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Gopher tortoises in Southern states deserve federal protections, groups say
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Gopher tortoises imperiled by loss of habitat largely caused by human development should be placed on the endangered species list in four southern states, environmental groups said Wednesday as they prepared to sue the federal government over the issue.
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News & Announcements
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Mark Ford: Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
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Mark Ford, Unit Leader of the Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, discusses his research on threatened, rare, and endangered species, how the LCC can link up various expertise around the region, and the types of science needs the Cooperative can address that will result in on-the-ground conservation.
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Our Community
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Voices from the Community
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Scott Smith: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
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Wildlife Ecologist Scott Smith talks about the vital importance of the Appalachians for the survival of salamanders, how the LCCs can facilitate issues between jurisdictions, and help different agencies prioritize conservation efforts.
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Voices from the Community
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Kimberly Terrell: Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
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Kimberly Terrell describes her work studying the biological constraints of salamanders to adjust to climate change and how the regional nature of the LCC can ensure efficiencies for conservation efforts as well as bring managers and researchers together to work towards common conservation goals.
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Voices from the Community
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North American Migratory Bird Joint Ventures: 25 Years
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Migratory Bird Joint Ventures are cooperative, regional partnerships that work to conserve habitat for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people.
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General Resources Holdings
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Appendix 2a. Recovery Plans for Federally Listed Species within the AppLCC
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A list of ESA Recovery Plans published for listed species within the AppLCC.
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Resources
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General Resources Holdings
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AppLCC Development and Operations Planning
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Appendix 2b. Federally Listed Species and National Leads
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ESA listed species and the lead USFWS office for each that occurs within AppLCC
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General Resources Holdings
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AppLCC Development and Operations Planning
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Pragmatic population viability targets in a rapidly changing world
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To ensure both long-term persistence and evolutionary potential, the required number of individuals in a population often greatly exceeds the targets proposed by conservation management. We critically review minimum population size requirements for species based on empirical and theoretical estimates made over the past few decades. This literature collectively shows that thousands (not hundreds) of individuals are required for a population to have an acceptable probability of riding-out environmental fluctuation and catastrophic events, and ensuring the continuation of evolutionary processes. The evidence is clear, yet conservation policy does not appear to reflect these findings, with pragmatic concerns on feasibility over-riding biological risk assessment. As such, we argue that conservation biology faces a dilemma akin to those working on the physical basis of climate change, where scientific recommendations on carbon emission reductions are compromised by policy makers. There is no obvious resolution other than a more explicit acceptance of the trade-offs implied when population viability requirements are ignored. We rec- ommend that conservation planners include demographic and genetic thresholds in their assessments, and recognise implicit triage where these are not met.
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General Resources Holdings
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Stream channel geomorphology influences mussel abundance in southern Appalachian streams, U.S.A.
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We quantified freshwater mussel abundance and species richness and their physical habitat at 24 sites in eight streams in southern Appalachian catchments in 2000 and 2001. In addition, we modelled site-specific hydraulic parameters during summer baseflow and bankfull stages to estimate high- and low-discharge conditions, respectively.
Mussel abundance was related to stream geomorphology, whereas richness was related to stream size. Baseflow habitat parameters explained only minor variation in abundance or richness, and both measures were highly correlated with mean current velocity or stream size. Bankfull shear stress composed a relatively low proportion of overall mussel habitat variability, but it accounted for significant variation in abundance and richness. Mussel abundance was highly variable at sites subject to low-shear stress during spates, whereas abundance always was low at sites subject to high-shear stress. These data suggest that habitat conditions during floods, rather than those at summer baseflow, limit the abundance of mussels in Appalachian streams. These data also suggest that mussel abundance and assemblage structure may be sensitive to any changes in channel geomorphology and hydraulic conditions that might result from land use in the catchment.
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General Resources Holdings
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Freshwater Mussels of the Powell River, Virginia and Tennessee: Abundance and Distribution in a Biodiversity Hotspot
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Historically, the Powell River had a diverse freshwater mussel fauna of 46 species. Various surveys conducted over the past century have recorded a decline in mussel densities and diversity throughout much of the river, due to historical and on-going anthropogenic impacts. In 2008 and 2009, random timed-search, systematic search, and quadrat sampling of 21 sites were completed to document species richness, relative abundance, density, and size-class structure of resident mussel populations. We recorded 19 species from 18 sites, including 5 endangered species during quadrat sampling efforts. he mussel fauna of the lower Powell River continues to represent one of the most diverse in the United States. Outside of the Powell River, only 2 or 3 populations remain for most of the listed species extant in the river. Given these qualities, the Powell River deserves recognition as a location for focused conservation efforts to protect its diverse mussel assemblage.
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