Lecture 16: Protection of Species

what are the 4 different approaches for making conservation priorities?

• the species approach

• the ecosystem approach

• the wilderness approach

• the hotspot approach

what is the species approach?

often chooses a particular species to conserve, usually one that is endangered or rare, is a keystone species, or has cultural significance

• may be an indicator species: serve as a measure of the environmental conditions of a location (amphibians, mussels)

• may be a flagship species: species on the verge of extinction that are used to draw attention from the public (giant panda, polar bears, elephants)

what are the reasons why a species would be given high conservation status?

• distinctiveness: irreplaceable, taxonomically distinct, population with unique genetic characteristics

• utility: high value to people, like those with cultural significance or medicinal effects

• endangerment: species that are endangered

what is the ecosystem approach?

protects an ecosystem so it cna preserve more than one species and provide more value. easier to provide economic value to policymakers and the public

• a representative site needs to be identified

• a rapid assessment program needs to be made

• a combination of a species and ecosystem approach tends to work well

what is the wilderness approach?

large areas of land that have been minimally affected by human activity, have a low population density, and are not likely to be developed soon. they tend to be good for large mammals

what are the 5 kinds of public land in America that help conserve land?

• national parks: large areas of land protected for many resources including natural and historic. strives to preserve the landscapes unaltered. 63 national parks in the US

• national forests: not as invested in preservation as national parks but still does set aside land that can benefit wildlife and others. mandated to be multi-use such as timber, recreation, hunting, grazing

• national wildlife refuges: overseen by US Fish and Wildlife. safeguard wildlife populations and habitat but also provides many recreational activities.

• national conservation areas: lands set aside for the beenfit and enjoyment of present and future generations. overseen by bureau of land management

• wilderness areas: areas that have been less influenced by human activity. few roads and development. overseen by the US forest service. can be part of a national park, national wildlife refuge, or national conservation area

• wild and scenic rivers: preserves rivers and surround land for species and habitat. rivers must be free flowing and have not been damned or altered in any way. managed by several agencies

what is the hotspot approach?

uses areas of high species diversity, endemism, and risk of species extinction. 35 global hotspots have been identified. small local areas of high species diversity and endemism under threats of extinctions can also be identified for groups of species.

what is the Lacey Act (1900)?

• first federal law to protect wildlife

• introduced by congressman john lacey

• originally it was to protect game animals and birds from being killed in one state and sold in a different state

• it has been amended and it now helps to combat the illegal trafficking of wildlife, fish, and plants and even covers timber and timber products

• came about due to the growing concern of the interstate market and illegally taking game species, such as the passenger pigeon.

• carolina parakeet - extinct by 1918

what is the migratory bird treaty act? (1918)

• passed to end commercial trade in birds and their feather and provided full protection to all native species

• the law specifies that it is illegal to take protected migratory birds and their eggs, feathers, or nests without a permit

• equally protects native birds that stay in the same area and those that migrate

what was the duck stamp act (1934)?

• requires waterfowl hunters to purchase and possess a valid federal waterfowl hunting stamp prior to taking migratory waterfowl

• 98 cents of every dollar goes directy to conserving land that is habitat for ducks and waterfowl

what is the marine mammal protection act? (1972)

• prohibits the taking of marine animals ot to import/export marine mammals and marine animal products and parts in/out of the US without a permit

• first act that required an ecosystem approach to wildlife conservation

what is the endangered species act (1973)?

• meant to protect and recover species at risk of extinction and to promote the conservation of ecosystems and habitats necessary for the survival of those species

• prohibits importing, exporting, taking, possessing, selling, and transporting of endangered or threatened species and provides for the designation of vital habitat and prohibits destruction of that habitat

when was the first endangered species list released? what were some important species that were on the list?

1967

• grizzly bear

• american alligator

• florida manatee

• bald eagle

does the ESA work?

• 99% success rate in preventing extinction for wildlife under its care and has helpeto protect millions of acres of wildlife habitat

• ESA has shown to decrease habitat loss if a species is listed

• seems to work better than red list

what are safe harbor agreements?

a private landowner voluntarily enters an agreement that commits to restoring or enhancing habitat for threatened and endangered species under the ESA

in return, the government pledges to not add any more restrictions to the land and the landowner receives legal immunity to some act normally prohibited by the ESA

what is the IUCN red list?

• a system to categorize extinction risk to prioritize conservation efforts at the national and international level

• currently lists 150,000 species

• updated at least 2x a yr

• red list categories assess range, pop size, habitat and ecology, use and trade, threats, and conservation actions

how many categories of the red list are there? what do they indicate?

9. they indicate how threatened a species is. the most extremely threatened categories are vulnerable, endangered, and extinct. based on many different factors

being considered threatened by the red list requires one of these factors:

• large and quick population decline

• a small geographic range

• small population size

what 3 criteria must be met for a species to be considered fully recoverd?

• a species must be present in all parts of its range where it was found prior to major human impacts

• the species is not threatened in all parts of its range

• the species is performing its ecological functions in all parts of its range