Biological Case Against Downlisting the Whooping Crane and for Improving Implementation under the Endangered Species Act
The Whooping Crane (Grus americana; WHCR) is a large, long-lived bird endemic to North America. The remnant population migrates between Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, USA, and Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada (AWBP), and has recovered from a nadir of 15-16 birds in 1941 to ~540 birds in 2022. T...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Text |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
2023
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natrespapers/1655 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/natrespapers/article/2638/viewcontent/BioCaseAgainstDownlistingTheWHCRUnderTheESA_CavenETAL_04242023__1_.pdf |
id |
ftunivnebraskali:oai:digitalcommons.unl.edu:natrespapers-2638 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivnebraskali:oai:digitalcommons.unl.edu:natrespapers-2638 2023-11-12T04:27:58+01:00 Biological Case Against Downlisting the Whooping Crane and for Improving Implementation under the Endangered Species Act Caven, Andrew J. Thompson, Hillary L. Baasch, David M. Hartup, Barry K. Hegg, Amanda M. Schmidt, Stephanie M. Louque, Irvin Allen, Craig R. Crouch, Carter G. Davis, Craig A. Jorgensen, Joel G. Austin, Jane E. Ostrom, Bethany L. Beilfuss, Richard D. Archibald, George W. Lacy, Anne E. 2023-06-26T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natrespapers/1655 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/natrespapers/article/2638/viewcontent/BioCaseAgainstDownlistingTheWHCRUnderTheESA_CavenETAL_04242023__1_.pdf unknown DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natrespapers/1655 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/natrespapers/article/2638/viewcontent/BioCaseAgainstDownlistingTheWHCRUnderTheESA_CavenETAL_04242023__1_.pdf Papers in Natural Resources Endangered Species Act ESA Whooping Crane Grus americana Downlisting Delisting Recovery Criteria Environmental Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation Natural Resources Management and Policy Other Environmental Sciences text 2023 ftunivnebraskali 2023-10-30T12:14:44Z The Whooping Crane (Grus americana; WHCR) is a large, long-lived bird endemic to North America. The remnant population migrates between Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, USA, and Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada (AWBP), and has recovered from a nadir of 15-16 birds in 1941 to ~540 birds in 2022. Two ongoing reintroduction efforts in Louisiana and the Eastern Flyway together total ~150 birds. Evidence indicates the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is strongly considering downlisting the species from an endangered to a threatened status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We examined the current status of the WHCR through the lens of ESA threat factors, the USFWS’s Species Status Assessment (SSA) framework, and other avian downlisting actions to determine if the action is biologically warranted. Our research indicates that WHCRs are facing an intensification of most threat drivers across populations and important ranges. The AWBP is still relatively small compared to other crane species and most birds of conservation concern. To date, only one avian species has been downlisted from an endangered status with an estimated population of <3,000 individuals. Representation in terms of WHCRs historic genetic, geographic, and life history variation remains limited. Also, the lack of spatial connectivity among populations, reliance of the reintroduced populations on supplementation, and continued habitat loss suggest that WHCR populations may not be resilient to large stochastic disturbances. Given that reintroduced populations are not self-sustaining, neither supplies true redundancy for the AWBP. Proposed downlisting before recovery plan population criteria have been met is objectively unwarranted 3 and reflects USFWS inconsistency across ESA actions. Only by incorporating basic quantitative criteria and added oversight into ESA listing decisions can we avoid an action as misguided as downlisting the Whooping Crane without consideration of its recovery plan criteria or ostensibly its population ecology. Text Wood Buffalo Wood Buffalo National Park University of Nebraska-Lincoln: DigitalCommons@UNL |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Nebraska-Lincoln: DigitalCommons@UNL |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnebraskali |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Endangered Species Act ESA Whooping Crane Grus americana Downlisting Delisting Recovery Criteria Environmental Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation Natural Resources Management and Policy Other Environmental Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Endangered Species Act ESA Whooping Crane Grus americana Downlisting Delisting Recovery Criteria Environmental Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation Natural Resources Management and Policy Other Environmental Sciences Caven, Andrew J. Thompson, Hillary L. Baasch, David M. Hartup, Barry K. Hegg, Amanda M. Schmidt, Stephanie M. Louque, Irvin Allen, Craig R. Crouch, Carter G. Davis, Craig A. Jorgensen, Joel G. Austin, Jane E. Ostrom, Bethany L. Beilfuss, Richard D. Archibald, George W. Lacy, Anne E. Biological Case Against Downlisting the Whooping Crane and for Improving Implementation under the Endangered Species Act |
topic_facet |
Endangered Species Act ESA Whooping Crane Grus americana Downlisting Delisting Recovery Criteria Environmental Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation Natural Resources Management and Policy Other Environmental Sciences |
description |
The Whooping Crane (Grus americana; WHCR) is a large, long-lived bird endemic to North America. The remnant population migrates between Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, USA, and Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada (AWBP), and has recovered from a nadir of 15-16 birds in 1941 to ~540 birds in 2022. Two ongoing reintroduction efforts in Louisiana and the Eastern Flyway together total ~150 birds. Evidence indicates the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is strongly considering downlisting the species from an endangered to a threatened status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We examined the current status of the WHCR through the lens of ESA threat factors, the USFWS’s Species Status Assessment (SSA) framework, and other avian downlisting actions to determine if the action is biologically warranted. Our research indicates that WHCRs are facing an intensification of most threat drivers across populations and important ranges. The AWBP is still relatively small compared to other crane species and most birds of conservation concern. To date, only one avian species has been downlisted from an endangered status with an estimated population of <3,000 individuals. Representation in terms of WHCRs historic genetic, geographic, and life history variation remains limited. Also, the lack of spatial connectivity among populations, reliance of the reintroduced populations on supplementation, and continued habitat loss suggest that WHCR populations may not be resilient to large stochastic disturbances. Given that reintroduced populations are not self-sustaining, neither supplies true redundancy for the AWBP. Proposed downlisting before recovery plan population criteria have been met is objectively unwarranted 3 and reflects USFWS inconsistency across ESA actions. Only by incorporating basic quantitative criteria and added oversight into ESA listing decisions can we avoid an action as misguided as downlisting the Whooping Crane without consideration of its recovery plan criteria or ostensibly its population ecology. |
format |
Text |
author |
Caven, Andrew J. Thompson, Hillary L. Baasch, David M. Hartup, Barry K. Hegg, Amanda M. Schmidt, Stephanie M. Louque, Irvin Allen, Craig R. Crouch, Carter G. Davis, Craig A. Jorgensen, Joel G. Austin, Jane E. Ostrom, Bethany L. Beilfuss, Richard D. Archibald, George W. Lacy, Anne E. |
author_facet |
Caven, Andrew J. Thompson, Hillary L. Baasch, David M. Hartup, Barry K. Hegg, Amanda M. Schmidt, Stephanie M. Louque, Irvin Allen, Craig R. Crouch, Carter G. Davis, Craig A. Jorgensen, Joel G. Austin, Jane E. Ostrom, Bethany L. Beilfuss, Richard D. Archibald, George W. Lacy, Anne E. |
author_sort |
Caven, Andrew J. |
title |
Biological Case Against Downlisting the Whooping Crane and for Improving Implementation under the Endangered Species Act |
title_short |
Biological Case Against Downlisting the Whooping Crane and for Improving Implementation under the Endangered Species Act |
title_full |
Biological Case Against Downlisting the Whooping Crane and for Improving Implementation under the Endangered Species Act |
title_fullStr |
Biological Case Against Downlisting the Whooping Crane and for Improving Implementation under the Endangered Species Act |
title_full_unstemmed |
Biological Case Against Downlisting the Whooping Crane and for Improving Implementation under the Endangered Species Act |
title_sort |
biological case against downlisting the whooping crane and for improving implementation under the endangered species act |
publisher |
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natrespapers/1655 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/natrespapers/article/2638/viewcontent/BioCaseAgainstDownlistingTheWHCRUnderTheESA_CavenETAL_04242023__1_.pdf |
genre |
Wood Buffalo Wood Buffalo National Park |
genre_facet |
Wood Buffalo Wood Buffalo National Park |
op_source |
Papers in Natural Resources |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natrespapers/1655 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/natrespapers/article/2638/viewcontent/BioCaseAgainstDownlistingTheWHCRUnderTheESA_CavenETAL_04242023__1_.pdf |
_version_ |
1782341368635457536 |