An endangered species, the Wyoming toad Bufo hemiophrys baxteri—The importance of an early warning system

Abstract

A protection system developed under the Endangered Species Act gives endangered species economic and political importance. Extinction-prone species must be identified early so that recovery programmes will succeed and be less costly. A comparison of systems for identifying extinction-prone species using a recently listed species, the Wyoming toad Bufo hemiophrys baxteri indicates that they are primarily useful in cases where decisions must be made immediately and information is limited. The sequence of events leading to the identification of the Wyoming toad as endangered shows that it would be beneficial to establish systematic monitoring programmes to ensure early detection of a species' decline. However, an effective protection programme will ultimately require detailed knowledge of the natural history of species and a comprehensive natural area programme.