Transcript BP_SpeciesatRisk

Bruce Peninsula’s Species at Risk
Legislation to protect species at risk
- Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
Canada (COSEWIC) was created in 1977 is a single,
official, scientifically sound, national classification of
wildlife species at risk
- Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) established in
2002 to legally protect wildlife at risk
- Under SARA, the government of Canada takes
COSEWIC's designations into consideration when
establishing the legal list of wildlife species at risk
- Ontario established an Endangered Species Act in 2007
Threats to Endangered Species Legislation
Ontario Regulation 176/13, which came into force under the
ESA on July 1, 2013, could be a tremendous blow to species
protection. The new regulatory changes harm species by
allowing major industries — including forestry, energy
transmission, housing, oil and gas pipelines, mineral
exploration and mine development, transit, wastewater
management companies — to avoid strict standards
intended to protect at-risk species and their habitats.
EcoJustice, Wildlands League and Ontario Nature are suing
the Ontario government because they believe the new
Regulation undermines ESA and abandons protection of the
155 species at risk
Lakeside Daisy
Threatened Provincially and Nationally
 Lakeside Daisy lives on alvars, a special
habitat that is threatened by quarry
development. Cottage development is an
additional threat to populations on private land.
 A distinctive species that are specialized for
living on shallow soil overlaying limestone
bedrock.
Dwarf Lake Iris
 Special Concern Provincially and Nationally
 Lakeshore development, such as cottages
and roads, pollute or destroy the habitat.
 Dwarf Lake Iris is small and seldom grows
taller than 10 cm in cedar swamps and swales
in clearings in forested sand-dunes
Hill’s Thistle
Threatened Provincially and Nationally
 The development of shoreline for cottages and roads has
decreased the habitat for Hill’s Thistle and other alvar plants. The
limestone and dolostone that forms the alvars where Hill’s Thistle
grows is sought after by aggregate companies, and resource
extraction reduces the habitat. Alvar areas also tend to be popular
for recreation, and trampling is a problem at some sites.
 is a native thistle that grows in a variety of open sites, including
prairies and woodland alvars. Alvars -- a special habitat type that,
in North America, is largely restricted to the Great Lakes region -are limestone plains where the rock underlies shallow soil.
Hill’s Pondweed
Special Concern Provincially and Nationally
 Hill's Pondweed was not discovered in Ontario until
1951 so it is not clear whether historic declines have
occurred. The main threats are water diversion,
drainage and pollution.
 It grows in clear, cold ponds and slow- moving
streams where the water is alkaline and it flowers in
summer and the small fruits are eaten by ducks.
Tuberous Indian Plantain
 Special Concern Provincially and Nationally
 the species has disappeared from areas in the Bruce
Peninsula. The main threats to the species in Ontario are the
mowing of wet meadows for hay, trampling by livestock along
riverbanks, and wetland drainage for cottage development.
 The species prefers wet, sandy areas along river banks and
wetlands near Lake Huron.
Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid
Endangered Provincially and Nationally
 Growing in tamarack swamps in the Bruce Peninsula, some of this habitat has
been converted to farmland and the suppression of fire, which is essential for
keeping suitable areas open for the plant and also stimulates flowering, has
contributed to declines.
 It is an impressive flowering plant that grows in swamps and wet tall grass prairie.
It produces large flowers (up to 3 cm wide) that are white and have the
characteristic "lip," which serves as a landing platform for pollinating insects.
Shortjaw Cisco (Chub)
Threatened Provincially and Nationally
 The dramatic decline of this species in the Great
Lakes was due to over-fishing. Competition and
predation from introduced rainbow smelt alewife and
sea lamprey may have also contributed to declines. It
is considered extirpated from lakes Michigan, Erie
and Huron
 It lives in deep waters of lakes where it can grow to
a length of up to 35 centimetres and attain a weight of
up to one kilogram
Queen Snake
 Endangered Provincially and Nationally
Historical records show that it has
disappeared or declined at a number of
sites in southwestern Ontario in the last 100
years. The main threat to the Queen Snake is
habitat loss as waterways are drained,
disturbed or polluted. Crayfish, their main
food, are sensitive to acidification and heavy
metals. Thus, as waterways have become
polluted and crayfish have died out, the
Queen snake has declined.
 This snake is aquatic, living in clear,
smaller rivers where there is good rock
cover. It feeds almost exclusively on
crayfish, especially freshly-moulted
individuals that are softer and easier to
swallow. Adults are slender and grow to
approximately 60 cm, though some grow as
long as 90 cm.
Eastern Massassauga Rattlesnake
Threatened Provincially and Nationally
 Historically, the Massassauga inhabited most of southern Ontario, and declined
there as habitat was transformed to farmland and urban areas. Habitat loss and
fragmentation as roads are built through their existing range are the main threats
today. Human persecution, while still a factor, has likely decreased as public
awareness improves.
 It is Ontario's only venomous snake (another venomous species, the Timber
Rattlesnake is no longer present in Ontario). The Massasauga lives in a range of
open habitats, where it hunts for small mammals and birds.
 The Massasauga Rattlesnake is listed as threatened under Ontario's Endangered
Species Act, 2007. The Act protects the species from harmful activities such as
capture, harassment, collection, possession, buying and selling, or any other actions
that may cause harm to the species. The Massasauga Rattlesnake is also protected
under Ontario's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.
Eastern Milksnake
 Special Concern Provincially and Nationally
 Historically, human persecution has been a
threat. Because it is often around farm buildings,
it does get killed by vehicles. Its aggressive
behaviour and proclivity to inhabit buildings
makes it more prone to being killed by humans.
 This species is not venomous and captures
small mammals, especially mice, and small
ground-nesting birds with its teeth, then
subduing them by constriction. It lives in a wide
range of habitats, especially old fields and farm
buildings where rodents are common. It is more
likely to be encountered at night when it is
hunting, since during the day it is secretive and
usually hides under objects. If surprised or
threatened, it will take an aggressive posture: It
raises its head in the air, vibrates its tail and may
attempt to bite. It has sometimes been mistaken
for a rattlesnake, as the vibrating tail can make a
buzzing sound in dry leaves.
Eastern Ribbonsnake
 Threatened Provincially and Nationally
 The Eastern Ribbon Snake is at the northern limit
for the species and may never have been common or
widespread here. There is little historical data in
Ontario on abundance trends, but it is likely that the
reduction of wetland habitat through urban and
agricultural development resulted in a decrease in
abundance in Ontario.
 It is usually found close to water, especially in
marshes where it hunts for frogs and small fish. A
good swimmer, it will occasionally dive in shallow
water. At the onset of cold weather, individuals
congregate in burrows or rock crevices to hibernate
together in what is termed a "hibernaculum."
Loggerhead Shrike
Endangered Provincially and Nationally
 Sometimes called the "butcher bird", this raptorial (predatory) song bird has the unusual
habit of impaling its prey, mostly insects, but occasionally small birds or mice, on twigs or
thorns. Loggerhead Shrikes hunt from perches in open country, and prefer a combination of
pasture or other grassland with scattered low trees and shrubs.
 Intensive farming practices, natural plant succession, reforestation and development have all
reduced the amount of habitat available for the Loggerhead Shrike. Unwary young shrikes also
have the unfortunate tendency to forage for dead insects on roads, where they may be killed by
vehicles. Predation by cats and dogs may be an additional threat, especially in areas close to
human habitation.
 The Loggerhead Shrike is listed in regulation under Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007,
which protects the species and its habitat. The Natural Heritage component of the Provincial
Policy Statement under the Planning Act provides for the protection of significant habitat of
endangered species. The federal Migratory Birds Convention Act also protects this bird.
Golden Winged Warbler
 Threatened Provincially and Nationally
 It is a small songbird of the new world wood-warbler
family. Their preferred breeding habitat is areas of early
successional vegetation, found primarily on field edges,
hydro or utility right-of-ways, or recently logged areas. On
their wintering grounds, they are found within open
woodlands at high elevations of 1,500-3,000 metres in
Central America and northern South America.
 A decrease of early successional scrub habitat within its
breeding range in eastern North America poses a strong
threat to populations of the Golden-winged Warbler.
Least Bittern
 Threatened Provincially and Nationally
 The main threat to Least Bitterns is draining of wetlands for conversion to
farmland and urban development. Bitterns generally require large, quiet marshes
and as marshes decrease in size and human recreation increases, the population
declines in an area.
 The Least Bittern is more likely heard than seen, as it "coo"s softly from deep in a
cattail marsh. This species is the smallest of the North American herons and is
distinguished by large chestnut patches on its' wings.
Red-headed Woodpecker
 Special Concern Provincially, Threatened Nationally
 The Red-headed Woodpecker population has declined by more than 60%in
Ontario in the last 20 years because of habitat loss due to forestry and agricultural
practices, and competition from European Starling for nest sites. In some areas,
birds get killed on the roads when they are foraging for insects. The removal of
dead trees is in which it nests is also believed to be a significant factor in its
decline.
 This medium-size bird (20cm) lives in open woodland and woodland edges,
especially in oak savannahs and riparian forest, which can often be found in parks,
golf courses and cemetaries. These habitats contain a higher density of dead trees,
which they commonly use for nesting and perching. It is an omnivorous species,
feeding on insects in the summer and nuts in the winter.
Monarch Butterfly
 Special Concern Provincially and Nationally
 Declines in the Ontario populations of Monarchs are due to
factors on the wintering grounds and in Ontario. The main causes
of decline are logging and disturbance of the overwintering sites
in Mexico, and the widespread use of pesticides and herbicides in
Ontario.
 The Monarch Butterfly can be found in Ontario wherever there
are milkweed plants for its caterpillars and wildflowers for a nectar
source. Monarchs are often found on abandoned farmland and
roadsides, but also in city gardens and parks. The eastern North
American population migrates to Mexico each fall to overwinter at
12 sites in the central mountains.
References
 http://www.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.php?doc_type=fact&id=68
http://www.castlebluff.com/bffscience/species_at_risk.html