedimentation, and loss of rocky substrate); water removal.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: AO, IAO and EO all likely small.
vii. Limiting biological factors: Narrow habitat tolerances and lives in medium to large rivers (30–100 m wide) and requires cold, unpolluted, fast-flowing, well-oxygenated water and cobble-boulder substrates.
References:
Bill Duncan. 2009. Email correspondence to R. Forsyth Nov. 2009. Bill.Duncan@teck.com.
NatureServe. 2009. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: January 12, 2010 ).
Xerxes Society. 2009. Available online at: http://www.xerces.org/giant-columbia-river-limpet/. Accessed Nov 2009.
|
Zacoleus
idahoensis **
Sheathed Slug
BC
|
There are only two records of the species from Canada, both from near Moyie Lake in southeastern British Columbia (Ovaska and Sopuck 2009, 2010). Until the discovery of the slug in B.C. in 2009, it was thought to be a local endemic in Montana, Idaho, and Washington (NatureServe 2011). The B.C. records from 2009 and 2010 extended the distribution of the species to about 35 km SW of Cranbrook on Ktunaxa Traditional Territory (Ovaska and Sopuck 2009, 2010; NatureServe 2011). In the U.S. the slug was once very common and widespread although restricted to rather moist sites, typically in areas with exceptional botanical diversity and intact forests (NatureServe 2011). Most of its habitat and most historic sites in the U.S. have been lost due to threats that include logging, grazing on logged areas, highway construction and other river right-of-way impacts, and severe forest fires (NatureServe 2011). Although the species was discovered in BC only in 2009, 100s of sites in the Kootenay’s (SE B.C.) have been searched for terrestrial gastropods; for example, 78 sites in 50 areas (= 86 person hours) were searched in 2010 (Ovaska and Sopuck 2010) with only 1 Sheathed Slug being found within 0.75 km of the 2009 site. Logging is occurring adjacent to the known sites in B.C. The species is rare and at risk because of the threats and limited distribution. Based on this justification, five members of the Mollusc SSC ran the species through the IUCN threats calculator and the overall assigned threat impact by all was “Very High”.
i.Taxonomic level: Species
ii.Proportion of global range in Canada: < 5%
iii. IUCN Red List or NatureServe Rank: Global rank: G3/G4, rounded to G3 (last reviewed 3 Feb 2006). National ranks: N3N4 (U.S.), N1 (Canada) (23 Feb 2010). Subnational ranks: BC (S1S3) and red-listed in 2010 by BC CDC (2011); Idaho (S2), Montana (S2S3), Washington (SNR)
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Population size and trend unknown.
v.Threats: Susceptible to logging, road building, and associated activities that alter hydrology or forest floor microclimates, and climate change.
vi.Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: The species is known from only 2 sites, 0.75 km apart, in southeastern B.C.
vii.Limiting biological factors: Poor mechanisms for dispersal; extremely limited distribution; restricted to moist sites.
References:
BC Conservation Data Centre (CDC). 2011. Species and ecosystems explorer. Web site: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/atrisk/toolintro.html [accessed 14 January 2011].
NatureServe. 2011. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life. Version 7.1. Web site: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer [accessed: 13 January 2011, 13 December 2011].
Ovaska, K., and L. Sopuck. 2009. Surveys for terrestrial gastropods at risk within Ktunaxa Traditional Territory. Report prepared for British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Victoria, British Columbia. 27 pp.
Ovaska, K., and L. Sopuck. 2010. Summary of fieldwork for COSEWIC status report on the Magnum Mantleslug Magnipelta mycophaga.14 October. Raw Data Kootenay 2010 data spreadsheet.
|
Patera
pennsylvanica *
Proud Globelet
ON
|
This is one of only a few species of terrestrial snails belonging to the genus Patera in Canada and the sole member of the subgenus Ragsdaleorbis (Emberton 1991). It is a rare species at the northern limit of its range in southern Ontario (Mixedwood Plains Ecozone) with the closest populations occurring to the west in southeastern Michigan. It was found twice in 1992 and 1996 in dry, sandy open Black Oak woods of the Ojibway Prairie, near Windsor, Essex County (M. Oldham pers. comm. 2011) but only a few empty, dead shells were observed. Ten years later (in 2006) not even shells were found. It was not seen by Oughton in the 1940s in his surveys of Ontario land snails (Oughton 1948). Prescribed burns to control invasive and successional vegetation and maintain open grassland are planned for areas of Ojibway Prairie; parts of Ojibway Prairie have been burned periodically for at least a decade though the Black Oak Woods site has not yet been burned (M. Oldham pers. comm. 2011). Fires would likely result in significant mortality (Nekola 2002). Additionally, invasive organisms that compete with, or predate on, P. pennsylvanica are a threat, as are exotic earthworms, known to rapidly and drastically degrade litter microhabitats, alter plant communities and affect fauna (Addison 2009). In the U.S., P. pennsylvanica ranges from Illinois and southeastern Michigan south to central Kentucky and eastern Missouri east to Pennsylvania (Hubricht 1985).
i. Taxonomic level: Species
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: <5 %
iii. IUCN Red List or NatureServe Rank: Global rank: G5. National ranks: N1 (Canada); N4 (USA)
Subnational ranks: Ontario S1
Illinois (SNR), Indiana (SNR), Kentucky (S3S4), Michigan (SNR), Missouri (SNR), Ohio (SNR), Pennsylvania (SNR), West Virginia (S1)
iv. Canadian population size and trends: There are no data on population size and trends. Only one population, on the Ojibway Prairie, is known. Essex County is largely developed for agriculture and natural habitats are fragmented and relatively small. Since European settlement, the historical loss (relevant to present day) of habitat would have been substantial, resulting in a reduction in the AO.
v. Threats: Habitat degradation and loss; threats include prescribed burns, trampling, invasive organisms, roads and urban development, and stochastic events. Large-shelled land snails, in general, may be in decline over much of their ranges in the U.S., but the exact reasons are unknown. With climate change any possible northern expansion of the species’ range will be largely negated by anthropogenic pressures (Gibson et al. 2009) such as historical habitat loss and past and ongoing habitat degradation.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: EO and AO are tiny, as the species is known from only one Canadian site.
vii. Limiting biological factors: The Canadian population exists at northern limits of the species’ range. There is little capacity for dispersal, with perhaps only a single population. Rescue from the nearest U.S. populations in southeastern Michigan is unlikely given natural and human-made barriers and the limited capacity for terrestrial snails to disperse rapidly over distances.
References:
Addison, J.E. 2009. Distribution and impacts of invasive earthworms in Canadian forest ecosystems. Biological Invasions 11:59–79.
Emberton, K.C. 1991. The genitalic, allozymic and conchological evolution of the tribe Mesodontini (Pulmonata: Stylommatophora: Polygyridae). Malacologia 33:71-178.
Gibson, S.Y., R.C. Van der Marel, and B.M. Starzomski. 2009. Climate change and conservation of leading-edge peripheral populations. Conservation Biology 23(6):1369-1373.
Hubricht, L. 1985. The distributions of the native land mollusks of the eastern United States. Fieldiana, Zoology (new series) 24: 191 pp.
Nekola, J.C. 2002. Effects of fire management on the richness and abundance of central North American grassland land snail faunas. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation. 25.2:53-66.
Oldham, M., Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC), Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, pers. comm. 2011. Email correspondence to R. Forsyth, January 2011.
Oughton, J. 1948. A zoogeographical study of the land snails of Ontario. University of Toronto Studies, Biological Series 57: 126 pp.
|
Kootenaia
burkei *
Pygmy Slug
BC
|
This is a forest-dwelling, regionally endemic slug of southeastern B.C. The genus is monotypic; both genus and species were newly described in 2003, originally from six localities in the Pend Orielle and Coeur d’Alene Lake watersheds of northern Idaho. Since then, the species has been reported from western Montana and BC. In British Columbia all seven localities are west of the Rocky Mountain Trench and are distributed within an area from Trail east to Moyie Lake and north to between Nakusp and Galena Bay. All sites are within the Interior Cedar–Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone, in mainly coniferous riparian forests. The species is often found adjacent to water bodies, suggesting a requirement for high soil moisture and moderate ambient temperatures. The Pygmy Slug is of particular conservation interest because it appears to have a very limited and patchy global distribution (rated as G2, critically imperiled globally by NatureServe 2011).
i. Taxonomic level: Species
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: ≥ 50%
iii. IUCN Red List or NatureServe Rank: Global rank: G2. National ranks: N2 (Canada); N2 (USA).
Subnational ranks: BC (S1?), Idaho (S1S2), Montana (S1S2).
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Numbers of slugs found at each location is low.
v. Threats: Logging, forest fires, land-clearing for development, climate change
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: EO: ~ 10,900 km². AO much smaller as not all habitat within the EO is appropriate for this species.
vii. Limiting biological factors: Poor dispersal, low densities, patchy distribution, exists at northern limits of its distribution in SE British Columbia.
Reference:
NatureServe. 2011. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life. Version 7.1. Web site: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer [accessed: 2 February 2011].
|
Mosses |
Tortula
porteri **
ON, QC
|
Tortula (Desmatodon) porteri is a small (2-3 mm) acrocarpous moss associated with calcareous rock. It appears to be a North American endemic restricted to the eastern regions of the continent. In Canada it is mostly restricted to the very southern areas of Ontario, with an outlying population in the Gaspé region of Québec. It is not nationally ranked in the U.S. though NatureServe lists it as SH in NY and VT. It is ranked S1 in both Ontario and Québec and N2 by Belland (1998).
i. Taxonomic Level: species
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: <10%
iii. Existing global conservation status: G3? (NatureServe 1999)
iv. Canadian population size and trends: In Canada there are 4 localities in the extreme southern part of Ontario, and a single site along the Gaspé coast of Québec. No information on trends is available.
v. Threats: The majority of the species’ Canadian range is in the Carolinian region of Ontario, which is densely populated and extensively developed. With its preferred calcareous rock substrate, T. porteri may be particularly susceptible to the impacts of quarries, recreational activity and airborne pollutants. The calculated overall threat impact (using IUCN threatulator) is High.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: Five sites are known, which gives a 20 km2 AO using a 2 km grid square. The EO is roughly 85,000 km2 if all the area between the southern Ontario populations and the Quebec outlier is taken into consideration. The true EO could be much smaller.
vii. Limiting biological factors: T. porteri is limited to calcareous rock substrates. It is dioicous (male and female reproductive structures occur on separate plants) and successful reproduction requires the co-occurrence of male and female plants.
PREPARED BY: Jennifer Doubt and Linda Le, January 2012
|
Reptiles |
Crotalus
viridis *
Prairie Rattlesnake
AB, SK
|
Two species of rattlesnake occur in western Canada and are members of the genus Crotalus, family Viperidae. These two species were, until recently, considered to be subspecies of the Western Rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis (CROTHER 2008). Using molecular techniques, Pook et al. (2000), Ashton and de Queiroz (2001) and Douglas et al. (2003) concluded that Crotalus viridis includes both an eastern and a western clade, one on each side of the Rocky Mountains. It was also postulated (Ashton and de Queiroz 2001) that there were sufficient differences between these two clades to justify individual species status, and additional information regarding phylogenetic separation (Douglas et al. 2003) supported this suggestion. These investigators proposed that the eastern clade is one species, the Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis), and that the six subspecies of the western clade are a second species, the Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus oregonus), which was assessed Threatened by COSEWIC in 2004.
The Prairie Rattlesnake is the only venomous snake in prairie Canada and may attain a total length of 1.5 m It is stout-bodied, with a triangular head and a distinctive neck, and a “rattle” at the end of the tail (Cook 1984). The dorsum has a series of large, brown to greenish or yellowish-brown blotches, which become bands along the tail. The background colour of the body and tail is pale brown or yellowish brown. The species occurs in three disjunct clusters, one in south east Alberta and two in west central Saskatchewan.
i. Taxonomic level: This is a valid, recently recognized, species native to Canada (Crother 2008).
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: < 5%.
iii. Existing global conservation status: GRANK: G5 (last reviewed 11 Jan 2006); NRANK: N3N4 (Canada, 2006); SRANK: S3 (AB), S3 (SK); COSEWIC: Not yet assessed. General Status of Species: AB May be at risk (2), SK Sensitive (3). AB Blue-listed
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Unknown. There are almost no data from Saskatchewan, and in Alberta, there is evidence of decline but population estimates are lacking (Watson and Russell 1997, Ernst and Quinlan 2006). In the Lethbridge area, long-term efforts to conserve rattlesnakes are having mixed success, suggesting a precarious future for the species (Ernst and Quinlan 2006). Overall, the species in Alberta seems to be declining toward the southeast (Watson and Russell 1997).
v. Threats: Prairie Rattlesnakes face a host of threats. They den communally which makes them vulnerable to disturbance by people, especially through deliberate persecution. Recent research (Jorgenson 2009) indicates that cultivation is a significant cause of mortality during foraging. Given that these snakes may move up to 30 km from their den during the active season, they are exposed to added mortality on roads, and from machinery associated with agriculture, and oil and gas extraction/exploration. Loss of natural grassland habitat is also a threat and causing fragmentation of the species’ range (Jorgenson 2009). Although the species is protected under provincial legislation, snakes can be killed if there is a perceived threat to human health.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: The species has a fragmented range limited to three small disjunct areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
vii. Limiting biological factors: Prairie Rattlesnakes take 3-7 years to reach sexual maturity and females only reproduce once every 2-3 years (Watson and Russell 1997). Thus, they are hampered by a low replacement rate and poor ability to rebound from declines.
References:
Alberta Wildlife Management Division. 1996. The status of Alberta wildlife. Alberta Natural Resources Service, Edmonton, Alberta. 44 pp.
Butler, J. R. and W. Roberts. 1987. Considerations in the protection and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Alberta. pp. 133-136 IN G. Holroyd, W. B. McGillivray, P. R. Stepney, D. M. Ealey, G. C. Trottier and K. E. Eberhart, eds. Proceedings of the Workshop on Endangered Species in the Prairie Provinces, January 24-26, 1986. Alberta Prov. Museum Nat. Hist. Natural History Occas. Paper No. 9. Edmonton, Alberta. 367 pp.
Cook, F. R. 1984. Introduction to Canadian amphibians and reptiles. Nat. Mus. Nat. Sci., Nat. Mus. Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. 200 pp.
Cottonwood Consultants Ltd. 1986. An overview of reptiles and amphibians in Alberta's grassland and parkland natural regions. Cottonwood Consultants Ltd., Calgary, Alberta. 62 pp.
Cottonwood Consultants Ltd. 1987. Alberta snake hibernacula survey. Unpubl. report for World Wildlife Fund, Wild West Program. 50 pp.
Crother, B.I. (Committee Chair). 2008. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in our Understanding, Sixth Edition, Committee on Standard and Scientific English Names, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular No. 37.
Didiuk, A. B. 1999. Suffield National Wildlife Area Biophysical Inventory: Amphibian and Reptile Component Report. Canadian Wildlife Service, Edmonton. 71 pp.
Ernst, RD. and RW. Quinlan. 2006. Rattlers and people: conserving rattlesnakes in Lethbridge. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. Alberta Species at Risk Report # 109.
Jorgensen, D. and J. Nicholson. 2007. Reproductive biology of female prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis viridis) in Alberta. Alberta Species at Risk Report No. 103 20 pp.
Jorgensen, D. 2009. The influence of landscape heterogeneity on migration patterns of prairie rattlesnakes in Alberta. Unpubl. MSc. Thesis, University of Calgary.
Kissner, K. J., D. M. Secoy and M. R. Forbes. 1996. Assessing population size and den use of prairie rattlesnakes Crotalus viridis viridis in southern Saskatchewan. Grasslands National Park Annual Report Vol. 1:27-34
Kissner, K.J. 1996. Factors affecting antipredator behaviour in the Western Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix haydeni) and the Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis. Unpub. MSc. thesis, Univ. Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan. 72 pp.
Macartney, J. M. and B. Weichel. 1989. Prairie rattlesnake survey and management plan. Unpubl. report to Sask. Nat. Hist. Soc., April 1989. 44 pp + app.
Macartney, J. M. and B. Weichel. 1992. Prairie rattlesnake and western racers in Saskatchewan: a recovery and management plan. Unpubl. report to Sask. Nat. Hist. Soc. 29 pp + app.
Macartney, J. M. and B. Weichel. 1993. Status of the prairie rattlesnake and the eastern yellow-bellied racer in Saskatchewan. pp. 291-299 IN G. Holroyd, H. Dickson, M. Regnier and H. Smith, eds. Proc. Third Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Workshop. Prov. Mus. Alberta Nat. Hist. Occas. Paper No. 19. 384 pp.
Pendlebury, G.B. 1977. Distribution and abundance of the Prairie Rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis viridis, in Canada. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 91(2):122-129.
Powell, L., A. Russell, H. Hill, N. O’Brien and J. Skilnick. 1998. A preliminary investigation of movements, habitat use, and population trends in the prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) in a multiple-use rural landscape in southeastern Alberta. Report to Alberta Sports, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation. 20 pp.
Watson, SM. and AP. Russell. 1997. Status of the Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis) in Alberta.
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Vascular Plants |
Rhynchospora
macrostachya *
Tall Beakrush
NS
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Rhynchospora macrostachya is a large sedge species of the North American Atlantic Coastal Plain with two populations recently discovered in southern Nova Scotia, disjunct by 470 km across the Gulf of Maine from the next nearest known population in southern Maine. One population of 300 individuals and a second of twelve individuals are known to occur on peaty lakeshores, all of which are on private land. The lakeshore is presently undeveloped but is within a region of intense cottage development, has good road access almost to the shore and is within 10 km of a major regional highway, making future development very likely. Numerous nearby lakes that may have supported populations of the sedge were flooded with the creation of the Lake Rossignol reservoir about 75 years ago. Many other high potential lakes within 25 km of the known site have been subject to botanical survey, a small number of additional populations may remain undiscovered. The species is part of a suite of rare, disjunct Atlantic Coastal Plain flora.
i. Taxonomic level: Species; very distinct, with no taxonomic issues
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: <1%
iii. Existing global conservation status: GRANK: G5 NRANK: N1 SRANK: S1
iv. Canadian population size and trends: ~300 and 12 individuals in two populations; likely stable but potentially threatened by future development.
V. Threats: Shoreline cottage development causing direct loss of individuals or alterations of habitat
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: Very small extent of occurrence and area of occupancy – all within two 2 x 2 km squares.
Vii. Limiting biological factors: Extensive unoccupied suitable habitat exists in southern Nova Scotia and its limited range in Canada is probably a consequence of colonization events having been very infrequent, perhaps in combination with loss of other nearby populations through historic water level alterations associated with hydroelectric power development.
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Erigeron
leibergii **
Leiberg’s Fleabane
BC
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Leiberg’s Fleabane is a small herbaceous flowering plant in the daisy family (Asteraceae) that is endemic to a small area along the border between British Columbia and Washington State (Chelan, Kittitas, and Okanagan Counties). It is a well-recognized species since it was first described by Piper (1901). It is evidently closely related to Cascade Fleabane (Erigeron cascadensis), although there is a significant geographic gap between the two (Cascade Fleabane is endemic to the Cascade and Calapooya mountains of central Oregon).
Most specimens of Leiberg’s Fleabane have been collected from dry, rocky, open to shaded slopes at elevations between 900 and 2,500 m (Nesom 2006). NatureServe (2011) ranks the species as G3?. There are about 40 known populations, most of them small and isolated, which might suggest a rank of G3 but the threats to the Washington populations have not been well-documented so a rank of G3G4 may be appropriate (Arnett pers. comm. 2012).
i. Taxonomic level: This is a valid, recently recognized, species native to Canada (Nesom 2006; ITIS 2012).
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: < 5%.
iii. Existing global conservation status: GRANK: G3? (last reviewed 26 July 2000); NRANK: N1 (Canada, 2011); SRANK: S1 (BC); COSEWIC: Not yet assessed. General Status of Species in Canada: 2 (2010).
iv. Canadian population size and trends: There is one valid Canadian record, based on a 1980 collection, which provides habitat and location information that is apparently accurate to about a 3 km search area. A cursory search in 2005 (Fairbarns, pers. obs.) failed to detect the population but only a small portion of the search area was examined. It appears that the total Canadian population is probably well under 250 individuals.
v. Threats: In Canada, the area where Leiberg’s Fleabane was collected is subject to logging, grazing and invasion by non-native plants. Approximately 75% of the habitat within 5 km of the reported location has been recently clear-cut and the harvest blocks include numerous areas of rocky habitat where Leiberg’s Fleabane could grow. A diverse assemblage of invasive grass and forb species is common within the open habitats where it is most likely to occur. The rocky terrain favoured by Leiberg’s Fleabane is unlikely to receive heavy grazing pressure but livestock are grazed in the area and may damage Leiberg’s Fleabane when crossing between areas of better forage quality.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: Both EO and IAO are highly restricted for this species. There is a single known occurrence in Canada.
vii. Limiting biological factors: In Canada, which is the northern limit of its range, the species is likely restricted to exceptionally warm, south-facing rocky slopes.
References:
Arnett, J. pers. comm. 2012. E-mail to Matt Fairbarns, February 6, 2012. Rare Plant Botanist, Washington Natural Heritage Program.
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria. 2012. Web site: http://www.pnwherbaria.org/index.php [accessed February 6, 2012]
ITIS 2012. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Web site: http://www.itis.gov/ [accessed February 6, 2012]
NatureServe. 2011. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer [accessed: February 6, 2012].
Nesom, G.L. 2006. Erigeron. In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 20:256–348.
Piper, C.V. 1901. New and noteworthy Northwestern plants. – V. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 28: 39-45.
PREPARED BY: Matt Fairbarns, February 6, 2012
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Boechera
quebecensis **
Quebec Rockcress
QC
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Boechera quebecensis is an herbaceous plant of the mustard family. It was discovered in Quebec in 1907 near Rimouski. Since then it has been found in few other places in the Gaspe Peninsula and the St. Lawrence Estuary regions. Its global range is restricted to Quebec where it grows on calcareous rock outcrops and talus slopes. The taxon was first included with Arabis holboellii var. holboellii (Fernald 1914), then with A. divaricata var. dechamplainii (Boivin, 1967) and then with A. boivinii (Mulligan 1995) before being recognized as a distinctive species (Windham and Al-Shehbaz 2007). It was designated threatened in Quebec in December 2011 under the Loi sur les espèces menaces ou vulnérables du Québec (L.R.Q., chapitre E-12.01). The distribution of Boechera quebecensis is mainly limited by the shores of maritime limestone. The species only grows in a very limited number of sites in an otherwise seemingly common habitat. Population density is generally low. The overall number is small, probably about 400 individuals. Occurrences are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances and catastrophic events, especially rock falls.
i. Taxonomic level: This is a valid, recently recognized, species endemic to Canada. Morphological evidence suggests that Boechera quebecensis is an apomictic species that arose through hybridization between B. holboellii and B. stricta (Windham and Al-Shehbaz 2007; Al-Shehbaz and Windham 2010).
ii. Proportion of global range in Canada: 100%
iii. Existing global conservation status: GRANK: G1 NRANK: N1 SRANK: S1
iv. Canadian population size and trends: Five extant populations are known. Total population size about 400 individuals. Populations are very small having between 25 and 300 individuals. Recent trends unknown, however historical decline in one of the sites (Bic population) has been documented.
v. Threats: Falling rocks, collecting, and trampling are identified threats; residential development is considered a potential but not imminent threat.
vi. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: Extent of occurrence about 250 km2 of disconnected habitat. Index of Area of Occupancy ~ 20 km square (five 2 km2 x 2 km2).
vii. Limiting biological factors: Unoccupied suitable habitats are widespread. For unknown reason the species seems unable to colonize them. The competition with shrubs may be a limiting factor in some areas.
References:
Al-Shehbaz, I.A., and M.D. Windham. 2010. Boechera. p. 401. In Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 16+ vols. New York and Oxford. Vol. 3.
Boivin, B. 1967. Énumération des plantes du Canada. VI I– Résumé statistique et regions adjacentes. Naturalistes canadien 94 : 625-655.
Dignard, N. 2008. La situation de l’arabette du Québec (Boechera quebecensis) au Québec. Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, rapport non publié préparré pour le CDPNQ, 17 pp.
Fernald, M.L. 1914. Some Antennarias of Northeastern America. Rhodora: 129-134.
Mulligan, G.A. 1995. Synopsis of the genus Arabis (Brassicaceae) in Canada, Alaska and Greenland. Rhodora 97: 109-163.
Windham, M.D. and I. Al-Shehbaz. 2007. New and noteworthy species of Boechera (Brassicaceae) II. Apomictic hybrids. Harvard Papers in Botany 11: 257-274.
PREPARED BY: Stephanie Pellerin, Montreal Botanical Garden. February 2012
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