1 / 20

Endangered Species: Politics and Biology

Endangered Species: Politics and Biology. EEOB 661 19 November 2003. Perspectives on the Issue of Endangered Species. Extinction in geological and human history Why save endangered species? Political-Legal: Public willingness to support the cost

kennice
Download Presentation

Endangered Species: Politics and Biology

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Endangered Species: Politics and Biology EEOB 661 19 November 2003

  2. Perspectives on the Issue of Endangered Species • Extinction in geological and human history • Why save endangered species? • Political-Legal: Public willingness to support the cost • Systematics, natural history, and ecology of endangered species: All present problems for the ESA

  3. Mt Graham Red Squirrel • Endangered Subspecies • Critical habitat: spruce-fir forest • Estimates of abundance over time • A lesson for conservationists? • Lessons for biologists? t Graham Red Squirrel Tamias hudsonicus grahamensis

  4. Mt Graham Red Squirrel • Endangered Subspecies • Critical habitat: spruce-fir forest • Estimates of abundance over time • A lesson for conservationists? t Graham Red Squirrel Tamias hudsonicus grahamensis

  5. Characteristics of Endangered Species : • Low natality and low natural mortality • Specialized, narrow habitat or environmental requirements • Historically restricted in distribution, on periphery of range or low in density • Adapted to stable, undisturbed communities

  6. Case Studies of Endangered Species • Kirtland’s Warbler: a “r-selected” species nesting in a “disturbed” habitat • Specialized nesting habitat: Below jack pine, 6-13 yr. old- 5-18 ft high in north-central Mich. • Adapted to a seral (disturbed) community • The cowbird problem: a result of forest fragmentation?

  7. Kirtland’s Warbler Six slides of warblers & habitat • _________ • _________ • ___________ • ____________ • ________________ • _____________________

  8. 12,000 ha. Of 54, 000 ha Pine Plnatations Cowbird Trapping

  9. California Condor • k-selected patterns of natality and mortality i e.___________? • Restriction of historical distribution in southwest US • The roles of egg collecting and pesticides http://endangered.fws.gov/i/B0G.html

  10. Characteristics of Endangered Species : • Low natality and low natural mortality • Specialized, narrow habitat or environmental requirements • Historically restricted in distribution, on periphery of range or low in density • Adapted to stable, undisturbed communities

  11. Causes for Endangered status: • Loss or degradation of habitat and/or overexploitation ? • Life history characteristics • Do “extinction vortices/ PVA” come into play with small, isolated populations? • Black-footed ferret – (see Meffe & Carroll)

  12. History of Endangered Species Legislation • 1966-1969: 1st laws, • basic policies developed, • Also CITES

  13. 1973-Endangered Species Act • Defined the categories of Endangered and Threatened • Required federal agencies to protect “critical habitat” • Cooperative agreements and recovery plans • Provided for U.S. Implementation of CITES 1978-Endangered Species Amendment Act • Exemptions allow to Section 7 (Review Board) • Tellico Dam- Congress’ lesson for environmentalists

  14. Petition to list – any U.S. citizen Criteria for Listing: 1) habitat, 2) distrib & abundance, 3) exploitation, 4) protection 90-day Finding – Publish in Fed Register? 1 year finding: Warrented or Not Listing and the strategy for delisting: 1)Recovery Plan, 2)Cooperative Agreements Administrative Procedures for Listing Endangered Species

  15. The Process of Listing • Petition to the Fish & Wildlife Service to have a species added or removed from the Endangered Species List. • Who has status to petition the USF & WS? • Example: The spotted owl • Criteria for Listing of a species or subspecies: • 1) Loss of habitat • 2) Continuous decline in abundance or distribution • 3) Overexploitation • 4) Inadequate regulations for protection

  16. Recovery Plansvery Plans: • If the species or subspecies is listed, the • The goal is to remove species from the List. • Examples: _______________________ • Recovery Plans and identification of Critical Habitat • Cooperative Agreements • Recovery Teams of local academic biologists and conservation agency biologists

  17. Condor Recovery Plan: Captive breeding & Reintroduction 1965: 60 wild birds 1982: 24 wild birds 1987: 27 birds captive 1990: 40 in captivity 1992: 1st reintroduction 2002: 68 (of 197)in wild

  18. Endangered Ecosystems Act? • Is there a feasible alternative, more supportive of biodiversity? http://endangered.fws.gov/i/B0F.html

More Related