Transcript Canada`s Endangered Species

CANADA’S ENDANGERED SPECIES
Bald Eagle
 Common in 1700s and 1800s
 1900s- decline in population
 Farmers
 Toxic chemical waste
 Health of top-level carnivores indicates
whether toxins are entering an ecosystem
COSEWIC
 Committee On the Status of Endangered
Wildlife In Canada
 Assesses and designates which wild species
are in danger of disappearing
 http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/
species/endangered/extinct.htm
Classifying Species at Risk
 Extinct
 Extirpated
 Endangered
 Threatened
 Special Concern
Extinct
 Species that is no longer found anywhere
 Example: Great Auk
 QC, NB, NS, NL
 Over-hunting
 Extinct since 1844
Extirpated
 Species that no longer exists
in one area but can be found
in others (Locally extinct)
 Example: Grizzly Bear
 No longer found in the
Canadian prairies
 Hunting and habitat
destruction
Endangered
 Species that is close to extinction in a
significantly large location
 Example: Beluga Whale
 Arctic and Atlantic Ocean
 Over-hunting
 Habitat Degradation
Threatened
 Any species that is likely to
become endangered if things are
not reversed
 Example: Killer Whale
 Pacific Ocean
 Decrease in prey (salmon)
 Physical and Accoustical
Disturbances
 Oil spills and contaminants
Special Concern
 Species that are particularly sensitive
to human activities or natural events
and could become endangered
or threatened
 Example: Polar Bear
 YT, NT, NU, MB, ON, QC, NL,
Arctic Ocean
 Overharvest
 Climate Change
SARA
 Species at Risk Act
 Established in 2003
 Purpose is to protect wildlife species at risk in
Canada.
 Government must legally protect species
designated by COSEWIC.
Extinction in Modern World
 Extinction rates are increasing
 Causes?????
 Mostly human activities
 Mass extinction occurred before humans
 Caused by major catastrophes
 Example: Yucatan Peninsula- Asteroid
Effects of Extinction
 Biodiversity- number of species in an ecosystem
 “Domino Effect”- Removal of one part can cause the
collapse of the entire food chain.
 Example: over-hunting of sea otters
 Sea urchin population increased
 led to destruction of kelp beds
What is our role?
Restoring the Balance
Once an ecosystem is damaged,
should it be fixed?
 Example: Petitcodiac River
 Example: Wolves of Yellowstone National Park
 Example: Peregrine Falcons in NB