Unlisted Species Research Articles

The Diversity of Alien Plant Species in South Africa’s National Botanical and Zoological Gardens

The management of biological invasions, which pose a growing threat to natural resources and human well-being, is critical for reducing associated negative impacts. As part of the process of developing a strategy for the management of biological invasions in the South African National Biodiversity Institute’s (SANBI) gardens, we collated a list of alien plant species from 13 gardens as part of a situational analysis. We requested lists of alien plant species recorded in each of the SANBI’s gardens. A total of 380 records included 225 alien plant species belonging to 73 families. A significant number of species were intentionally introduced through horticultural trade as ornamentals (49%; n = 225), while 20.9% were consumed as either food or medicine by humans. Plant life forms included woody and herbaceous plants, graminoids, succulents and ferns. Herbaceous (42.7%; n = 225) and woody plants (3.8%) were the dominant life forms. The Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden had the highest number of alien species (88 species), followed by Kirstenbosch (61 species) and Pretoria (46 species) National Botanical Gardens, with herbaceous species constituting the largest number in all gardens (i.e., 47, 19, and 27 species, respectively). The number of species that we recorded that were listed in the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEM: BA) (Act No. 10 of 2004): Alien and Invasive Species Regulations’ categories were not notably different from the number of unlisted species (58.2% vs. 42.8%). The number of species listed in the different categories varied significantly across the different gardens, with a significantly higher number of unlisted species and of Category 1b species in the Walter Sisulu, Kirstenbosch and Pretoria National Botanical Gardens than in other gardens. That a significantly larger number of alien species originated from South America points to the need to improve biosecurity controls on existing relations. The results of this study provided a baseline database to help comparison between successive surveys in future.

The U.S. market for imported wildlife not listed in the CITES multilateral treaty.

The international wildlife trade presents severe conservation and environmental security risks, yet no international regulatory framework exists to monitor the trade of species not listed in the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). We explored the composition and dynamics of internationally regulated versus nonregulated trade, with a focus on importations of wild-caught terrestrial vertebrates entering the United States from 2009 to 2018. We used 10 years of species-level trade records of the numbers of live, wild-caught animals imported to the United States and data on International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates of extinction risk to determine whether there were differences in the diversity, abundance, and risk to extinction among imports of CITES-listed versus unlisted species. We found 3.6 times the number of unlisted species in U.S. imports compared with CITES-listed species (1366 vs. 378 species). The CITES-listed species were more likely to face reported conservation threats relative to unlisted species (71.7%vs. 27.5%). However, 376 unlisted species faced conversation threats, 297 species had unknown population trends, and 139 species were without an evaluation by the IUCN. Unlisted species appearing for the first time in records were imported 5.5 times more often relative to CITES-listed species. Unlisted reptiles had the largest rate of entry, averaging 53 unique species appearing in imports for the first time per year. Overall trade quantities were approximately 11 times larger for imports of unlisted species relative to imports of CITES-listed species. Countries that were top exporters of CITES-listed species were mostly different from exporters of unlisted species. Because of the vulnerabilities of unlisted, traded species entering the United States and increasing global demand, we strongly recommend governments adapt their policies to monitor and report on the trade of all wildlife.

Fire ecology for the 21st century: Conserving biodiversity in the age of megafire

Fire ecology for the 21st century: Conserving biodiversity in the age of megafire

Does threatened species listing status predict climate change risk? A case study with Australian Persoonia (Proteaceae) species

Climate change risk assessments are essential for the successful conservation and management of species under future climates. However, many management plans fail to include such assessments when evaluating threats to species or ecological communities. Species distribution models (SDMs) are versatile tools that can estimate species exposure to shifts in climate, but they lack information on the response capacity of species to climate change. Functional traits can be used in conjunction with SDMs to understand aspects of species biology that would suggest sensitivity to climate change. We illustrate how exposure to climate change and sensitivity of species based on their traits can be combined to generate predictions of climate change risk in four species listed as threatened (under state and federal legislation) and four unlisted plant species from the endemic Australian genus Persoonia (Proteaceae). We develop distribution models for each species using two emissions scenarios and assess four traits and two range metrics that are recognized as limiting factors in four potential climate change responses (reproduction, movement capability, habitat specialization, and spatial coverage) to assess the sensitivity of these eight species to climate change. Listed and unlisted species varied in niche breadth, environmental envelopes, and the percent contribution of variables to the model building process. Our models project a significant decline in habitat suitability under future climates at current occurrence locations for all species, and a 32–95% reduction in the total area (km 2 ) of suitable habitat for all species by 2060, with significantly greater decline under the higher emissions scenario. Seven out of the eight species assessed ranked high for overall climate sensitivity therefore listing status may be a poor indicator of climate change risk to plant species. This has important implications for the continued focus on threatened taxa in conservation planning, particularly for hyper-diverse groups like plants and invertebrates where a species listing status is influenced by an often-slow progress towards comprehensive assessments of threat status. • Projected climate change exposure was high for all Persoonia we assessed. • Species traits revealed high sensitivity to climate change among most Persoonia we assessed. • Exposure and sensitivity did not differ based on listing status. • A species listing status may be a poor indicator of climate change risk. • Suitable habitat loss for all species was higher under the higher emissions scenario.

Deforestation and bird habitat loss in Colombia

Tropical deforestation continues at high rates in many regions, but it is often reported only in terms of area lost or its impacts on high-profile threatened species. Here, we examined the impact of both past and projected future deforestation on habitat extent for the entire assemblage of forest-dependent birds across the country with the greatest richness of bird species: Colombia. Of the 550 forest-dependent species analysed, almost all (n = 536; 96.5%) had lost habitat, and 18% had lost at least half of their habitat by 2015. We used the recently developed Loss Index (LI) to capture the severity of habitat loss for the forest bird assemblage, discovering that the current LI for Colombia is 35, which means 35% of bird species have lost at least 35% of their habitat. However, there were large regional differences. The national LI for Colombia is projected to rise to 43 by 2040 if recent forest loss trends continue. A threat assessment for the regionally-endemic species in the country showed that 12 (30%) of the species that are projected to lose 50% or more of their historical habitat by 2040 are not currently classified as threatened by the IUCN, suggesting that there are many unlisted species that face an imminent extinction threat from ongoing habitat loss. This extensive habitat depletion affecting entire species assemblages has significant implications for tropical forest ecosystems. We consider the risks this poses to ecosystem function and ecosystem service provision in Colombia's forests, and the ramifications of our findings for other tropical biodiversity hotspots.

Taxonomic biases persist from listing to management for Canadian species at risk

ABSTRACTManagement planning for Canadian species at risk of extinction begins with recommendation for legal protection under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), and ends with Action Plans that guide management implementation. Roughly five years after the enactment of SARA in 2002, multiple studies identified taxonomic biases associated with the SARA listing process. Here, we provide a comprehensive test of whether taxonomic biases remain over a decade later. We also test whether biases in listing are propagated through to management implementation. We find that birds, reptiles and plants are more likely to be legally protected than other species. Arthropods and fishes are less likely to be protected, with unlisted fish species being twice as likely to be threatened by resource use than other unlisted species. We also find that arthropods and amphibians are less likely to have Action Plans than other species. In addition, we find no evidence that biases in listing or management have improved over time. Canadian species at risk recovery programs appear to be biased both in legal protection and management, disfavouring arthropods, amphibians and harvested fishes. If SARA is to fulfil its stated purpose, such biases must be directly addressed, through a transparent and formalised prioritisation system.

The complete genome sequence of an alphabaculovirus from Spodoptera exempta, an agricultural pest of major economic significance in Africa.

Spodoptera exempta nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpexNPV) is a viral pathogen of the African armyworm, Spodoptera exempta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a significant agricultural pest of cereal crops in Africa. SpexNPV has been evaluated as a potential insecticide for control of this pest and has served as the subject of research on baculovirus pathology and transmission. Occlusion bodies (OBs) of SpexNPV isolate 244.1 were examined, and the nucleotide sequence of the genome was determined and characterized. SpexNPV-244.1 OBs consisted of irregular polyhedra with a size and appearance typical for alphabaculoviruses. Virions within the polyhedra contained 1–8 nucleocapsids per unit envelope. The SpexNPV-244.1 genome was comprised of a 129,528 bp circular sequence, in which 139 ORFs were annotated. Five homologous regions (hrs) consisting of a variable number of 28-bp imperfect palindromes were identified in the genome. The genome sequence contained the 38 core genes of family Baculoviridae, as well as three ORFs unique to the SpexNPV sequence and one ORF that was apparently acquired by horizontal gene transfer with a betabaculovirus ancestor. Phylogenetic inference with core gene amino acid sequence alignments placed SpexNPV-244.1 in a lineage containing alphabaculoviruses of Spodoptera frugiperda and Spodopotera exigua which in turn is part of a larger group of alphabaculoviruses from the subfamily Noctuinae in the lepidopteran family Noctuidae. Kimura-2-parameter pairwise nucleotide distances indicated that SpexNPV-244.1 represented a different and previously unlisted species in the genus Alphabaculovirus. Gene parity plots indicated that the gene order of SpexNPV-244.l was extensively collinear with that of Spodoptera exigua NPV (SeMNPV). These plots also revealed a group of 17 core genes whose order was conserved in other alpha- and betabaculoviruses.

Global Conservation Status of Turtles and Tortoises (Order Testudines)

Abstract We present a review and analysis of the conservation status and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) threat categories of all 360 currently recognized species of extant and recently extinct turtles and tortoises (Order Testudines). Our analysis is based on the 2018 IUCN Red List status of 251 listed species, augmented by provisional Red List assessments by the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG) of 109 currently unlisted species of tortoises and freshwater turtles, as well as re-assessments of several outdated IUCN Red List assessments. Of all recognized species of turtles and tortoises, this combined analysis indicates that 20.0% are Critically Endangered (CR), 35.3% are Critically Endangered or Endangered (CR+EN), and 51.9% are Threatened (CR+EN+Vulnerable). Adjusting for the potential threat levels of Data Deficient (DD) species indicates that 56.3% of all data-sufficient species are Threatened. We calculated percentages of imperiled species and modifi...

Evaluation of Endangered Lakesucker Rearing in Tributaries to Upper Klamath Lake by Use of X-Ray Imaging

Abstract. Two species of endangered, primarily lake-dwelling sucker are endemic to the Upper Klamath Basin in southern Oregon: shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris) and Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus). A third unlisted species, Klamath largescale sucker (Catostomus snyderi), also occurs in the basin. Apart from a small group of adult Lost River suckers documented in a tributary to Upper Klamath Lake in the late 1990s, it is generally believed that though the listed sucker species spawn in tributaries, the larvae out-migrate within days of swim-up, and therefore, there is no juvenile residence in the tributaries. We used X-ray imaging and vertebral counts to identify 347 juvenile suckers collected from tributaries to Upper Klamath Lake between 2006 and 2008. We positively identified 13 individuals as Lost River sucker. Our finding of juvenile endangered suckers rearing in tributaries to Upper Klamath Lake challenges the previous finding that larval and juvenile suckers only spend a small portion...

Development and assessment of indices to determine stream fish vulnerability to climate change and habitat alteration

Understanding the future impacts of climate and land use change are critical for long-term biodiversity conservation. We developed and compared two indices to assess the vulnerability of stream fish in Missouri, USA based on species environmental tolerances, rarity, range size, dispersal ability and on the average connectivity of the streams occupied by each species. These two indices differed in how environmental tolerance was classified (i.e., vulnerability to habitat alteration, changes in stream temperature, and changes to flow regimes). Environmental tolerance was classified based on measured species responses to habitat alteration, and extremes in stream temperatures and flow conditions for one index, while environmental tolerance for the second index was based on species’ traits. The indices were compared to determine if vulnerability scores differed by index or state listing status. We also evaluated the spatial distribution of species classified as vulnerable to habitat alteration, changes in stream temperature, and change in flow regimes. Vulnerability scores were calculated for all 133 species with the trait association index, while only 101 species were evaluated using the species response index, because 32 species lacked data to analyze for a response. Scores from the trait association index were greater than the species response index. This is likely due to the species response index's inability to evaluate many rare species, which generally had high vulnerability scores for the trait association index. The indices were consistent in classifying vulnerability to habitat alteration, but varied in their classification of vulnerability due to increases in stream temperature and alterations to flow regimes, likely because extremes in current climate may not fully capture future conditions and their influence on stream fish communities. Both indices showed higher mean vulnerability scores for listed species than unlisted species, which provided a coarse measure of validation. Our indices classified species identified as being in need of conservation by the state of Missouri as highly vulnerable. The distribution of vulnerable species in Missouri showed consistent patterns between indices, with the more forest-dominated, groundwater fed streams in the Ozark subregion generally having higher numbers and proportions of vulnerable species per site than subregions that were agriculturally dominated with more overland flow. These results suggest that both indices will identify similar habitats as conservation action targets despite discrepancies in the classification of vulnerable species. Our vulnerability assessment provides a framework that can be refined and used in other regions.

Macroecological relationships reveal conservation hotspots and extinction‐prone species in Australia's freshwater fishes

AbstractAimWe (1) investigate the relationship between range size and body size for all Australian freshwater fish, (2) test whether this relationship changes with dispersal capacity, (3) assess whether this macroecological pattern can be used to detect potentially vulnerable, but currently unprotected, species, and (4) identify hotspots of freshwater fish conservation concern in Australia.LocationAll Australian river basins.MethodsWe test for relationships between geographic range size and body size in all Australian freshwater fishes, using quantile regression. We then investigate how these relationships vary with conservation status and dispersal capacity. We identify currently unlisted freshwater fishes that share traits with currently listed species and map their distribution, along with freshwater fish research effort, across Australia.ResultsWe found a positive, triangular relationship between range size and body size. Potamodromous species and species endemic to New Guinea and Australia had the largest geographic ranges, while diadromous and globally distributed species had the smallest geographic ranges. For a given body size, conservation‐listed species had a range less than one‐tenth the size of unlisted species. Based on this relationship, we identified 55 species that may be vulnerable to extinction. Most of these species are restricted to northern Australia, a climatically sensitive and poorly researched region on the verge of major development.Main conclusionDespite differences in environments, levels of connectivity and life‐history strategies, freshwater fishes exhibit a positive relationship between geographic range size and body size consistent with that found in terrestrial fauna. By identifying northern Australia as a hotspot of potentially vulnerable species, we provide an important context for guiding targeted research and informing future conservation management of Australia's freshwater fishes. We suggest macroecological relationships are likely to be useful for identifying species at risk of extinction across most taxa when detailed ecological data are absent.

Trends in extinction risk for imperiled species in Canada.

Protecting and promoting recovery of species at risk of extinction is a critical component of biodiversity conservation. In Canada, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) determines whether species are at risk of extinction or extirpation, and has conducted these assessments since 1977. We examined trends in COSEWIC assessments to identify whether at-risk species that have been assessed more than once tended to improve, remain constant, or deteriorate in status, as a way of assessing the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation in Canada. Of 369 species that met our criteria for examination, 115 deteriorated, 202 remained unchanged, and 52 improved in status. Only 20 species (5.4%) improved to the point where they were ‘not at risk’, and five of those were due to increased sampling efforts rather than an increase in population size. Species outcomes were also dependent on the severity of their initial assessment; for example, 47% of species that were initially listed as special concern deteriorated between assessments. After receiving an at-risk assessment by COSEWIC, a species is considered for listing under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), which is the primary national tool that mandates protection for at-risk species. We examined whether SARA-listing was associated with improved COSEWIC assessment outcomes relative to unlisted species. Of 305 species that had multiple assessments and were SARA-listed, 221 were listed at a level that required identification and protection of critical habitat; however, critical habitat was fully identified for only 56 of these species. We suggest that the Canadian government should formally identify and protect critical habitat, as is required by existing legislation. In addition, our finding that at-risk species in Canada rarely recover leads us to recommend that every effort be made to actively prevent species from becoming at-risk in the first place.

How Much Biodiversity does Natura 2000 Cover?

Maes et al. (2013) argue that amendments to the Annexes of the Habitats Directive “would divert attention and resources and risks being counterproductive,” that other species would also benefit from the conservation measures for the species listed on the Annexes and that priority should focus on funding and implementing management. This argumentation very well illustrates the inertia of European administrative processes, such as the Habitats Directive. A time span of 20 years has apparently not been sufficient to implement a properly managed reserve network, whereas during the same time, major changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) led to rapid land use changes threatening biodiversity (e.g., Eggers et al. 2009). We are concerned that with the current species lists and only 7 years left, it will be virtually impossible to halt biodiversity loss on the territory of the EU by 2020. It is probably never “the right time” (Maes et al. 2013) to change any European directive, simply due to the protracted and complex European legislation processes. However, we believe that regular amendments and a stronger link of the Annexes to Red Lists will assure that the Habitats Directive becomes an adaptive tool and hence independent of such protracted administrative processes. Contrary to the argument of diverted resources put forward by Maes et al. (2013), we believe that only via the mechanisms embedded in the Habitats Directive itself, we can ensure conservation of threatened species which are not listed on the annexes. Local administrations are fully occupied with implementing Natura 2000, with only few resources left to protect unlisted species, even if they are highly endangered. It is, thus, rather optimistic to rely

Working Lands for Wildlife: Will Voluntary Habitat Conservation Save Two Threatened Pennsylvania Species?

On March 8, 2012, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Services revealed a new conservation program called Working Lands for Wildlife. This federally funded partnership devotes 33 million dollars to voluntary landowner habitat conservation for seven target species, including two rare Pennsylvanian species, the bog turtle and the golden-winged warbler. In exchange for an agreement to improve habitats for one of these species, landowners receive a promise from regulating agencies that any incidental harm to the species caused by their habitat conservation practices will be exempt from penalties under the Endangered Species Act (hereinafter “ESA”). Landowners also receive some technical and financial assistance to support their conservation efforts. Although Working Lands for Wildlife provides these admirable new incentives for habitat conservation, the program could also be used to avoid ESA listings for currently unlisted species, like the golden-winged warbler. This article argues the program’s potential costs and benefits to unlisted species should be carefully weighed, and the program cannot serve as a politically convenient procedure to abandon listing efforts.

Conservation-Reliant Species

A species is conservation reliant when the threats that it faces cannot be eliminated, but only managed. There are two forms of conservation reliance: population- and threat-management reliance. We provide an overview of the concept and introduce a series of articles that examine it in the context of a range of taxa, threats, and habitats. If sufficient assurances can be provided that successful population and threat management will continue, conservation-reliant species may be either delisted or kept off the endangered species list. This may be advantageous because unlisted species provide more opportunities for a broader spectrum of federal, state, tribal, and private interests to participate in conservation. Even for currently listed species, the number of conservation-reliant species—84% of endangered and threatened species with recovery plans— and the magnitude of management actions needed to sustain the species at recovered levels raise questions about society's willingness to support necessary action.

Quantitative Determination of Rarity of Freshwater Fishes and Implications for Imperiled‐Species Designations

Conserving rare species and protecting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning depends on sound information on the nature of rarity. Rarity is multidimensional and has a variety of definitions, which presents the need for a quantitative classification scheme with which to categorize species as rare or common. We constructed such a classification for North American freshwater fishes to better describe rarity in fishes and provide researchers and managers with a tool to streamline conservation efforts. We used data on range extents, habitat specificities, and local population sizes of North American freshwater fishes and a variety of quantitative methods and statistical decision criteria, including quantile regression and a cost-function algorithm to determine thresholds for categorizing a species as rare or common. Species fell into eight groups that conform to an established framework for rarity. Fishes listed by the American Fisheries Society (AFS) as endangered, threatened, or vulnerable were most often rare because their local population sizes were low, ranges were small, and they had specific habitat needs, in that order, whereas unlisted species were most often considered common on the basis of these three factors. Species with large ranges generally had few specific habitat needs, whereas those with small ranges tended to have narrow habitat specificities. We identified 30 species not designated as imperiled by AFS that were rare along all dimensions of rarity and may warrant further study or protection, and we found three designated species that were common along all dimensions and may require a review of their imperilment status. Our approach could be applied to other taxa to aid conservation decisions and serve as a useful tool for future revisions of listings of fish species.

The Normative Dimension and Legal Meaning of Endangered and Recovery in the U.S. Endangered Species Act

The ethical, legal, and social significance of the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) is widely appreciated. Much of the significance of the act arises from the legal definitions that the act provides for the terms threatened species and endangered species. The meanings of these terms are important because they give legal meaning to the concept of a recovered species. Unfortunately, the meanings of these terms are often misapprehended and rarely subjected to formal analysis. We analyzed the legal meaning of recovered species and illustrate key points with details from "recovery" efforts for the gray wolf (Canis lupus). We focused on interpreting the phrase "significant portion of its range," which is part of the legal definition of endangered species. We argue that recovery and endangerment entail a fundamentally normative dimension (i.e., specifying conditions of endangerment) and a fundamentally scientific dimension (i.e., determining whether a species meets the conditions of endangerment). Specifying conditions for endangerment is largely normative because it judges risks of extinction to be either acceptable or unacceptable. Like many other laws that specify what is unacceptable, the ESA largely specifies the conditions that constitute unacceptable extinction risk. The ESA specifies unacceptable risks of extinction by defining endangered species in terms of the portion of a species' range over which a species is "in danger of extinction." Our analysis indicated that (1) legal recovery entails much more than the scientific notion of population viability, (2) most efforts to recover endangered species are grossly inadequate, and (3) many unlisted species meet the legal definition of an endangered or threatened species.

A CHECKLIST OF THE FISH SPECIES OF THE CROCODILE AND MATLABAS RIVERS (LIMPOPO SYSTEM) OF THE TRANSVAAL

SUMMARY This paper reports on the results of a fish distribution survey of the Crocodile and Matlabas Rivers (Limpopo System). Fifteen species are recorded for the first time in the Matlabas River. Seven unlisted species are recorded for the Crocodile River, bringing the total for this river to 23. The significance of the new findings is discussed.

A Supplement to the Fauna and Flora of Horn Island, Mississippi

Since the publication of “The Fauna and Flora of Horn Island, Mississippi’’ (Richmond 1962) search for unrecorded species present on this island, or in the waters surrounding it, has been continuing by myself and others. The premise that all of the plants and animals living in a given area can never be located completely is naturally well-founded. However, it seems advisable to continue the search for unlisted species of Horn Island. Many unrecorded specimens have been collected and it seems proper at this time to make a supplementary list available to the public, particularly those interested in fields of science and nature. Knowing what is present on the island doubtless will tend to stimulate biological studies in various fields of endeavor.

Additions to the known nodulating species ofLeguminosae

Observations have been made on the nodulation of species ofLeguminosae. Nodulation is recorded for 137 previously unlisted species in 24 genera, including 8 previously unlisted genera, all species being indigenous in Western Australia.