ENDANGERED SPECIES

1
ENDANGERED SPECIES

• AGST 3000
• Agriculture, Society and the Natural World

2
Websites

• http//endangered.fws.gov/
• http//endangered.fws.gov/features/rl_frog/rlfrog.
  html
• http//www.fws.gov/contaminants/issues/invasivespe
  cies.cfm
• http//endangered.fws.gov/glossary.pdf
• http//news.fws.gov/newsreleases/showNews.cfm?news
  Id8F4A82F1-EE32-D71A-21F0F54EC683910C

3
Preparation for Class

• Define the following
• threatened
• endangered
• critical habitat
• candidate species
• habitat conservation plans (HCPs)
• recovery plans
• What are the three classifications of species
  listed as endangered or threatened?
• Look up the website on the red-legged frog and
  look at the history, current status, reasons for
  decline, and ideas for recoverybe prepared to
  discuss as an indicator species for other
  endangered species recovery

4
For class discussion
Look up the Endangered Species Act and identify
the process that it takes to get a species off
the Endangered or Threatened list.
What is the objective of the Endangered Species
Program administered by the Fish and Wildlife
Service?
Read about Whooping Craneshow many individuals
did the population get down to, in what year,
and how many are there now?
In Class JournalDo you think that the government
should have the right to regulate farming
practices on private property or to restrict its
use by private landowners?
5
Definition of Endangered

• Species judged to be endangered with extinction
• Listed on the Endangered Species List by
  state, federal, international and some private
  organizations.

6
Definition of Threatened

• An animal or plant species likely to become
  endangered within the foreseeable future
  throughout all or a significant portion of its
  range.

7
Number by state of Endangered or Threatened
Species
8
Causes of Extinction

• Natural Causes
• Hunting
• Introduced Predators
• Non-predatory Exotics
• Habitat Modification

9
Natural Causes

• Extinction is a natural biological process,
  based on fossil record birds typically have a
  species lifespan of 2 million years and mammals
  about 600,000 years.

10
Hunting

• Unwise and unregulated hunting has contributed
  to the extinction of some species Passenger
  Pigeon, Whales, Spotted cats, rhinos.

11
Introduced Predators

• Exotic species often out-compete native species
  (Mongoose was introduced to control rats)
• What invasive species threatens the survival of
  native species in the San Joaquin Delta and what
  is the Fish and Wildlife Service doing about it?
• How was this species introduced?
• Are there any other potential harmful effects,
  other than competition with native species?

12
Non-predatory Exotics

• Agents of competition and disease
• Goats in Hawaii,
• Starlings out compete many song birds,
• Sitka deer in central Texas out-compete
  White-tails.

13
HABITAT MODIFICATION

• -Loss of habitat or habitat fragmentation due to
  human development i.e.
• agriculture,
• urban sprawl,
• industrial development.

14
History of Wildlife Conservation

• President Theodore Roosevelt acted to create
  the first National Wildlife Refuge in 1903
• 1916 Migratory Bird Treaty Act led to
  regulation of water fowl hunting.
• 1930s Soil Conservation Service, Civilian
  Conservation Corps all helped to establish and
  preserve wildlife habitat.
• 1908 National Bison Range established to protect
  and preserve the remaining buffalo.
• 1940 Bald Eagle Protection Act.

15
Endangered Species Act of 1966

• 1962 Rachel Carson Silent Spring she studied
  the effects of DDT and created widespread concern
  and public awareness about the environment.
• Authorized the Secretary of the Interior to
  determine the wildlife facing extinction in the
  United States. Emergency Powers.
• U.S. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife does background
  research on species proposed for listing.

16
Endangered Species Act of 1966 continued

• Authorized the acquisition of terrestrial habitat
  using funds from the Land and Water Conservation
  Act as a means of protecting endangered species.
• Importation of endangered species and their
  products was prohibited.
• 1973 the Act was modified to include plants and
  it also stressed that the integrity of ecosystems
  be maintained because of scientific, aesthetic,
  education, historical and ecological values.

17
How many listed species have designated critical
habitat?

• 478 U.S. species have designated critical
  habitat.
• How many candidate species are there?
• 144 species of animals are candidate species.145
  species of plants are candidate species.

18
Conservation and Recovery Plans

• How many habitat conservation plans (HCPs) have
  been approved?
• 482 habitat conservation plans have been
  approved.
• How many listed species have approved recovery
  plans?
• 1030 species have approved recovery plans

19
How many species in the United States are listed
as threatened and endangered or proposed for
listing as threatened or endangered?

• 388 U.S. species of animals are listed.
• 599 U.S. species of plants are listed.
• 21 U.S. species of animals are currently proposed
  for listing.
• 0 U.S. species of plants are currently proposed
  for listing.

20
Concerns with the Endangered Species Act

• Politics vs. Science
• Property Rights
• Timeframe

21
Politics rather than Science often times
determines the listing of animals

• Louder voices with more to lobby are often
  heard first.
• Animals popular with the public are often
  targeted big animals and mammals rather than
  plants and insects
• Agriculture is an easy target, only 2 of the
  population.

22
Violates personal property rights.

• Allowed land/habitat of the designated
  Endangered Species to be taken out of
  production or managed by govt agencies.

23
Takes too long!!

• Animals identified as endangered undergo a long
  research process.
• Look up the Endangered Species Act and identify
  the process that it takes to get a species off
  the Endangered or Threatened list.

24

• Solutions to the Endangered Species Dilemma?
• Class Discussion
• What is the objective of the Endangered Species
  Program administered by the Fish and Wildlife
  Service?