Wed, Aug 17, 2022: 2:45 PM-3:00 PM
512E
Background/Question/MethodsThe global decline of wild species has been called the sixth extinction. However, within the general trend of wildlife loss there are many examples of successful recovery. Understanding extinction and recovery can help to inform conservation, but this accounting has not been done in Canada. Our research identifies both the species that Canada has lost since European settlement and those that have improved in status through conservation actions. We catalogued all species losses and recoveries through a review of databases, literature, and input from experts. The timing and location of loss and recovery were determined for each species and summarized to identify general patterns and trends.
Results/ConclusionsOver 140 species have been lost from Canada. Although some of these are cryptic and may be rediscovered, our findings include significantly more species than reported under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA). These geographies of extinction are concentrated in Ontario, BC and Quebec and align with sites that currently have high numbers of species at risk. Unsustainable harvest was initially a key driver for the loss of several mammals, birds, and freshwater fishes, but habitat degradation is now driving species loss. There are 44 species now assessed at a lower risk of extinction as result of conservation actions. Canada also has over 50 species that were historically considered threatened but recovered before official national assessments began in 1978. The main drivers of recovery include harvest management, translocations, and protected areas establishment. Over 100 species have improved in status for non-genuine reasons, primarily new discoveries and taxonomic changes. Our results can be used to track the progress of SARA and Canada’s national commitments to the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Unless the conditions that caused past species loss are urgently addressed Canada will be unable to meet national targets and global commitments to prevent the decline and extinction of threatened species.
Results/ConclusionsOver 140 species have been lost from Canada. Although some of these are cryptic and may be rediscovered, our findings include significantly more species than reported under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA). These geographies of extinction are concentrated in Ontario, BC and Quebec and align with sites that currently have high numbers of species at risk. Unsustainable harvest was initially a key driver for the loss of several mammals, birds, and freshwater fishes, but habitat degradation is now driving species loss. There are 44 species now assessed at a lower risk of extinction as result of conservation actions. Canada also has over 50 species that were historically considered threatened but recovered before official national assessments began in 1978. The main drivers of recovery include harvest management, translocations, and protected areas establishment. Over 100 species have improved in status for non-genuine reasons, primarily new discoveries and taxonomic changes. Our results can be used to track the progress of SARA and Canada’s national commitments to the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Unless the conditions that caused past species loss are urgently addressed Canada will be unable to meet national targets and global commitments to prevent the decline and extinction of threatened species.