1. Species at Risk and their Habitats

2. Biodiversity
The variety of life in a particular ecosystem

3. Species Richness
The number of species in an area

4. What is a Species at Risk?
A plant or animal that is at risk of extinction because of threats caused by humans such as
building golf courses
roads
cultivating native prairie.

5. Some species in Canada have already disappeared
Plains Grizzly Bear Black-footed Ferret

6. Levels of Risk Special Concern
a species that may become threatened because of certain biological characteristics and identified threats
Polar bear Red-headed woodpecker

7. Threatened
a species that may become endangered unless factors reducing its survival are not changed
wood bison humpback whale

8. Endangered at imminent threat of extirpation or extinction
Swift fox Northern Cricket frog

9. Extirpated
gone from the wild in Canada, but not other parts of the world
Atlantic Walrus Paddlefish
(from Northwest Atlantic) (from all of Canada)

10. Extinct
no longer exist anywhere
Sea mink Great Auk

11. Habitat Changes
affect all species in the area. For species that are already at risk, these changes can have strong negative effects from which the species may not be able to recover.
Can you name some habitat
changes that occur
naturally?

12. Natural Habitat Changes
Fire – naturally created by lightening strikes

13. Natural Habitat Changes
Storms and other weather events – hurricanes, tornadoes, wind, hail, drought
Storms and other weather events – hurricanes, tornadoes, wind, hail, drought

14. Natural Habitat Changes
Animals – some animals modify their habitat to make it more suitable for them but less suitable for other animals (eg. beavers, prairie dogs)

15. Natural habitat changes
are usually temporary and reversible.
a natural process within the ecosystem.
Species that live in these habitats have often evolved with these natural changes and adapted to them.

16. Human-caused Habitat Changes
Resource Extraction = logging, mining and farming
Can destroy the habitat of many species

17. Human-caused Habitat Changes
Pollution
can have far-reaching effects such as acid rain and changes in the chemistry of lakes and rivers

18. Human-caused habitat changes
often cause long-term effects that are permanent.
Species are often negatively affected by these sudden, unexpected changes to which they often cannot adapt.

19. Invasive Species
A non-native species whose intentional or accidental introduction negatively impacts the natural environment

20. Examples in Ontario
Starlings brought from England in hopes they would control insect pests (original 100 now up to 200 million) which have caused a decline in the songbirds.
Asian Carp
Sea lamprey
Zebra mussels
Silent invaders

21. Types of Impact: Ecological  decline of native species, change
ecosystem Dynamics
Economic  may damage crops, disease, etc
Tourism  species loss, reduced water quality
Health  disease causing organisms,
pesticides to control invasive species

22. Controlling Introduced Species:
Chemical control  pesticides
Mechanical control  physical barriers or
removal
Biological control  intentionally introduced
species to control invasive species