Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada

Species at Risk

Pandas and whooping cranes - these animals have made us aware that threats to plants and animals are global. You might be surprised, however, to learn that species may be at risk even within our national parks .

While Waterton's 505 square kilometres seems large, the park is a relatively small protected area in a much larger ecosystem, which includes a wide variety of land uses. Land management decisions in and outside the park can significantly affect the health of some plants and animals, particularly wide-ranging animals who spend only a portion of their time in the park. These species require a greater level of care.

In Canada the Species at Risk Act (SARA), together with provincial and territorial legislation, protects at risk plants and animals. Under SARA, the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council (CESCC), provides national leadership for the protection of species at risk .

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) , an independent group of experts, makes detailed assessments of species considered at risk and reports their findings to CESCC. Once a year these recommendations are sent through the Minister of the Environment to the Governor in Council to add, reclassify or remove species from the SARA registry list. Once listed, a species is protected and a recovery plan is required.

Through the Canada National Parks Act, all plants, animals and natural objects in national parks are protected. Parks Canada gives special attention to species listed at risk in the SARA. In order to protect these species, Parks Canada must:

• Solidify our knowledge of those species within our protected areas; and
• Work with partners to protect and recover them.

Species at risk are categorized as either:

• Special concern - particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events
• Threatened - likely to become endangered if factors impacting it are not changed
• Endangered - facing imminent extirpation or extinction

Species at risk in Waterton Lakes National Park are :

Halfmoon Hairstreak (Satyrium semiluna) - assessed as Endangered (undergoing public consultation prior to legal listing)

This inconspicuous little brownish-grey butterfly is found in the fescue grasslands of Waterton. Research is underway to determine if it is a separate species from that reported in British Columbia. This is the only known population of this species in a national park.

Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkia lewisi) - assessed as Threatened (undergoing public consultation prior to legal listing)

Named for the distinctive red slash along its lower jaw, Cutthroat Trout thrive in clear, cold, well-oxygenated streams and rivers. From 1928 to 1972, park waters were stocked with hatchery raised non-native rainbow trout. Competition for food and habitat, plus hybridization, has possibly extirpated pure cutthroat trout from the park. Studies are underway to determine whether any remain.

Bolander's Quillwort (Isoetes bolanderi) - Special concern (but re-assessed as Threatened, and undergoing public consultation prior to legal listing)

This small aquatic plant grows from a corm in the shallow margins of high altitude lakes and ponds. Since the entire Canadian population is located in only two sites in Waterton, it could easily be destroyed by a single catastrophic event.

Lewis' woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) - Special concern

Lewis' Woodpeckers nest in the cavities of dead trees near open areas, often those caused by fire. In Canada they breed in British Columbia, and are occasionally found on the lower mountain slopes of western Alberta, including Waterton. Over the past century, both the global and Canadian populations have declined, primarily due to loss of habitat.

Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) - Special concern

The largest North American shorebird, Long-billed Curlews use their distinctive bill to dig out earthworms, small amphibians and burrow-dwelling prey. Although protected from hunting, their numbers have declined steadily since the early 1900's, partially due to habitat loss. Long-billed Curlews are also found in Grasslands National Park.

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) – Special Concern

Once the most widespread frog species in North America, the Northern Leopard Frog has been mysteriously disappearing since the 1960's. They have not been seen in Waterton since 1980. Efforts are underway to restore this endangered amphibian in the park.

Western Toad (Bufo boreas) – Special Concern

The adult Western Toad spends most of its time in forested areas near shallow lakes or ponds from sea level to the subalpine . Surveys show little evidence of this amphibian in areas where they had previously bred. Since populations have declined in other parts of their range, Waterton's populations are being closely monitored.

When a tree falls in the forest does anybody hear? Extirpation to Extinction

If a local population disappears, it is called extirpation. When this happens, some of the genetic diversity of the species is lost and special adaptations may vanish. As well the community in which the species lived changes.

For example if a tree species disappears, any insects that depend on those trees for food, any birds and mammals that lived in those trees, and any plants that grew in the shade may disappear as well. When the last remaining population of a particular species is extirpated the species becomes extinct.

Much of the progress in recovering a species at risk can be credited to better management practices, as well as public support and involvement. Monitoring and conserving wildlife species and their habitat is essential to the protection and recovery of species at risk and to prevent other species from becoming at risk in the first place.

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

John Muir