Mammals |
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| Grizzly Bear | Ursus arctos | Extinct |
| Ungava population | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This large carnivore existed as a relict population on the Ungava peninsula of northern Quebec and Labrador until the 20th century. It has not been documented since at least 1948, and is unlikely to be replaced through natural dispersal. |
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| Range QC NL | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Not at Risk in April 1979. Split into two populations in April 1991 (Prairie population and Northwestern population). In May 2012, the entire species was re-examined and split into two populations (Western and Ungava populations). The newly-defined Ungava population was designated Extinct in May 2012. |
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| Blue Whale | Balaenoptera musculus | Endangered |
| Atlantic population | ||
| Assessment Criteria A2abd; D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation Whaling reduced the original population of this species. The population size is unknown but there are likely fewer than 250 mature individuals in Canada. There are also strong indications of a low calving rate and a low rate of recruitment into the population. The known causes of human-induced mortality of this species in Canada and elsewhere are ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear. The species may also be vulnerable to disturbances due to increased noise in the marine environment and to changes in the abundance of its prey (zooplankton) through, for example, long-term changes in the climate. |
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| Range Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Special Concern in April 1983. Split into two populations in May 2002. The Atlantic population was designated Endangered in May 2002. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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| Blue Whale | Balaenoptera musculus | Endangered |
| Pacific population | ||
| Assessment Criteria A2abd; D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation Individuals off the coast of British Columbia are likely part of a northeastern Pacific population that was depleted by whaling. The infrequency of observations (visual and acoustic) suggests their numbers are currently very low (significantly less than 250 mature individuals). Threats to this species along the coast of British Columbia are poorly known, but may include ship strikes, anthropogenic noise, entanglement in fishing gear, and long-term changes in climate (which could affect the abundance of their zooplankton prey). |
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| Range Pacific Ocean | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Special Concern in April 1983. Split into two populations in May 2002. The Pacific population was designated Endangered in May 2002. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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| Grizzly Bear | Ursus arctos | Special Concern |
| Western population | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation The global distribution of this large-bodied carnivore has declined by over 50% since the 1800s, with western Canada representing a significant core of the current North American range. A habitat generalist, its distribution and relative abundance in the absence of humans is largely driven by habitat productivity and seasonality. It is highly sensitive to human disturbance and is subject to high mortality risk in areas of human activity and where roads create access. Population estimates in much of the range are highly uncertain; the Canadian population is estimated at 26,000, but the number of mature individuals is uncertain and could be close to 10,000. While there is no evidence of a decline in the overall population during the past 20 years and increasing numbers of records indicating some range expansion in the north, a number of populations in the southern extent of its range in Alberta and southern BC are known to be declining and there are concerns about unsustainable mortality rates there and in parts of Yukon. There is strong evidence of genetic fragmentation in the southern parts of its range where some populations are increasingly isolated and subject to demographic stochasticity. Their poor condition in some parts of the range, combined with their naturally low reproductive rates and increasing pressures of resource extraction and cumulative impacts in currently intact parts of the range, heighten concern for this species if such pressures are not successfully reversed. |
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| Range YT NT NU BC AB MB | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Not at Risk in April 1979. Split into two populations in April 1991 (Prairie population and Northwestern population). The Prairie population was designated Extirpated in April 1991. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000 and in May 2002. The Northwestern population was designated Special Concern in April 1991 and confirmed in May 2002. In May 2012, the entire species was re-examined and the Prairie and Northwestern populations were considered a single unit. This newly-defined Western population was designated Special Concern in May 2012. |
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| Mountain Beaver | Aplodontia rufa | Special Concern |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation The range of this species in Canada has contracted by 29% in the last 50 years and expansion into new habitat is constrained by large rivers. Within its range, habitat loss from urban development continues, and soil compaction caused by heavy machinery limits the use of otherwise suitable habitat. Climate change may further affect this species because it requires humid microclimates and low ambient temperatures. Rescue effect potential is limited by the short dispersal rates of the species and areas of unsuitable habitat along the border with the United States. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Not at Risk in April 1984. Status re-examined and designated Special Concern in April 1999. Status re-examined and confirmed in November 2001 and May 2012. |
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Birds |
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| Marbled Murrelet | Brachyramphus marmoratus | Threatened |
| Assessment Criteria A4c | ||
| Reason for Designation This small seabird is largely dependent on old growth coastal forests in British Columbia for nesting. Habitat loss has been estimated at over 20% for the past three generations. Future threats including ongoing habitat loss, coupled with increased threats from proposed shipping routes in the core of the species’ range, increased fragmentation from a variety of proposed and recently initiated developments, fisheries bycatch and changing at sea conditions have resulted in projected population losses exceeding 30% over the next three generations. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in April 1990. Status re-examined and confirmed in November 2000 and May 2012. |
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| Western Screech-Owl kennicottii subspecies | Megascops kennicottii kennicottii | Threatened |
| Assessment Criteria C1 | ||
| Reason for Designation This small owl has shown serious declines in the southern part of its range in Metro Vancouver, Victoria and the Gulf Islands areas, where it has nearly disappeared over the last 10 to 15 years. Based on observed declines reported in Alaska, it has likely also declined in the northern part of its range, but the magnitude of the decline is unknown. The population is thought to be relatively small (less than 10,000 adults) and the owls face ongoing threats including predation from newly established populations of Barred Owls, and the removal of dead trees and snags, which serve as nest sites and roosts. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Species considered in April 1995 and placed in the Data Deficient category. It was split according to subspecies in May 2002. The kennicottii subspecies was designated Special Concern in May 2002. Status re-examined and designated Threatened in May 2012. |
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| Western Screech-Owl macfarlanei subspecies | Megascops kennicottii macfarlanei | Threatened |
| Assessment Criteria D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation The Canadian population of this owl is small, numbering between 350 and 500 adults, but is larger than previously estimated based on recent survey effort and has a much wider range in southern British Columbia than previously thought. The population has been apparently stable over the last 10 years, but faces ongoing threats especially from the loss of mature trees needed for nesting and roost sites. The loss of these trees is associated with urban and agricultural developments and degradation of riparian woodlands. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Species considered in April 1995 and placed in the Data Deficient category. It was split according to subspecies in May 2002. The macfarlanei subspecies was designated Endangered in May 2002. Status re-examined and designated Threatened in May 2012. |
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| Baird's Sparrow | Ammodramus bairdii | Special Concern |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation Canada supports about 60% of the breeding population of this prairie songbird. The species was common and perhaps even abundant historically. It suffered declines stemming from agricultural conversion of its native prairie habitat across the Great Plains. There is good evidence for population declines in recent decades, but the species is difficult to monitor effectively, and information on short-term population trends is relatively weak. Loss and degradation of its specialized grassland habitat, on both its breeding and wintering grounds, are believed to pose the most significant threats. Evidence of long-term population declines, coupled with ongoing threats to habitat, are the primary reasons for elevating the status of this species from Not at Risk to Special Concern. |
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| Range AB SK MB | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in April 1989. Status re-examined and designated Not at Risk in April 1996. Status re-examined and designated Special Concern in May 2012. |
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| Buff-breasted Sandpiper | Tryngites subruficollis | Special Concern |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation The Canadian Arctic supports about 87% of the North American breeding range of this shorebird, and about 75% of its global population. The species was once common and perhaps even abundant historically, but it suffered severe declines stemming from intensive market hunting in the late 1800s and early 1900s. By the 1920s, it was thought to be at the brink of extinction. Its population has grown since hunting was banned in North America, but numbers remain much lower than those before hunting began. There is evidence for population decline in recent decades, and many conservation organizations consider the species to be of concern throughout its range. However, this species is difficult to monitor effectively, and data necessary to estimate population trends are currently lacking. Outside the breeding period, loss and degradation of its specialized grassland habitat, both on its wintering grounds in South America and along its migration routes, are believed to pose the most significant threats. |
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| Range YT NT NU BC AB SK MB ON QC | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in May 2012. |
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| Hooded Warbler | Setophaga citrina | Not at Risk |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation In Canada, the range and abundance of this forest-nesting species have increased substantially since the species was last assessed. The species has also experienced a significant long-term increase in abundance in the core of its range in the United States, so there is an outside source for rescue. However, habitat degradation at breeding sites and habitat loss and degradation at migration stopover sites and on the wintering grounds are potential threats. |
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| Range ON | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in April 1994. Status re-examined and confirmed in November 2000. Status re-examined and designated Not at Risk in May 2012. |
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Reptiles |
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| Pacific Gophersnake | Pituophis catenifer catenifer | Extirpated |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This large snake, found in extreme southwestern British Columbia, has not been observed in the Canadian wild in more than 50 years. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Extirpated in May 2002. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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| Pacific Pond Turtle | Actinemys marmorata | Extirpated |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This species has not been observed in the Canadian wild in over 50 years. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Extirpated in May 2002. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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| Blue Racer | Coluber constrictor foxii | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v); C2a(i,ii); D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation This large snake has an extremely restricted distribution and in Canada, occurs only on Pelee Island in southern Ontario. Despite efforts to protect dwindling habitat, it remains at low numbers. Threats include loss and fragmentation of habitat, increased road mortality and persecution. |
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| Range ON | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 1991. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2002 and May 2012. |
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| Leatherback Sea Turtle | Dermochelys coriacea | Endangered |
| Pacific population | ||
| Assessment Criteria A2abd | ||
| Reason for Designation The Pacific population of this species has collapsed by over 90% in the last generation. Continuing threats include fisheries bycatch, marine debris, coastal and offshore resource development, illegal harvest of eggs and turtles, and climate change. |
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| Range Pacific Ocean | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Endangered in April 1981. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2001. Split into two populations in May 2012. The Pacific population was designated Endangered in May 2012. |
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| Leatherback Sea Turtle | Dermochelys coriacea | Endangered |
| Atlantic population | ||
| Assessment Criteria A2abd+4abd | ||
| Reason for Designation Globally, this species is estimated to have declined by more than 70%. In the Atlantic, this species continues to be impacted by fisheries bycatch, coastal and offshore resource development, marine pollution, poaching of eggs, changes to nesting beaches and climate change. Canadian waters provide an important foraging area for these turtles. There they are threatened by entanglement in longline and fixed fishing gear. |
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| Range Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Endangered in April 1981. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2001. Split into two populations in May 2012. The Atlantic population was designated Endangered in May 2012. |
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Amphibians |
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| Northern Dusky Salamander | Desmognathus fuscus | Endangered |
| Carolinian population | ||
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii); D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation This species is restricted to one small creek sustained by groundwater seepage on the steep slope of a gorge vulnerable to erosion, atmospheric deposition of pollutants and habitat acidification. The population is small and susceptible to ecological, demographic and genetic stochasticity. |
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| Range ON | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Not at Risk in April 1999. Split into two populations in May 2012. The Carolinian population was designated Endangered in May 2012. |
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| Northern Dusky Salamander | Desmognathus fuscus | Not at Risk |
| Quebec / New Brunswick population | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation The species remains widespread in Quebec and New Brunswick and, with additional search effort, many new sites have been discovered in recent years. Although there have been local extirpations and there are numerous ongoing threats, the species does not seem to be declining significantly, or at risk. |
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| Range QC NB | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Not at Risk in April 1999. Split into two populations in May 2012. The Quebec / New Brunswick population was designated Not at Risk in May 2012. |
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Fishes |
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| Enos Lake Benthic Threespine Stickleback | Gasterosteus aculeatus | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria A2ace; B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v); C2a(ii) | ||
| Reason for Designation This small fish occurs in a single lake in south coastal British Columbia where it has now formed a hybrid swarm with a co-existing stickleback. Although it is possible that a small number of genetically-pure fish still exist in the lake, the ongoing presence of an invasive crayfish, and associated habitat degradation, continue to place this species at a high risk of extinction. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Original designation (including both Benthic and Limnetic species) was Threatened in April 1988. Split into two species when re-examined in November 2002 and the Enos Lake Benthic Threespine Stickleback was designated Endangered. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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| Enos Lake Limnetic Threespine Stickleback | Gasterosteus aculeatus | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria A2ace; B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v); C2a(ii) | ||
| Reason for Designation This small fish occurs in a single lake in south coastal British Columbia where it has now formed a hybrid swarm with a co-existing stickleback. Although it is possible that a small number of genetically-pure fish still exist in the lake, the ongoing presence of an invasive crayfish, and associated habitat degradation, continue to place this species at a high risk of extinction. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Original designation (including both Benthic and Limnetic species) was Threatened in April 1988. Split into two species when re-examined in November 2002 and the Enos Lake Limnetic Threespine Stickleback was designated Endangered. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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| Northern Madtom | Noturus stigmosus | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) | ||
| Reason for Designation This species is one of the rarest freshwater fish in Ontario, being found at only four locations in river systems in southwestern Ontario. Substantial and ongoing threats in these rivers include siltation, turbidity, exotic species and toxic compounds, which have all been assessed as high levels of concern. Although there may be some localized improvement in habitat, overall there is an inferred continuing decline in habitat quality and substantial ongoing threats throughout its range. |
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| Range ON | ||
| Status History Species considered in April 1993 and placed in the Data Deficient category. Re-examined in April 1998 and designated Special Concern. Status re-examined and designated Endangered in November 2002 and May 2012. |
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| Silver Chub | Macrhybopsis storeriana | Endangered |
| Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence populations | ||
| Assessment Criteria A2bce; B2ab(v) | ||
| Reason for Designation This small-bodied fish is native to the middle Great Lakes and has a small distribution range in Canada. Its abundance has declined substantially over the past ten years. Moreover, the longest consecutive time series of lowest abundance has been observed over the last five years. The species is assessed at high risk of extirpation from several threats including habitat degradation, competition with invasive exotic species, and climate change. This species is considered at risk in several border states, including Michigan and New York. |
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| Range ON | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Special Concern in April 1985. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2001. Split into two populations in May 2012. The "Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence populations" unit was designated Endangered in May 2012. |
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| Smooth Skate | Malacoraja senta | Endangered |
| Funk Island Deep population | ||
| Assessment Criteria A2bc | ||
| Reason for Designation There have been steep declines in abundance of both adult and young individuals in this designatable unit (DU) since the early 1980s. While numbers of adults appear to have increased over the past five years, the overall abundance remains very low. These trends in abundance are matched by strong reductions in area of occupancy. There are no targeted fisheries for this species, and bycatches have been declining since the early 1980s. However, it has continued to decline even in areas with low trawling intensity. |
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| Range NL Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in May 2012. |
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| American Eel | Anguilla rostrata | Threatened |
| Assessment Criteria A2b | ||
| Reason for Designation This species is widespread in eastern Canada, but has experienced dramatic declines over a significant portion of its distribution (e.g., Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River). Although trends in abundance in other areas are highly variable, strong declines are apparent in several indices. Continuing habitat degradation, especially owing to dams and pollution, and existing fisheries in Canada and elsewhere may constrain recovery. |
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| Range ON QC NB PE NS NL Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in April 2006. Status re-examined and designated Threatened in May 2012. |
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| Plains Minnow | Hybognathus placitis | Threatened |
| Assessment Criteria D2 | ||
| Reason for Designation This small fish has a very limited distribution in Canada at only one or two locations, both of which are small streams subject to drought. The species requires long stretches of flowing water to complete its life cycle. Further threats to water supply from additional irrigation dams and excessive drought would increase risks to this species. |
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| Range SK | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in May 2012. |
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| Pugnose Minnow | Opsopoeodus emiliae | Threatened |
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(i,ii,iii)+2ab(i,ii,ii) | ||
| Reason for Designation This fish is a small-bodied species with a restricted and declining distribution that inhabits river, stream and lake habitats. The species is threatened by habitat loss, habitat degradation from nutrient and sediment loading, climate change and several exotic species. The overall level of threat has been assessed as high. |
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| Range ON | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in April 1985. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000. Status re-examined and designated Threatened in May 2012. |
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| Blackstripe Topminnow | Fundulus notatus | Special Concern |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This small-bodied fish is found in a single river system across approximately ten locations in southwestern Ontario. Its habitat has been degraded owing to urbanization, industrialization, intensive agricultural activity, and removal of streamside vegetation. Although the species is relatively tolerant of low oxygen levels and high sediment loads, if its habitat quality declines further it could become threatened. |
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| Range ON | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in April 1985. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2001 and May 2012. |
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| Smooth Skate | Malacoraja senta | Special Concern |
| Laurentian-Scotian population | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This designatable unit (DU) historically accounts for 90% of the species’ estimated abundance in Canada and 70% of the Canadian range. Trends vary among regions within this large DU, but overall numbers have likely been increasing in recent years. However, on the Scotian Shelf, which used to be the centre of abundance for this species, both abundance and area of occupancy have declined steeply since the 1970s, and numbers remain low. It is not clear what has caused the trends to differ among areas. There are no directed fisheries for this species, and bycatches have been low for the past decade in this DU. There have been recent increases in natural mortality of adults in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. |
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| Range QC NB PE NS Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in May 2012. |
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| Thorny Skate | Amblyraja radiata | Special Concern |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation These slow-growing, late-maturing fish have undergone severe population declines over the southern part of their distribution, including range contractions. The southern declines have continued in spite of a reduction in fishing mortality. In contrast, the abundance of mature individuals in the northern part of their range has been increasing, approaching abundance levels observed at the beginning of surveys (mid-1970s). Thus, while the species as a whole does not meet the criteria for a Threatened status, declines and range contractions in the south are causes for concern. |
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| Range NU QC NB PE NS NL Arctic Ocean Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in May 2012. |
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| Silver Chub | Macrhybopsis storeriana | Not at Risk |
| Saskatchewan - Nelson River populations | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This small-bodied fish inhabits rivers and lakes in the Saskatchewan-Nelson watershed. There is no evidence of decline in abundance or range, and recent sampling suggests that this is a widespread species, but one which is not particularly abundant anywhere in the watershed. |
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| Range MB | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Special Concern in April 1985. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2001. Split into two populations in May 2012. The "Saskatchewan - Nelson River populations" unit was designated Not at Risk in May 2012. |
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| Smooth Skate | Malacoraja senta | Data Deficient |
| Hopedale Channel population | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This designatable unit is at the northern limit of this species’ range, and surveys here have been sporadic (14 surveys since 1977, not always complete). Although available information suggests that the extent of occurrence has fluctuated over time, with an increase since 1990, and that the number of mature individuals seems to have fluctuated without trend, perhaps increasing in recent years, inferences are hampered by the paucity of data and by changes in sampling gear. High data uncertainty therefore prevents status determination. There are no targeted fisheries for this species, and bycatches appear to have been low since the mid 1990s. |
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| Range NL Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Status History Species considered in May 2012 and placed in the Data Deficient category. |
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| Smooth Skate | Malacoraja senta | Data Deficient |
| Nose of the Grand Bank Population | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This designatable unit (DU) is a minor part (1.9%) of the global distribution of this species. Fish were encountered in only 11 of 37 years of surveys, with an average number of fish/year of 0.7. Too little is known to assess status in this DU, including abundance and area of occupancy. |
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| Range Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Status History Species considered in May 2012 and placed in the Data Deficient category. |
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Arthropods |
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| Behr's Hairstreak | Satyrium behrii columbia | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | ||
| Reason for Designation This small butterfly is restricted to antelope-brush habitat in British Columbia, a habitat that has decreased considerably in extent in the past century and remains under threat due to land use change (conversion to viticulture, residential and commercial development) and the impact of fire. It rarely disperses much more than 120 m and persists in small, isolated fragments of habitat, which continue to decline in area and quality. Large annual fluctuations in population size, as documented for the largest Canadian population, increase the species’ vulnerability and call into question its long term viability. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in November 2000. Status re-examined and designated Endangered in May 2012. |
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| Island Blue | Plebejus saepiolus insulanus | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) | ||
| Reason for Designation This species has not been documented in the field since 1979. However, search effort is insufficient to conclude that the species is extinct. Any remaining populations in its historical range must occur within a very small distributional range and are likely in decline due to declining habitat quality from invasive plants. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in November 2000. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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| Weidemeyer's Admiral | Limenitis weidemeyerii | Special Concern |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This large butterfly has a small Canadian population and is restricted to valleys and prairie coulees of southern Alberta. The threat of invasive Russian Olive and Saltcedar that outcompete the butterfly’s larval host plant is predicted to increase. |
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| Range AB | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in May 2000. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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Molluscs |
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| Magnum Mantleslug | Magnipelta mycophaga | Special Concern |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This large slug, up to 80 mm in length, is regionally endemic to the northern Columbia Basin in western North America. About half of the species’ global range extends into southeastern British Columbia. It occurs in a number of widely separated habitat patches and is confined to cool, moist places in coniferous forests at mid to high elevations. While hundreds of sites have been searched for slugs and land snails within the range of this slug, mostly within the past decade, as of November 2010 there are only 13 records for it in Canada. Since the 1960s its habitat has become increasingly fragmented. The number and variety of threats including logging, recreational developments and activities, wildfire, and changes in moisture regimes caused by climate change increase the level of risk. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in May 2012. |
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Vascular Plants |
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| Tiny Cryptantha | Cryptantha minima | Threatened |
| Assessment Criteria B1b(iii)c(iv)+2b(iii)c(iv) | ||
| Reason for Designation This small herbaceous annual plant is limited in Canada to a small area of grassland habitat in southeastern Alberta and adjacent southwestern Saskatchewan. Though a larger range and population size are now known due to greatly increased search effort, the species remains under threat from residential and industrial development, agricultural activities, altered hydrological regimes, and a lack of fire and grazing which allows encroachment of competing vegetation, such as invasive species. The species’ extent and quality of habitat continue to decline and it is subject to extreme fluctuations in population size, which increases its vulnerability. |
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| Range AB SK | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 1998. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000. Status re-examined and designated Threatened in May 2012. |
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| Goldencrest | Lophiola aurea | Special Concern |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation In Canada, this Atlantic Coastal Plain plant is found only in Nova Scotia at a few lake shores and wetlands. The Canadian population primarily reproduces vegetatively and is genetically distinct and geographically disjunct from the nearest populations in New Jersey 800 km to the south. Revisions to the COSEWIC assessment criteria since the species’ last assessment account, in part, for the change in its risk status. Recent intensive surveys have also determined that the population is larger than previously thought. However, the species is subject to ongoing threats from development and habitat alteration. |
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| Range NS | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in April 1987. Status re-examined and confirmed in April 1999 and in May 2000. Status re-examined and designated Special Concern in May 2012. |
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Mosses |
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| Incurved Grizzled Moss | Ptychomitrium incurvum | Extirpated |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This small moss is widely distributed in the deciduous forests of eastern North America, with a frequency of occurrence that declines toward the northern portion of its range. In Canada, the only known record for the species is from the Carolinian zone of southern Ontario (Niagara Falls) in 1825. Despite considerable search effort in the region, the species has never been rediscovered. |
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| Range ON | ||
| Status History Designated Extirpated in November 2002. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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| Margined Streamside Moss | Scouleria marginata | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation This large, showy moss occurs just above water’s edge along small montane streams. A rare western North American endemic, it is known in Canada from a single occurrence in southern British Columbia. Although the species has not been found in recent surveys, it may be present in nearby watersheds. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in November 2002. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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| Silver Hair Moss | Fabronia pusilla | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation This is a small species that grows among other mosses as an epiphyte on trees or on rock faces. In Canada, it is known from only one cliff in southwestern British Columbia. Although the species has not been found during recent surveys, the expanse of available habitat at the only known site, combined with the small stature of the moss, suggests that the species may still be present in Canada. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in November 2002. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2012. |
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*The reports on Georgia Basin Bog Spider (Ghaphosa snohomish) and Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis) were withdrawn to allow inclusion of recent information. It is anticipated that these wildlife species will be re-considered by COSEWIC in November 2012.