Transcript PowerPoint Presentation - Endangered Species: Politics in

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
• Systematics, natural history, and ecology
of endangered species: All present
problems for the ESA
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
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
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
Case Studies of Endangered
Species
• Kirtland’s Warbler: a “r-selected” species
nesting in a “disturbed” habitat
• Specialized nesting habitat: Below jack pine, 613 yr. old- 5-18 ft high in north-central Mich.
• Adapted to a seral (disturbed) community
• The cowbird problem: a result of forest
fragmentation?
Kirtland’s Warbler
Six slides of warblers & habitat
1. _________
2. _________
3. ___________
4. ____________
5. ________________
6. _____________________
12,000 ha. Of
54, 000 ha
Cowbird
Trapping
Pine Plnatations
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
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
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)
History of Endangered Species
Legislation
• 1966-1969: 1st laws,
• basic policies developed,
• Also CITES
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
Administrative Procedures for
Listing Endangered Species
• 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
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
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
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
Endangered Ecosystems Act?
• Is there a
feasible
alternative,
more supportive
of biodiversity?
http://endangered.fws.gov/i/B0F.html