Newfoundland Pine Marten

1
Newfoundland Pine Marten

• An Endangered Species

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Why Preserve Endangered Species

• The rate of extinction is 1000 times greater than
  in the past
• The health of ecosystems depend on the links of
  the web of life
• The web of life becomes endangered every time a
  species becomes extinct
• Our quality of life and that of future
  generations depends on our preservation of plant
  and animal species.

3
Biodiversity

• Definition the variety of plants and animals in
  an area (biological diversity)
• The greater the number of different plants and
  animals in an area the greater its biodiversity
• The greater the biodiversity the greater the
  number of links in the web of life
• The greater the number of links the greater the
  health of the ecosystem

4
Genetic Diversity

• Definition - The differences in genetic makeup of
  individuals within the same species
• As genetic diversity decreases the potential for
  inbreeding and genetic problems, including
  deformities and body system failures to occur.

5
Stability of Ecosystems

• Depends upon maintaining all the interdependent
  species, not just those that seem to provide an
  obvious benefit
• The loss of one species does not seem like it is
  important
• Gradual loss of species will eventually cause the
  ecosystem to crash

6
Airplane Analogy

• Loosing species in an ecosystem is like loosing
  rivets in an airplane
• Loosing one rivet or two will not cause a serious
  problem
• Over time this will become a serious problem. It
  would be difficult to say any one rivet will
  cause the plane to come apart but it will
  eventually fall apart.

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Why Save At Risk Species

• All Species have some Value
• Medicinal
• Agricultural
• Ecological
• Commercial
• Aesthetic/Recreational

Ref http//www.endangeredspecie.com/Why_Save_.htm

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Medicinal

• 40 of all prescriptions written today are
  composed from the natural compounds of different
  plant and animal species.
• 5 of known plant species have been screened for
  their medicinal value
• We lose up to 100 plant species daily
• Examples
• Taxol from the Pacific yew bark is a promising
  medication for ovarian and breast cancer
• digitalis, a drug derived from the purple
  foxglove is used to keep heart patients alive
  after heart attacks

Ref http//www.endangeredspecie.com/Why_Save_.htm

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Agricultural

• Estimated 80,000 edible plants in the world
• We depend upon only 20 species of these plants,
  such as wheat and corn, to provide 90 of the
  world's food
• Wild relatives of these common crops contain
  essential disease-resistant material

Ref http//www.endangeredspecie.com/Why_Save_.htm

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Ecological

• Plant and animal species are the foundation of
  healthy ecosystems
• Humans depend on ecosystems to
• purify their air
• clean their water
• supply them with food
• species becoming endangered, indicate a decline
  in health of vital ecosystems
• Examples
• Pollution is killing the coral reefs along the
  Florida Keys, serving as habitat for hundreds of
  species of fish
• northern spotted owl decline indicated poor
  health of forest ecosystem

Ref http//www.endangeredspecie.com/Why_Save_.htm

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Commercial

• Commercial fish species which depends on the
  quality of the environment have begun to decline
  (ie. Cod)
• Causing a threat to the multi-million industry
• Freshwater mussels are a billion dollar industry
  in North America
• 43 of the freshwater mussel species in North
  America are currently endangered or extinct.

Ref http//www.endangeredspecie.com/Why_Save_.htm

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Aesthetic/Recreational

• Plant and animal species and their ecosystems
• Form the basis of Canadas billion dollar,
  job-intensive tourism industry
• Eco-Tourism is the fastest growing sector of the
  Newfoundland economy
• Supply recreational activities
• Are part of our spiritual health
• Improve our quality-of-life

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The Future

• It is difficult to predict the future
• Even life forms we do not value such as bacteria,
  algae and fungi perform vital functions
• When species become endangered, it is an
  indicator that the health of these vital
  ecosystems is beginning to unravel
• Preservation of biodiversity has become a key
  component of sustainable development

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COSEWIC

• Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
  Canada
• determines the national status of organisms
  suspected of being at risk including
• Wild Canadian species
• Subspecies
• Separate populations
• Lichens, mosses, vascular plants, mollusks,
  arthropods, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds,
  and mammals

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COSEWIC

• According to the Committee on the Status of
  Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), there
  are currently 441 plant and animal species at
  risk in Canada.
• Status of these species are listed and updated
  at
• http//www.cosewic.gc.ca/index.htm

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COSEWIC

• Bases its decisions on
• Best up-to-date scientific information
• Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge
• Three lists are maintained
• Species at Risk
• Not at Risk
• Data Deficient

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Lists

• Species at Risk species designated as
• Extinct
• Extirpated
• Endangered
• Threatened
• Special Concern (Vulnerable)
• Not at Risk species that have been evaluated and
  found to be not at risk
• Data Deficient species for which there is
  insufficient scientific information to support a
  risk or not at risk designation

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Extinction (X)

• Definition A species that no longer exists.
• In Newfoundland we have lost
• Great Auk
• Labrador Duck
• Newfoundland Wolf
• Sea Mink
• Eskimo Curlew (thought to be extinct)

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The Great Auk

• Auk used for food and eggs by local inhabitants
• Its fate was sealed when bird feathers became
  fashion items
• Became extinct on June 4, 1844, when three
  fishermen killed the last pair

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The Labrador Duck

• Extinct since 1875
• Last known specimen was shot in 1875 at Long
  Island, New York

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Newfoundland Wolf

• Became extinct about 1930
• Main factor seems to have been decline of the
  Newfoundland caribou population
• Pop. 1915 120,000 animals
• Pop. 1925 - 5000-6000 animals
• Even though a bounty was placed on wolves it had
  little effect on the extinction

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The Sea Mink

• 25-50 larger than the common Mink
• valued for their fur
• exterminated by about 1870

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Eskimo Curlew

• Between 1870 and 1890, unrestricted hunting
  rapidly reduced populations of Eskimo Curlew
• Listed as Endangered in 1967
• Thought to be extinct.

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COSWIC Categories

• Extinct (X) - A species that no longer exists.
• Extirpated (XT) - A species no longer existing in
  the wild in Canada, but occurring elsewhere.
• Endangered (E) - A species facing imminent
  extirpation or extinction.
• Threatened (T) - A species likely to become
  endangered if limiting factors are not reversed.
• Special Concern (SC) - A species that is
  particularly sensitive to human activities or
  natural events but is not an endangered or
  threatened species (formerly called vulnerable).

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Extirpated (XT)

• Definition - A species no longer existing in the
  wild in Canada, but occurring elsewhere or no
  longer existing in one part of its normal range
  in Canada but still exists in others
• Example
• Grizzly Bear
• Prairie population designated Extirpated in April
  1991
• Atlantic Walrus
• Extirpated around 1850

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Endangered (E)

• Definition - A species facing imminent
  extirpation or extinction.
• Examples
• Newfoundland Pine Marten
• Piping Plover
• changed from threatened in 1985
• Leatherback Turtle
• Peregrine Falcon
• Endangered (1987) Threatened (2000) now Recovered
• Harlequin Duck
• Listed as Endangered in 1990 downlisted to
  Special Concern in 2001

• http//www.hww.ca/media_viewer.asp?id154

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Threatened (T)

• Definition - A species likely to become
  endangered if limiting factors are not reversed.
• Threatened species are not endangered yet, but
  are likely to become endangered in the future.
• Examples
• Piping Plover
• changed to "endangered" in 1985
• Peregrine Falcon
• Endangered (1987) Threatened (2000) now Recovered
  

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Special Concern (SC)

• Formerly called Vulnerable
• Definition - A species that is particularly
  sensitive to human activities or natural events
  but is not an endangered or threatened species
• Examples
• Harlequin Duck
• Downlisted from Endangered in 2001

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Pine Marten

• Found primarily in three areas of Newfoundland
• Little Grand Lake Area
• Main River Area
• Tera Nova National Park
• Status
• Endangered(May 2000)

http//www.gov.nf.ca/snp/animalcare/EndSpecies/Pin
eMarten/PineMarten.htm
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Piping Plover

• a small, robin sized, shorebird
• status "threatened" species in 1978
• changed to "endangered" in 1985

http//www.gov.nf.ca/snp/animalcare/EndSpecies/Pip
ingPlover/PipingPlover.htm
31
Leatherback Turtle

• listed as endangered throughout its range on
  June 2, 1970
• believed primarily to be the result of
  exploitation by humans for the eggs and meat
• The biggest leatherback on record weighed almost
  a tonne that's about the size of a Volkswagen
  Beetle

• http//www.hww.ca/media_viewer.asp?id103

http//www.gov.nf.ca/snp/AnimalCare/EndSpecies/Har
lequinDuck/HarlequinDuck.htm
32
Peregrine Falcon

• found all around the world
• a powerful crow-size raptor
• the main culprit was DDT, Farmers were using it
  to kill insects
• 1987, the peregrine falcon was listed as
  "endangered
• May 31, 2000, status was downgraded to
  "threatened."
• Status - Recovered

http//www.gov.nf.ca/snp/animalcare/EndSpecies/Per
egrineFalcon/PeregrineFalcon.htm
33
Harlequin Duck

• most breed in Labrador in Spring
• migrate to southern Newfoundland in Winter
• Listed as Endangered in 1990
• Eastern North American pop. is estimated gt 1,000
  individuals and declining.
• Recent studies resulted in the downlisting of
  this species in 2001 and it is currently listed
  as a species of "Special Concern".

• http//www.hww.ca/media_viewer.asp?id158

http//www.gov.nf.ca/snp/AnimalCare/EndSpecies/Har
lequinDuck/HarlequinDuck.htm
34
Grizzly Bear

• Canadian grizzlies are found in BC, Yukon,
  Alberta and the NWT
• Completed extirpated from the Canadian prairies,
  where it was hunted to extermination
• Status
• Extirpated (May 2002)
• Prairie population designated Extirpated in April
  1991

35
Walrus, Atlantic

• Northwest Atlantic population
• found in Arctic waters of Bering Sea, James Bay
  and the Labrador coast
• Extirpated from the Northwest Atlantic, the
  Mackenzie delta and the St. Lawrence River
• Extirpated around 1850.
• Designated Extirpated in April 1987

36
Wolverine

• Eastern population
• Found in Labrador and Quebec
• Looks like a small bear with a bushy tail
• Status
• Endangered (May 2003)

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Beluga Whale

• Status Endangered (April 1990)
• migrate to Labrador in spring

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Questions Set 01

• Give two reasons why we should be concerned about
  the preservation of species
• What is biodiversity ?
• Why is it important to preserve biodiversity ?
• What is genetic diversity ?
• Why is genetic diversity important ?
• Who determines which species are at risk in
  Canada ?
• What is the major cause of problems with wildlife
  and reduction of numbers in the world ?
• 8. Define each of the following designations of
  Species at Risk
• .Extinct
• .Extirpated
• .Endangered
• .Threatened
• .Special Concern
• 9. Give one example (from NL if possible) of an
  organism that is
• Extinct
• Extirpated
• Endangered
• Threatened
• Of special concern

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Newfoundland Pine Marten
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Newfoundland Pine Marten

• Martes americana atrata (Latin)
• martes indicates that it belongs to the marten
  group of mammals.
• americana indicates that it lives on the American
  continent.
• atrata, meaning cloaked in black, indicates it
  has a darker coloured coat, a characteristic
  unique to the Newfoundland species.

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Physical Description

• size of a small housecat
• long, slender body,
• a small head with a short, pointed muzzle
• large rounded ears and dark brown eyes
• Dark brown fur, a paler head and yellowish-orange
  patch on the throat and chest
• In summer the marten's coat becomes lighter as it
  sheds its winter fur.

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Mustelid (weasel) family

• The marten is part of the Mustelid (weasel)
  family
• Family includes
• Wolverine
• Otter
• Skunk
• Mink
• Weasel

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Population

• 1800s - 800 animals
• 1986 - 630-875 marten
• (Status - threatened)
• 1992 - 300 individuals
• (Status - Endangered)
• Current estimates suggest the population may be
  less than 300 individuals
• Required minimum population to ensure survival
  237 individuals

44
Predators

• In Newfoundland, the natural predators of marten
  include

Lynx
Hawk Owl
Great Horned Owl
Red Fox
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Prey

• Meadow vole (field mice) - Main food
• Vole native to NL
• Shrews
• Snowshoe hare
• Red Squirrel
• Also berries, eggs, insects and carrion

46
Hunting Behavior

• Primarily night hunters
• Spend most days resting in trees and dens
• Most hunting is on ground similar to cat
• In winter hunt in crevices around stumps or
  fallen trees
• When the forest is clear cut natural avenues to
  food are eliminated

Marten digging for vole
47
Breeding Biology

• Females are two years old before they have their
  first litter
• Short mating period mid-summer
• Kits (young) are born in spring
• Litter 1-5 kits
• Small number in marten population

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Accidental Trapping

• One of the problems with snaring rabbits in pine
  marten habitat is accidentally catching marten.
• In specific areas use of the modified snare is
  mandatory to reduce the chance of pine marten
  being trapped
• A fine of up to 500 or imprisonment up to six
  months is the penalty for not using a modified
  snare tin the required areas

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Modified Snare
Step1 Using heavy wire attach the coil device to
a tree located next to the run. Wrap the wire two
times through the eye of the coil for stability.
Step2 Make a small loop at the anchor end of the
snare and place the loop on the end of the coil
device
Step3 Rotate the snare loop through the inner
portion of the coil by winding it around the
coil. To work properly, the portion of the snare
wire between anchor end and t inside the coil.
50
Great Auk

• The story of the Great Auk is a painful reminder
  of our potential for greed and destruction.
• The Great Auk was a large (70 cm tall) flightless
  Alcid, which weighed about 5 kg. Its plumage was
  black across the top with a white under belly.
• Alcid family of web footed, diving seabirds.
  Also includes Atlantic Puffin, and the Common
  Murre.

51
Great Auk Locations

• Once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, the
  flightless Great Auk
• Nested on rocky islands and coasts of the North
  Atlantic in Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the
  British Isles and Scandanavia.
• A strong swimmer, the great auk migrated to
  winter as far south as Florida and southern
  Spain.
• The largest known colony in the world was on Funk
  Island off Newfoundlands northeast coast

52
Funk Island Colony

• Early visitors to North America visited the
  island to kill Great Auk for food
• Some were eaten fresh
• Others were salted in great quantities for the
  trip home to Europe
• The eggs were taken as well
• In 1830 not one Great Auk could be found on Funk
  Island.

53
Demise of the Great Auk

• On June 4, 1844, three fishermen named Jon
  Brandsson, Sigurdr Islefsson and Ketil Ketilsson
  made a trip to the Icelandic island of Eldey.
  They had been hired by a collector named Carl
  Siemsen who wanted auk specimens. Jon Brandsson
  found an auk and killed it. Sigurdr Islefsson
  found another and did the same. Ketil Ketilsson
  had to return empty handed because his companions
  had just completed the extinction of the great
  auk.