At-risk Species Research Articles

10. The Golden Eagle - Conservation & Protection in Kingston, Ontario

This research project works to analyze and diminish the major threats to the Golden Eagle species through developing efficient and effective conservation techniques and introducing these advancements into the Kingston, Ontario habitat. We propose a partnership with the Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN), a community group with an active mandate in the preservation and conservation of wildlife and natural habitats. Many of their current projects involve at-risk bird species, and they are well equipped to aid in the successful development and implementation of this initiative. There are a few factors that affect the livelihood of Golden Eagles. Wind turbines, pesticides and power lines are some parts of an urban setting that cause disturbance to these creatures. Other vulnerabilities include habitat destruction, limited food availability and human killings to prevent preying on livestock. Some conservation techniques that are successful in managing Golden Eagle populations around the world include the use of bird sensitivity maps and the implementation of adaptive-management frameworks during community planning. Sensitivity maps are formulated taking into account foraging range, collision risk and sensitivity to disturbance (Bright et al., 2008), while adaptive-management frameworks limit recreational activities near known nesting areas (Fackler et al., 2010). By implementing and adapting strategies put in place in countries like Ireland and around the world we hope to reintroduce a sustainable population of Golden Eagles in Ontario, specifically within the Kingston area. This can be achieved through donation of Golden Eagle chicks from areas in Canada in which this bird is common.

Testing the Value of Citizen Science for Roadkill Studies: A Case Study from South Africa

Roads impact wildlife through a range of mechanisms from habitat loss and decreased landscape connectivity to direct mortality through wildlife-vehicle collisions (roadkill). These collisions have been rated amongst the highest modern risks to wildlife. With the development of ‘citizen science’ projects, in which members of the public participate in data collection, it is now possible to monitor the impacts of roads over scales far beyond the limit of traditional studies. However, the reliability of data provided by citizen scientists for roadkill studies remains largely untested. This study used a dataset of 2 666 roadkill reports on national and regional roads in South Africa (total length ~170 000 km) over three years. We first compared roadkill data collected from trained road patrols operating on a major highway with data submitted by citizen scientists on the same road section (431 km). We found that despite minor differences, the broad spatial and taxonomic patterns were similar between trained reporters and untrained citizen scientists. We then compared data provided by two groups of citizen scientists across South Africa: 1) those working in the zoology/conservation sector (that we have termed ‘regular observers’, whose reports were considered to be more accurate due to their knowledge and experience), and 2) occasional observers, whose reports required verification by an expert. Again, there were few differences between the type of roadkill report provided by regular and occasional reporters; both types identified the same area (or cluster) where roadkill was reported most frequently. However, occasional observers tended to report charismatic and easily identifiable species more often than road patrols or regular observers. We conclude that citizen scientists can provide reliable data for roadkill studies when it comes to identifying general patterns and high-risk areas. Thus, citizen science has the potential to be a valuable tool for identifying potential roadkill hotspots and at-risk species across large spatial and temporal scales that are otherwise impractical and expensive when using standard data collection methodologies. This tool allows researchers to extract data and focus their efforts on potential areas and species of concern, with the ultimate goal of implementing effective roadkill-reduction measures.

Development of quantitative PCR primers and probes for environmental DNA detection of amphibians in Ontario

DNA from environmental samples (eDNA) is increasingly being used to detect and monitor elusive species. We developed species-specific eDNA primers and probes for qPCR detection of 24 amphibian species native to Ontario, Canada. Cross-species testing confirmed their high specificity and low cross-species amplification, as well as their ability to detect DNA from target species at low concentrations. These detection tools should prove useful for monitoring at-risk amphibian species throughout their native ranges.

Mechanism matters: the cause of fluctuations in boom-bust populations governs optimal habitat restoration strategy.

Many populations exhibit boom-bust dynamics in which abundance fluctuates dramatically over time. Past research has focused on identifying whether the cause of fluctuations is primarily exogenous, e.g., environmental stochasticity coupled with weak density dependence, or endogenous, e.g., over-compensatory density dependence. Far fewer studies have addressed whether the mechanism responsible for boom-bust dynamics matters with respect to at-risk species management. Here, we ask whether the best strategy for restoring habitat across a landscape differs under exogenously vs. endogenously driven boom-bust dynamics. We used spatially explicit individual-based models to assess how butterfly populations governed by the two mechanisms would respond to habitat restoration strategies that varied in the level of resource patchiness, from a single large patch to multiple patches spaced at different distances. Our models showed that the restoration strategy that minimized extinction risk and boom-bust dynamics would be markedly different depending on the governing mechanism. Exogenously governed populations fared best in a single large habitat patch, whereas for endogenously driven populations, boom-bust dynamics were dampened and extinction risk declined when the total restored area was split into multiple patches with low to moderate inter-patch spacing. Adding environmental stochasticity to the endogenous model did not alter this result. Habitat fragmentation lowered extinction risk in the endogenously driven populations by reducing their growth rate, precluding both "boom" phases and, more importantly, "bust" phases. Our findings suggest that (1) successful restoration will depend on understanding the causes of fluctuations in at-risk populations, (2) the level and pattern of spatiotemporal environmental heterogeneity will also affect the ideal management approach, and (3) counterintuitively, for at-risk species with endogenously governed boom-bust dynamics, lowering the intrinsic population growth rate may decrease extinction risk.

Native plant restoration on Hawai‘i

Restoration projects and nurseries from 7 Hawaiian islands are working jointly to propagate and reestablish rare and endangered plant species and to rehabilitate island habitats. Long-range goals of these projects may benefit rare and endangered fauna. Conservation of habitat and augmentation of rare plant populations are crucial for preserving genetic diversity and recovery. Such efforts have resulted in successful propagation of many at-risk species. The propagation and outplanting efforts of these unique species are described.

Warfare and wildlife declines in Africa's protected areas.

Large-mammal populations are ecological linchpins, and their worldwide decline and extinction disrupts many ecosystem functions and services. Reversal of this trend will require an understanding of the determinants of population decline, to enable more accurate predictions of when and where collapses will occur and to guide the development of effective conservation and restoration policies. Many correlates of large-mammal declines are known, including low reproductive rates, overhunting, and habitat destruction. However, persistent uncertainty about the effects of one widespread factor-armed conflict-complicates conservation-planning and priority-setting efforts. Case studies have revealed that conflict can have either positive or negative local impacts on wildlife, but the direction and magnitude of its net effect over large spatiotemporal scales have not previously been quantified. Here we show that conflict frequency predicts the occurrence and severity of population declines among wild large herbivores in African protected areas from 1946 to 2010. Conflict was extensive during this period, occurring in 71% of protected areas, and conflict frequency was the single most important predictor of wildlife population trends among the variables that we analysed. Population trajectories were stable in peacetime, fell significantly below replacement with only slight increases in conflict frequency (one conflict-year per two-to-five decades), and were almost invariably negative in high-conflict sites, both in the full 65-year dataset and in an analysis restricted to recent decades (1989-2010). Yet total population collapse was infrequent, indicating that war-torn faunas can often recover. Human population density was also correlated (positively) with wildlife population trajectories in recent years; however, we found no significant effect, in either timespan, of species body mass, protected-area size, conflict intensity (human fatalities), drought frequency, presence of extractable mineral resources, or various metrics of development and governance. Our results suggest that sustained conservation activity in conflict zones-and rapid interventions following ceasefires-may help to save many at-risk populations and species.

A habitat-based framework to predict the effects of agricultural drain maintenance on imperiled fishes

One third of the total global land viable for agricultural production has artificial drainage systems. These drainage systems can provide important habitat for fishes and, in some cases, imperiled fish species vulnerable to impact by drainage maintenance activities. A framework to provide quantitative assessments of the effects of maintenance activities on imperiled fish species is needed. In this study, a six-step habitat-based framework was developed to predict suitable habitat for two at-risk species in an agricultural drain: the Endangered Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus) and the Special Concern Blackstripe Topminnow (Fundulus notatus). Using the framework, spatial models were developed to assess the effects of proposed drain maintenance on the overall amount of suitable habitat, habitat patch size, and connectivity of habitat patches. Maintenance had a significant impact on habitat connectivity, but did not significantly reduce the habitat size of isolated patches. The amount of suitable habitat available after maintenance fell below the minimum area for population viability (MAPV) for the Pugnose Shiner, but not the Blackstripe Topminnow. Future impact assessments of drain maintenance should incorporate population viability analysis, coupled with habitat patch analysis (patch size and connectivity), to quantitatively test consequences of proposed alteration to the viability of spatially structured populations.

Birds and Burrows: Avifauna Use and Visitation of Burrows of Gopher Tortoises At Two Military Sites In the Florida Panhandle

ABSTRACT.— The United States Department of Defense (DoD) has a dual mission of maintaining military readiness and stewardship of its natural resources. The DoD invests more than $334 million on land and species management on their properties, which support high levels of biodiversity and harbor a disproportionate number of threatened, endangered, and at-risk species. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) occurs on 28 DoD installations in the southeastern United States. Because more than 350 species have been documented to use their burrows, the gopher tortoise is considered a keystone species. However, few species of birds have previously been documented as burrow associates. In this study, we compare bird species richness, visitation frequency, and behaviors at gopher tortoise burrows at two Department of Navy properties (Santa Rosa County, Florida) that differed in size, training intensity, habitat diversity, and proportion of habitat suitable for gopher tortoises. We detected a total of 33 species ...

Patrones de distribución y zonas prioritarias para la conservación de la avifauna de la costa del Pacífico de Guerrero, México

We modeled the environmental suitability conditions associated to the presence of 370 bird species along the Pacific coast of Guerrero state. Based on distribution models, regional patterns of richness, endemism and the accumulation at-risk species of birds were obtained. We used a complementarity analysis both for resident and aquatic birds and parsimony analysis of endemicity was performed in order to identify priority sites for conservation. Knowledge of the birds of the study area is incomplete according to the richness estimator (ICE: 77% of the total). The distributional patterns of bird species richness and endemism were more concentrated in the central-western area of the study region in the mountainous areas, except in the westernmost portion that also presented a large number of species in the lower areas coinciding with some lacustrine systems. The complementarity analysis for terrestrial birds identified 6 cells, the same number of cells for aquatic birds, and in both cases together harbored 100% of all species that were modeled. The parsimony analysis showed 2 areas of endemism, and some cells included in these areas were also identified in the complementarity analysis; hence, these areas should receive a higher level of prioritization. The conservation areas obtained in this study suggest a connectivity from the center to the west of the study area, region that coincides with findings in other studies using species importance for conservation.

Geography of current and future global mammal extinction risk.

Identifying which species are at greatest risk, what makes them vulnerable, and where they are distributed are central goals for conservation science. While knowledge of which factors influence extinction risk is increasingly available for some taxonomic groups, a deeper understanding of extinction correlates and the geography of risk remains lacking. Here, we develop a predictive random forest model using both geospatial and mammalian species’ trait data to uncover the statistical and geographic distributions of extinction correlates. We also explore how this geography of risk may change under a rapidly warming climate. We found distinctive macroecological relationships between species-level risk and extinction correlates, including the intrinsic biological traits of geographic range size, body size and taxonomy, and extrinsic geographic settings such as seasonality, habitat type, land use and human population density. Each extinction correlate exhibited ranges of values that were especially associated with risk, and the importance of different risk factors was not geographically uniform across the globe. We also found that about 10% of mammals not currently recognized as at-risk have biological traits and occur in environments that predispose them towards extinction. Southeast Asia had the most actually and potentially threatened species, underscoring the urgent need for conservation in this region. Additionally, nearly 40% of currently threatened species were predicted to experience rapid climate change at 0.5 km/year or more. Biological and environmental correlates of mammalian extinction risk exhibit distinct statistical and geographic distributions. These results provide insight into species-level patterns and processes underlying geographic variation in extinction risk. They also offer guidance for future conservation research focused on specific geographic regions, or evaluating the degree to which species-level patterns mirror spatial variation in the pressures faced by populations within the ranges of individual species. The added impacts from climate change may increase the susceptibility of at-risk species to extinction and expand the regions where mammals are most vulnerable globally.

Effects of Military activity and habitat quality on DNA damage and oxidative stress in the largest population of the Federally threatened gopher tortoise.

Department of Defense lands are essential for providing important habitat for threatened, endangered, and at-risk species (TER-S). However, there is little information on the effects of military-related contaminants on TER-S on these lands in field situations. Thus, this study examined genotoxicity and oxidative stress in gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) on Camp Shelby, MS-the largest known population of this species, which is listed as an "endangered species" in Mississippi and a "threatened species" by the U.S. government. Blood was collected from tortoises at 19 different sites on the base with different levels of habitat quality (high-quality and low-quality habitat) and military activity (high, low, and no military activity). Oxidative stress was quantified as lipid peroxidation and GSSG/GSH ratios, while DNA damage was determined using flow cytometry. Our results suggest that: (1) for tortoises residing in low-quality habitats, oxidative stress and DNA damage increased with increasing military activity, while in high-quality habitats, oxidative stress and DNA damage decreased with increasing military activity; (2) in the absence of military activity, tortoises in high-quality habitat had higher levels of oxidative stress and DNA damage than those in low-quality habitat, and (3) there were interactions between military activity, habitat quality, and landuse in terms of the amount of observable DNA damage and oxidative stress. In particular, on high-quality habitat, tortoises from areas with high levels of military activity had lower levels of oxidative stress and DNA damage biomarkers than on reference sites. This may represent a compensatory or hormetic response. Conversely, on low-quality habitats, the level of oxidative stress and DNA damage was lower on the reference sites. Thus, tortoises on higher-quality habitats may have a greater capacity for compensatory responses. In terms of management implications, it is suggested that low quality habitats should be a higher priority for remediation, and lower priority for conducting military activities.

Freshwater fisheries assessment using environmental DNA: A primer on the method, its potential, and shortcomings as a conservation tool

Abstract Conservation of fishes is dependent on accurate and precise data about the distributions and population status of at-risk species. Moreover, effective management of fisheries requires that data be collected in ecologically and politically actionable timeframes. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, the extraction and identification of DNA from environmental samples, is a relatively new bioassessment method with the potential to improve species detection probabilities and efficiency compared to traditional capture or observation-based sampling approaches. Here, we provide a primer on eDNA analysis as it pertains to fisheries ecology and conservation. We provide a summary of the history and current status of eDNA analysis with particular attention paid to the study of fishes. We highlight the major advances that have transformed eDNA analysis into an application-ready tool that can assist fisheries professionals in achieving research and conservation goals. Furthermore, we provide an overview of the limitations of eDNA as they pertain to fisheries science.

Geolocators reveal migratory connectivity between wintering and breeding areas of Golden-winged Warblers

The conservation of migratory songbirds is often impeded by a lack of understanding of how populations in breeding and wintering areas are geographically linked (migratory connectivity). In recent years, light-level geolocators have improved our understanding of migratory connectivity. Such information is valuable for evaluating how conservation efforts align between the breeding and non-breeding areas of at-risk species, and help to more effectively prioritize the allocation of conservation funding. Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) are imperiled migratory songbirds, but the extent to which conservation efforts in their breeding and non-breeding areas coincide with patterns of migratory connectivity are not well known. We used light-level geolocators to evaluate the extent to which conservation actions targeting Golden-winged Warblers in Nicaragua and in their breeding range in North America align with patterns of migratory connectivity. We recovered six of 22 geolocators that had been deployed on male Golden-winged Warblers at the El Jaguar Reserve during the winter of 2015–2016. All six males migrated to breeding areas in the western Great Lakes region that includes eastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, southwestern Ontario, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. All six males also had similar migration routes, with spring stopovers in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, a trans-Gulf flight, and a stopover in the region of Louisiana, Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, and Texas. Our results, in combination with those of previous studies, demonstrate strong migratory connectivity between portions of the breeding and winter distributions of Golden-winged Warblers currently targeted for conservation. However, additional studies are needed to improve our understanding of the stopover ecology of Golden-winged Warblers, especially in areas where they remain for extended periods of time. Finally, patterns of migratory connectivity revealed in our study should be used in combination with existing demographic parameters for Golden-winged Warblers in the western Great Lakes and Nicaragua to help inform full life cycle population models for this imperiled songbird.

Defining the role of fire in alleviating seed dormancy in a rare Mediterranean endemic subshrub.

Fire is a topical issue in the management of many ecosystems globally that face a drying climate. Understanding the role of fire in such ecosystems is critical to inform appropriate management practices, particularly in the case of rare and ecologically specialized species. The Mediterranean heathlands are highly fire-prone and occur in a biodiversity hotspot increasingly threatened by human activities, and determining the reproductive thresholds of at-risk heathland species is critical to ensuring the success of future conservation initiatives. This study examined the germination biology of the threatened carnivorous subshrub Drosophyllum lusitanicum, with specific focus on the role of fire-related cues (heat and smoke) in combination with seasonal temperatures and moisture conditions to determine how these factors regulate seed dormancy and germination. We found that D. lusitanicum produces water-permeable, physiologically dormant seeds with a fully developed, capitate embryo that when fresh (~1 month old) and without treatment germinate to 20-40 % within 4-8 weeks. Seeds possess a restricted thermal window (15-20 °C) for germination and a neutral photoblastic response. Seed dormancy was overcome through precision nicking of the seed coat (>90 % germination) or by short exposure to dry heat (80 or 100 °C) for 5-30 min (60-100 % germination). We propose seedling emergence from the soil seed bank may be cued by the passage of fire, or by soil disturbance from the movement and browsing of animals. Long-term population viability is likely to be contingent upon appropriate management of the persistent soil seed bank, as well as the adequate management of key ecological disturbances such as fire. Drosophyllum lusitanicum faces an increasingly bleak future in the absence of conservation and management initiatives aimed at reducing habitat fragmentation in heathlands and aligning fire management and livestock practices with biodiversity outcomes.

Endemic plants of the central grassland of North America: distribution, ecology, and conservation status

This paper enumerates the endemic plants of the Central Grassland of North America. The Central Grassland encompasses the full extent of the tallgrass, mixed-grass, and shortgrass prairie ecological systems of North America plus floristically related plant communities that adjoin and/or interdigitate with the midcontinental grasslands including savanna-open woodland systems, shrub-steppe, and rock outcrop communities. There are 382 plant taxa endemic to the Central Grassland, 300 endemic species (eight of which have multiple subspecific taxa endemic to the region) and 72 endemic subspecies/varieties of more widely distributed species. Nine regional concentrations of endemic taxa were identified and are described as centers of endemism for the Central Grassland: Arkansas Valley Barrens, Edwards Plateau, Llano Estacado Escarpments, Llano Uplift, Mescalero-Monahans Dunes, Niobrara-Platte Tablelands, Raton Tablelands, Red Bed Plains, and Reverchon Rocklands. In addition to hosting localized endemics, these areas are typically enriched with more widely-distributed Central Grassland endemics as well as peripheral or disjunct occurrences of locally-rare taxa, making them regions of high floristic diversity for the Central Grassland. Most of the endemics (299 or 78%) are habitat specialists, associated with rock outcrop, sand, hydric, or riparian habitats. There is a strong correlation between geology and endemism in the Central Grassland, with 59% of the endemics (225 taxa) associated with rock outcrop habitat. Of the 382 Central Grassland endemics, 124 or 33% are of conservation concern (NatureServe ranking of G1/T1 to G3/T3). Of these at-risk taxa, 78 or 63% are primarily associated with one of the centers of endemism identified in the study. It is hoped these findings will be useful in focusing conservation action on the habitats, ecological associations, and regions of the Central Grassland that host the highest concentrations of unique and at-risk plant species and associated biological diversity.

Modeling landscape condition for biodiversity assessment—Application in temperate North America

Conservation decisions are well supported by predictive spatial models that indicate the relative ecological condition of a given place. The intent of this 90m pixel landscape condition model is to use nationally available spatial data from the USA, Mexico, and Canada to express assumptions regarding the relative ecological effects of land uses on terrestrial natural communities and species. This approach emphasizes and updateable and transparent design which takes advantage of empirical biodiversity data from the USA to both calibrate and validate the model. Map layers depicting infrastructure, land use, and modified vegetation were each scored for site impact and distance decay, and then combined into one map surface. Field observations from Natural Heritage Programs, each scored for relative ecological condition (in categories A=excellent to D=poor), were used to calibrate distance decay parameters. Some 90,000 observations for at-risk species, invasive plant species, and natural communities were used for model validation. Statistically significant distinctions in ecological condition among validation samples were predicted by the resultant spatial model. Variation in landscape condition was then summarized by regional U.S. Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) in terms of areas approximating A–D condition. Montane and desert LCCs scored on average much higher in area approximating “A” and “B” landscape condition, while LCCs with more substantial agricultural and urban footprints scored overwhelmingly within the “D” range of condition. Similar analyses illustrated range-wide scoring of landscape condition for major vegetation types across temperate North America.

Strong geographic and temporal patterns in conservation status of North American bats

Conservationists are increasingly concerned about North American bats due to the arrival and spread of the White-nose Syndrome (WNS) disease and mortality associated with wind turbine strikes. To place these novel threats in context for a group of mammals that provides important ecosystem services, we performed the first comprehensive conservation status assessment focusing exclusively on the 45 species occurring in North America north of Mexico. Although most North American bats have large range sizes and large populations, as of 2015, 18–31% of the species were at risk (categorized as having vulnerable, imperiled, or critically imperiled NatureServe conservation statuses) and therefore among the most imperiled terrestrial vertebrates on the continent. Species richness is greatest in the Southwest, but at-risk species were more concentrated in the East, and northern faunas had the highest proportion of at-risk species. Most ecological traits considered, including those characterizing body size, roosting habits, migratory behavior, range size, home range size, population density, and tendency to hibernate, were not strongly associated with conservation status. However, nectarivorous bats tended to be more at risk. The conservation status of bats improved from 1985 to 2000 as human disturbances to roosting sites were reduced, but then declined sharply (7%) by 2015 due principally to threats from WNS and wind energy. Although uncertainty about threats from pollution and climate change remain, past experience shows that when threats are clearly identified and management actions taken, populations can recover.

New County Records of Little Brown and Northern Long-Eared Bats in Georgia

Abstract Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat) and Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat) are 2 species of North American bat that currently are experiencing extreme population declines because of white-nose syndrome (WNS). The state of Georgia lies at the southeastern tip of both of these species' reported ranges, though current records are sparse. Previously, Little Brown Bats had been recorded in only 5 Georgia counties and Northern Long-eared Bats in 9 counties. New records provided herein expand the known range to 20 and 23 counties, respectively. This information greatly increases our knowledge of the ranges of these 2 at-risk species and can help biologists and managers better understand overall population changes as WNS continues to spread.

Effect of season and age on Indian red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus murghi) semen characteristics: A 4-year retrospective study

The reproductive potential of the adult males is expected to vary with age/season and largely differ not only in closely related avian species but even in subspecies, breeds and/or strains of the same species. Thus, it is pre-requisite to have knowledge of seminal parameters to achieve maximum production potential of at-risk species for ex situ in vitro conservation programs. A 4-year study was designed to evaluate the effect of age and season (spring, summer, autumn and winter) on semen characteristics of Indian red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus murghi) in a retrospective manner. Semen ejaculates (n = 1148) were regularly collected from eight adult cocks 6 to 54 months of age. Quantitative and qualitative semen parameters viz; volume (μL), concentration (1 × 109 mL−1), total sperm number per ejaculate (1 × 109 mL−1), motility (%), viability (%), plasma membrane integrity (%), acrosome integrity (%) and semen quality factor were recorded. A chronological increasing trend with age of most sperm quantitative and qualitative traits (semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm number per ejaculate, plasma membrane integrity, viability, acrosomal integrity and semen quality factor) was observed. The highest values were observed at four years of age (P < 0.05) with the exception of sperm motility that was not affected by the age. Spring was the best season for sperm parameters viz; volume, motility, plasma membrane integrity, viability and acrosomal integrity (P < 0.05), however a remarkable sperm production was noticed all over the year. It is concluded that Indian red jungle fowl exhibits an evolution of sperm production that greatly differs in many points from other fowl sub-species. It is suggested that semen ejaculates of highest quality achieved for semen banking at the age of four year in the spring season.

Pre-listing conservation of candidate species under the endangered species act: An evaluation of prevalence, accessibility, and market-based conservation efforts

In 2011, a legal settlement required the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to develop a series of work plans to assess a backlog of candidate species for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Using the resulting USFWS Fiscal Year 2013–2018 work plan, which included 261 candidate species, we identified and analyzed pre-listing candidate conservation plans (PLCP) to determine their characteristics and evaluate the use of market-based mechanisms. Among the 34 PLCPs identified, we found that species-based conservation plans were more common than habitat-based plans, and market-based conservation approaches were infrequently implemented. Inconsistencies in plan documentation were present throughout the USFWS’s online portal, and not all documentation was publicly accessible. Lastly, we found that many states had implemented their own endangered species programs or initiated conservation plans through a state agency. Our work informs the recently-adopted USFWS pre-listing conservation policy and highlights needed improvements in tracking large numbers of at-risk species as they become the subject of regulations. Increased transparency and consistency in conservation plan databases, coupled with increased accessibility, will improve future at-risk species planning.