COSEWIC and Prioritizing Species for

Assessment

Marty L. Leonard, Chair

Committee on the Status of Endangered

Wildlife in Canada

(COSEWIC)

Outline

Background

Criteria

Challenges

Consequences

Other considerations

Section 15. (1) The functions of COSEWIC are to…

(b) determine when wildlife species are to be assessed, with

priority given to those more likely to become extinct

Background

Background

2. High Risk versus Low Risk

1. Risk versus Not at Risk

Prioritization:

COSEWIC considers extinction and extirpation from Canada

Background

Section 24. COSEWIC must review the classification of

each species at risk at least once every 10 years……

225 Reviews of Classification (2011-2015)

COSEWIC

Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge

Amphibians and Reptiles

Arthropods

Birds

Freshwater Fishes

Marine Fishes Marine

Mammals

Molluscs

Mosses and Lichens

Terrestrial Mammals

Vascular Plants

Ranks across taxa

Selects top 15 species for assessment

Criteria

ii. Extent of occurrence (EO) or area of occupancy (AO)

Risk:

i. Population size and trends

- small EO/AO and/or all individuals in few populations

- small populations and/or severe declines

Criteria

v. Global conservation status - species at risk globally

iii. Limiting biological factors

- e.g. life history traits, specialized habitat

iv. Threats

- severe threats, affecting large percent of

population

Criteria

vi. Portion of global range/population in Canada

- endemics, significant proportion in Canada

Responsibility:

Criteria

vii. Taxonomic level

Taxonomic Distinctiveness:

- more taxonomically distinct

Challenges

Ranking across taxa

Uncertainty

Capacity

Trend information by taxon

0

1

2

3

4

Mar

ine

Fish

Birds

Mar

ine

Mam

mal

s

Fresh

wat

er F

ish

Lichen

s

Arthro

pods

Mollu

scs

Vascu

lar Pla

nts

Moss

es

Am

phibia

ns

Rep

tiles

Inform

aonRan

k

Consequences

Status recommendation

Number of Wildlife Species by Category

Consequences

Responsibility

- peripheral species

Other considerations

Conservation action

All else equal in terms of risk:

Proportion of range/pop in Canada

Search effort

Acknowledgements

Karen Timm

David Fraser

Simon Nadeau

Justina Ray

COSEWIC

Committee on the Status of

Endangered Wildlife in Canada

COSEPAC

Comité sur la situation des

espèces en péril au Canada