Top Ten Report Submissions

Cecilia Mayer

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Population numbers are unknown, but recent reports indicate that populations of these frogs have declined by 95%, and are extinct in over 93% of their historic habitats. Estimates say that the species will be completely extinct within decades.

Climate change directly affects Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog populations, as summers intensify, droughts increase, and more and more of their ideal habitat of shallow, high elevation lakes dry up.

When in abundance, Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs were a keystone predator in it’s mountainous shallow water habitat, as well as a key part of nutrient and energy cycling in the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/33938

Cecilia Mayer

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The diamondback terrapin is native to 16 US states, primarily in the East as well as in Texas, and while exact population size is unknown, a 2011 study reported it to be possibly over 100,000. 95% of terrapin habitats in Florida are projected to be destroyed by rising sea levels.

Diamondback terrapins are both directly and indirectly affected by climate change - as sea levels rise, the brackish estuaries and salt marsh habitats of diamondback terrapins are altered or destroyed, and as seawalls and bulkheads are built to combat climate change-induced sea level rise and storm threats, soft shoreline beach nesting habitats of this terrapin are destroyed. 95% of terrapin habitats in Florida will be inundated with salt water by a sea level rise of only 1 meter.

As the only turtle that inhabits the brackish waters of the US in estuaries, tidal creeks, and salt marshes, ther diamondback terrapin is an important species to conserve. They play an important role in the successful functioning of coastal saltwater and marsh ecosystems through seed dispersal, vegetation management, and insect and snail control.

https://www.fws.gov/international/cites/cop16/cop16-proposal-appendix-ii-listing-of-diamondback-terrapin.pdf
https://climateadaptationexplorer.org/species/reptiles/203

Cecilia Mayer

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Brook trout are native to the upper Midwest and Eastern United States, where populations have already declined due to loss of suitable cold water habitat. Although exact population numbers are hard to find, studies from 2006 show that of 70% of the historical range of brook trout in the United States, only 5% of habitats are intact and at least 90% of such habitats are occupied by brook trout. 27% of studied habitats are greatly reduced and 21% are extirpated of brook trout. Further, a 2008 study showed that 35% of populations had reduced and 28% were extirpated and specifically in Pennsylvania, 90% of brook trout populations were significantly reduced or completely absent. Additionally, in 2015 catchment assessments, only 22% of catchments yielded brook trout. With continued habitat loss and current and impending consequences of climate change, brook trout populations will continue to decline and may be threatened with extinction.

Climate change directly affects brook trout populations, specifically through floods and droughts that impact and alter suitable habitat, and changing temperatures that affect snow melts and therefore river and stream temperatures. Acid rain caused by pollution also has a direct impact on brook trout populations, as it results in decreased pH levels.

An indicator species, large numbers of brook trout signal a healthy watershed environment. Conversely, declining brook trout numbers signify poor water quality and a deteriorating habitat. Brook trout populations present an important method of ecosystem monitoring for parks and preserves.

https://easternbrooktrout.org/reports/eastern-brook-trout-status-and-threats%20%282006%29/view
https://www.fs.fed.us/biology/resources/pubs/feu/08_hudy_brooktrout_landusechar.pdf
https://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Fishing/documents/2019FishingDocuments/EBT-Roadmap-to-Conservation-2018.pdf

Cecilia Mayer

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Both the Western and Eastern Monarch butterfly populations have drastically decreased since regular observations began in the 1990s. Only 29,000 western monarchs were counted in their California overwinter location in 2019, and 2020 showed a 53% decrease. 1.3 million monarch butterflies were counted in 1999. Similarly, the total area that monarch butterflies occupy in their Mexico overwintering habitats decreased by 26% in 2020 from 2019.

Climate change threatens monarch butterflies both directly and indirectly, and with current projections for climate change and continued extreme weather conditions in locations key to monarch migration and breeding success, monarch butterflies populations will continue to drastically decline. These butterflies are already exposed to a number of climate variability that affects their success, such as floods, strong winds, droughts, fires, severe rains, heatwaves, and freezing temperatures. Such events will increase in frequency and intensity with current climate change projections. Climate change affects both the migration process of monarch butterflies, through changing weather conditions and flowering seasons, as well as the suitability of their overwintering and breeding habitats. Climate change can also affect food sources for both larvae and adults. Changing and unpredictable weather kills milkweed blossoms - the primary plant on which female monarchs lay their eggs and larvae feed. A 2020 report from the World Wildlife Fund and the Mexican government showed that the development of monarch eggs and larvae was affected by the loss of milkweed blossoms. Additionally, monarchs can survive neither colder winters nor hotter summers, both of which are occurring as a direct result of climate change. Several of their traits also increase their vulnerability to climate change, namely their dependence on environmental cues to instigate migration, reproduction, and hibernations.

The importance of the monarch butterfly lies not only with its status as a widespread pollinator, but also in its recognition across America for its distinctive and colorful wing patterns and ability to migrate 3,000 miles biannually. A unique insect that captures the interest of all, the monarch butterfly is highly in tune with the environment and changes to the climate. Plant biodiversity will suffer without the addition of the monarch’s crucial pollination.

WWF and Mexican government report 2020: https://monarchjointventure.org/images/uploads/documents/Monarch_Butterfly_Monitoring_2019-2020_PressRelease_Final.pdf
WWF Wildlife and Climate Change Series report: https://c402277.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/publications/845/files/original/Monarch_butterfly_-_WWF_wildlife_and_climate_change_series.pdf
UN Environment Programme Fact Sheet: https://www.cms.int/sites/default/files/publication/fact_sheet_monarch_butterfly_climate_change.pdf

Diana Umpierre

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Big Pine Key and No Name Key provide the most fresh water and support the majority of the Key deer population 2020 Key Deer Population Estimate https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/199675 Florida Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) are an endangered subspecies of white-tailed deer endemic to the Lower Florida Keys. Key deer abundance reached a low point of 25–50 deer by the 1940s due to overhunting and habitat loss. Through intensive population and habitat management, the Key deer population increased to approximately 1,000 deer within its core habitat by the early 2000s... Over the last 40 years, Key deer population numbers had been steadily increasing until the recent screwworm outbreak in 2016 that resulted in an estimated 14–15% population decline, followed by Hurricane Irma making landfall in 2017 that resulted in an estimated 40% population decline. Current Schnabel (n = 748) and pooled distance (n = 1,087) population estimates were greater than Post-Hurricane Irma estimates in 2018 (n = 573) but still slightly below estimates calculated in 2016 after the screwworm outbreak (n = 860).

most of these are direct impacts: SLR, barriers to dispersal, genetic swamping or competition with mainland deer if moved to mainland, loss of freshwater sources due more frequent high tide, SLR, more frequent hurricanes, heat stress, droughts, loss of canopy for shade
more at:
https://climateadaptationexplorer.org/species/mammals/119

FL Key deer is considered the umbrella species in their habitat conservation plan
Habitat Conservation Plan for Florida Key Deer and other Protected Species on Big Pine Key and No Name Key, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, April 2003 April 2006 Revision
https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Big%20Pine%20Key%20HCP%20Final%20Version%204-12-06.pdf
“Biological studies performed for this HCP focused on the Key deer, and emphasized a habitat based approach for covered species. The Key deer and the eastern indigo snake are wide ranging and utilize virtually all available habitat in the project area, including developed areas. In contrast, the Lower Keys marsh rabbit is restricted to wetland and surrounding habitats. Therefore, the Plan focused on the Key deer as an “umbrella species” and operated under the assumption that avoiding and minimizing impacts to Key deer habitat, would also provide direct protection to both populations and habitats of other terrestrial species. The HCP also applies the most recent data on the distribution and habitat utilization of the Lower Keys marsh rabbit, provided by the Service.”

Sea level rise
Application of the Sea-Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM 5.0) to National Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge
https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/6719?Reference=7009

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 2016. A guide to climate change adaptation for conservation- Version 1. Tallahassee, Florida. 295 p.
https://myfwc.com/media/5864/adaptation-guide.pdf

Heat stress
https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2021/04/endangered-key-deer-fawns-vulnerable-to-heat-stress-as-sea-level-rises-study-finds/

hurricane impacts
Svejkovsky, J., Ogurcak, D.E., Ross, M.S. et al. Satellite Image-Based Time Series Observations of Vegetation Response to Hurricane Irma in the Lower Florida Keys. Estuaries and Coasts 43, 1058–1069 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00701-8

Florida Key Deer Post-Hurricane Irma Report, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute,April 2018
https://www.fws.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147613878

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2021. Species status assessment (SSA) report for the Florida Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium). Version 3.3
(Please note that there are known errors in the SSA. These errors were discovered as part of Sierra Club’s work to protect species vulnerable to climate change. In this particular case, we had to file a FOIA lawsuit to get copy of records, including this SSA that was published after a federal judge ruled in our favor)
https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/199671
Issues are described here. As a result of our letters, USFWS is conducting an investigation.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19dVZRNx5f3W_dSvfL4OK0aPbHangriI9/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kC3tH6BQkZi196oT8gWiGr5XrxvvzC-N/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10n3-xcpJuh6-DPjxT20HI3AEiHQWzaoN/view?usp=sharing

USFWS, 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. Aug 2010.
https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/five_year_review/doc3275.pdf

2020 Key Deer Population Estimate
https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/199675

1999 Recovery Plan
https://www.fws.gov/verobeach/MSRPPDFs/KeyDeer.pdf

Kelly Burke

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Presently there are no population studies on this unique tree species.

The Kaibab Squirrel, an endemic, rare and beautiful subspecies of tassel-eared squirrel and found only on the Kaibab Plateau’s 200,000-acre ponderosa pine forest, has been characterized as “a classical example of the process of evolution through geographic isolation.” Unfortunately, global climate change puts this geography of past refuge in the crosshairs of the American Southwest's megadrought and rural politics.

Scientists and conservationists have determined that old growth southwestern ponderosa found in Grand Canyon National Park and the North Kaibab Ranger District constitutes one of America’s most endangered ecosystems. They report that old-growth ponderosa pine has already suffered an estimated 85-98% area loss due to destruction and conversion to other uses. The Kaibab squirrel needs the structure of intact old-growth trees to facilitate their movements and provide food.

As early as 1924, there was concern that the Kaibab squirrel might be in peril of extinction, a continuing and growing concern given the uncertainty of southwestern forests facing climate disruption. The Kaibab squirrel is now considered by the Nature Conservancy to be a potential species of concern, and there remains credible concern regarding its survival. There also remains the imperative of conducting population surveys and continuing monitoring of the Kaibab squirrel, including loss of habitat due to climate-driven high intensity fires; timber harvest and tree thinning that is couched as 'restoration' despite the active ongoing cutting of the most ancient and climate-resilient trees; and to the dismay of many, hunting. Consequently, in addition to climate action to support these forests and their natural function of carbon sequestration, some scientists and many conservation groups insist hunting of this unique and charismatic species should cease, especially in the absence of accurate population numbers. In fact, the internationally respected American Society of Mammologists remains opposed to hunting the Kaibab squirrel in the absence of long-term, credible science that unquestioningly demonstrates that “hunting will not jeopardize in any way the survival of this squirrel.”

A given species should receive special attention for recovery beyond mere demographic viability if it is “strongly interactive,” that is, if its absence or unusual rarity “causes cascading, dissipative transformations in ecosystems, including alterations or simplifications in ecological structure, function, or composition.” Most ecologists agree that the conservation of biodiversity is greatly facilitated by maintaining population densities and distributions of strongly interactive, or “keystone,” species above estimable thresholds for ecological effectiveness.

Kaibab squirrels are integral to the stable ecology of the ponderosa pine forest and are clearly a keystone species. These animals are crucial at every ecosystem level—from spreading spores to planting trees as they bury cones, and as prey for the goshawk, the latter an apex avian predator considered a species of concern on the Kaibab Plateau. Protecting them from threats like hunting, fire, and loss of ponderosa pine habitats, allowing the Kaibab squirrel to continue to hold these ecosystems together, synergistically produces a positive feedback effect on climate. This endearing and beautiful squirrel is helping plant and grow trees for the world.

Allred, Sylvester. 2010. The Natural History of the Tassel-eared Squirrel. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. 226 pages. https://unmpress.com/books/natural-history-tassel-eared-squirrels/9780826346551

Lee, Bruce Vander, Ruth Smith, and Joanna Bate. 2006. Ecological & Biological Diversity of the Kaibab National Forest. IN Ecological and Biological Diversity of National Forests in Region 3, Chapter 6: Table 6-8 http://azconservation.org/dl/TNCAZ_SWFAP_DiversityReport_Kaibab.pdf.

Emily Roberson

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Whitebark pine is broadly distributed across a range of more than 80.5 million acres in seven western states (Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada) and Canada. 51% of all standing Whitebark pine trees were dead as of 2016 according to USFWS (1)

White pine blister rust, a non-native fungal disease, is harming native whitebark pine trees across the American West. Mountain pine beetles, altered wildfire patterns, and climate change are all negatively affecting the species’ health (1). Rising temperatures due to climate change allow Mountain pine beetles to breed more often and mature earlier in the year (2). Higher temperatures also appear to have caused Mountain pine beetles range to extend northward and into higher elevations (3)

On December 1, 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to list the Whitebark pine as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act; the proposal cited climate change as a threat to the species (1).

The Service failed to propose critical habitat for Whitebark pine (1) . This omission will make recovery more difficult because measures such as “ identifying the places [the tree is] most likely to survive and providing them with protection from threats like ski areas and other development … and guiding restoration towards the most important areas” would be less likely to be taken, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

The five-needled whitebark pine, a relic from the last ice age, is considered a keystone species; its population health is closely tied to, and greatly influences, the population health of other native plants and animals. Healthy whitebark pine plays an important role in slowing runoff from snowmelt, reducing soil erosion, and providing high-energy seeds to birds and mammals. Whitebark pine provides food for grizzly bear and Clark’s nutcracker, among many other wildlife species (1).

Grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem [and elsewhere] enjoy whitebark pine cone seeds where they overlap with their home range(1). The large seeds, or nuts, of whitebark pine are a high-energy food, rich in fats, carbohydrates, and protein. This makes them a sought-after resource for bears fattening up in the fall before denning. Annual whitebark cone abundance has been linked with changes in grizzly bear survival, reproduction, movement.. Abundant cone crops may influence nutrition, but they also affect bear foraging behaviors in ways that likely decrease vulnerability to human-caused mortality. When whitebark pine production is good, grizzly bears tend to use higher elevations, where the risk of bear-human conflict is lower and survival is higher (4).

(1) https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/pressrel/2020/12012020-USFWS-Proposes-Protections-Whitebark-Pine-Keystone-Species-American-West.php#.YL6rsvlKhnI
(2) https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2012/03/climate-change-sends-beetles-overdrive
(3) https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr-nrs-p-36papers/47regniere-p-36.pdf
(4)https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/how-important-is-whitebark-pine-to-grizzly-bears.htm

Daniela Roth

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Estimated 70 -80% decline

All known populations on federal lands in AZ and NM have burned in 6 different wildfires since 2011. Documented declines are precipitous.

Rare plant

http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SFD/ForestMgt/Endangered.html

Emily Grave

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0 wild individuals - 100% decline

This taxon is threatened by drought, and climate change will exacerbate the worsening condition of its native habitat. It is found in coastal, marine areas such as sea cliffs and rocky offshore islands. In 2013, Fortini et al. conducted a landscape level assessment of Hawaiian native plants' vulnerability to climate change. Kanaloa kahoolawensis was identified as the most vulnerable species to climate change (vulnerability index 0.997), along with two other taxa. The vulnerability index was "determined by the amount, quality, and distribution of areas lost, gained, and maintained in a species’ climate-compatible areas. These landscape changes have strong implications for the likelihood of persistence of these species without conservation action." Ka palupalu o Kanaloa was already threatened by introduced insects and animals, and the last wild individual perished in 2015 due to ongoing drought (possibly in combination with these other threats). Fossilized pollen records indicated a mysterious legume was once very common on Oahu, Maui and Kauai. This pollen was found to be a match with Kanaloa, indicating its range was widespread at one time. Efforts to grow propagules ex situ and reintroduce the species to the wild have been arduous, but recently there has been success reported as 23 seedlings are now growing in a nursery on Maui. Conservation action has saved this species from the brink of extinction, but more actions will be necessary to combat future climate models.

This genus is new, and endemic to the Hawaiian Islands (specifically Kahoʻolawe). Not only is the species found nowhere else in the world, but one will never see another species in the genus anywhere in the world either. There are several Hawaiian-endemic genera, but none is in such peril as Ka palupalu o Kanaloa. Plus, when things were looking bleak, viable seeds were produced after 12 years when the mother plant finally produced female flowers, which horticulturist Anna Palomino says, might be due to the addition of mycorrhizal fungi to the soil. In addition to it's scientific importance, this species is highly revered in Hawaiian culture, as its common name means "the gentleness of Kanaloa." Kanaloa is one of the major Hawaiian male gods and is the god of the ocean (and all related aspects including navigation), ocean animals, and fresh water found underground. The island of Kaho'olawe is the sacred form and refuge of the life force and energy of Kanaloa and they are therefore considered to be one and the same.

Fortini, L.B., Price, J., Jacobi, J., Vorsino, A., Burgett, J., Brinck, K.W., Amidon, F., Miller, S., Koob, G. and Paxton, E.H. 2013. A landscape-based assessment of climate change vulnerability for all native Hawaiian plants.. 45. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265014601_A_landscape-based_assessment_of_climate_change_vulnerability_for_all_native_Hawaiian_plants

Jennifer Sherry

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The wolverine is a particularly difficult species to study, leaving great uncertainty about their population size, trends and conservation needs. The North American population is distributed throughout the west-northwestern contiguous United States, Alaska and Canada. In the Lower 48 states, dramatic population reductions have occurred since the 1800s. It is estimated that 250 to 300 wolverines occupy the Lower 48 today in high elevation pockets of north-central Washington, western Montana, northern and central Idaho and northwestern Wyoming. They are missing from historic range in places like Colorado, Utah and California.

Wolverines are an icon of the cold. They are highly adapted to snowy climates, meaning their distribution is limited to areas where cold, snowy conditions occur throughout much of the year. Females require deep snow to den and protect their offspring. Individuals are territorial and occupy unusually expansive home ranges, making them reliant on large and connected cold landscapes to survive. Climate change is the most significant stressor to their populations in the Lower 48 states, because mountain ecosystems across the West are highly sensitive to warming temperatures.

Wolverines also face threats from human-caused habitat loss, fragmentation and disturbance—some of which are likely to be exacerbated by climate change. Recent research has highlighted the negative impacts of winter recreation on wolverines; they avoid areas of human activity where backcountry skiing, snowmobiling and other outdoor hobbies overlap with their habitat. Climate change may increase this overlap as temperatures warm and snowpack decreases, drawing winter recreationalists into new areas. Additional threats include trapping, road development and resource extraction that disrupts habitat.

Wolverines are a top predator and a scavenger. They are considered an indicator species because they require large, intact and productive ecosystems to thrive. They capture far less attention than other charismatic mammals like the grizzly bear—in part because they are fewer in number, more elusive and less well understood—but their sensitivities to climate change and human disturbance make them a species worthy of attention from the scientific and conservation communities. Despite the many threats facing wolverines, the US Fish and Wildlife Services recently withdrew a proposal to federally protect the species.

https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/journals/pnw_2007_ruggiero001.pdf

https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecs2.2611

https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/library/SSA_No-American-Wolverine-SSA-Report-Version-1.2_March-2018.pdf

Sarina Jepsen

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The population size is unknown. The species occurs across multiple western states, and has declined by an estimated 40% from its historic range. In addition, there are several unexplained mass die off events that includes western ridged mussels in Oregon and Washington rivers, and its populations in those rivers are rapidly disappearing.

The western ridged mussel occurs primarily in low elevation rivers and streams in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, northern Nevada, and southern British Columbia. In the next 50 years, many of the water bodies where this vulnerable species occurs are predicted to surpass the thermal tolerance threshold of freshwater mussel.

The western ridged mussel has been lost from more than 40% of its range, including an approximate 475-mile range contraction northward in California. It has been subject to recent, unexplained mass die-offs in multiple rivers across its range, including the Chehalis River in Washington and both the Middle Fork John Day and Crooked Rivers in Oregon. At sites where die-offs have occurred, biologists have observed thousands of dead and dying mussels spanning tens of river miles.

The western ridged mussel inhabits rivers and streams in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California and British Columbia and improves water quality for salmon and other wildlife by acting much like a water filter for our rivers. Like a coral reef, which creates habitat for many other species, freshwater mussel beds enrich aquatic communities. They are also food for otters and other species, and play important roles in nutrient cycling. Freshwater mussels also have a cultural importance to several Tribes as a First Food.

https://molluskconservation.org/PUBLICATIONS/FMBC/FMBC_Vol20/20-2-articles/20-2-71-88-Blevins%20et%20al-frmc.pdf

More information about climate impacts to this species can be found here: https://www.xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/20-023.pdf

In addition, The Xerces Society has completed a report summarizing our analyses of western ridged mussel distribution relative to predicted future water temperatures, in order to identify climate refugia for this and other western freshwater mussel species. I can provide that report upon request.

Chris Farmer

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~150; ~70% decline; once abundant on Maui and Molokai.

Maui Parrotbill are directly threatened by the effects of climate change. Hawaiian honeycreepers are highly susceptible to non-native avian malaria transmitted by non-native Culex mosquitoes. Mosquitoes and diseases caused the extinctions of many of Hawaii's native birds in the lower elevation habitats. As temperatures increase, the mosquitoes are increasing their range into the high elevation forests which are the last refuges of our native birds. Mosquitoes are now found year round at the highest spots of Kauai and above 5000' on Maui. These climate-change driven changes will cause the extinction of Parrotbill, and several other endemic birds across the islands, unless the mosquito-disease cycle is broken. A recent (2019) Parrotbill translocation failed due to the population explosion of mosquitoes that transmitted malaria at the release site. Recent fieldwork found fewer Parrotbill and more mosquitoes in the species' remaining habitat, suggesting trends are worsening at an increasing rate and the species is threatened with extinction. American Bird Conservancy is part of a large, multiagency partnership called "Birds, Not Mosquitoes" that is working to develop and implement a solution to this problem.

There are other threats to Maui Parrotbill as well - predation by non-native mammals and habitat destruction/degradation by non-native ungulates. These are significant threats, but are not related to climate change effects.

The Maui Parrotbill is classified as Endangered by the USFWS and Critically Endangered by the IUCN. They are a monotypic genus, so as the only representative of Pseudonestor they have immense scientific and genetic importance. It is one of the very few remaining endemic Hawaiian birds, and one of only two found on Maui.

The Maui Parrotbill is a feeding specialist with a parrot-like beak evolved for extracting insect prey from bark and decaying wood. They glean mainly on woody parts, and occasionally on foliage or fruits. Forages on wide range of plants; prefers koa when present in habitat, but also kanawao, ākala, pilo, and kōlea. Their diet consists largely of larvae and pupae of borer insects, as well as larvae and pupae of various microlepidopterans. This is a unique niche, not filled by any species surviving in Hawaii.

Brinck et al. 2012. 2011 Kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill) and Maui Alauahio abundance estimates and the effect of sampling effort on power to detect a trend.
https://dspace.lib.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10790/2628/TR35_Brinck_Kiwikiu_Alauahio_final.pdf

Camp et al. 2009. Population trends of native Hawaiian forest birds. https://dspace.lib.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10790/2692/1/HCSU012CampetalPopulationtrendsofnativeHawaiianforestbirds1976-2008FINAL.pdf

Fortini et al. 2015. Large-scale range collapse of Hawaiian forest birds under climate change.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0140389

Judge et al. 2019. Pacific island landbird monitoring annual report, Haleakalā National Park and East Maui Island, 2017. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/627792

Mounce et al. 2014. Spatial genetic architecture of the critically-endangered Maui Parrotbill.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%252Fs10592-014-0641-9

Mounce et al. 2018. Extinction risk and conservation options for Maui Parrotbill.
https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfwm/article/9/2/367/416070/Extinction-Risk-and-Conservation-Options-for-Maui

Scott et al. 1986. Forest Birds of Hawaii. https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/SAB_009_1986_Front%20Matter.pdf

Many other studies and research available if desired, as well as the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project site https://mauiforestbirds.org/kiwikiu-recovery/

Jon Flanders

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4,000-5,000 (50% over 10 years)

Main threats to this species include disturbance to cave roosts, and loss of (agave) food plants. Along their migratory corridor climate change is having direct and indirect impacts on the bats.

1) Indirect. While agaves are dry adapted species, severe drought in the region is resulting in additional pressure on flowering agaves, because animals (specially humans) eat and destroy the flowering stalks since they are one of the only few water resources available. An increase in frequency of extreme weather events has meant that agaves are becoming over-harvested to the point where they are unable to support the Mexican long-nosed bat along its migratory corridor, which ranges from Central Mexico to the SW United States.

2) Direct. Mexican long-nosed bats time their migration to coincide with agave blooms as they migrate north into the NE Mexico and the SW United States to give birth and raise their young. However, climate change is altering agave flowering phenology leading to the mismatch of food resources (this species of bat is reliant on the nectar of flowering agave) and the migration of these bats as they move north. The lack of food availability for these heavily pregnant bats can result in low reproduction rate. As the Mexican long-nosed bat only gives birth once per year, the reduction in new offspring over multiple years makes the survival of the species even more vulnerable.

In addition, extreme weather events, such as severe drought, has led to an increase in forest fires. This year, a forest fire that impacted Coahuila and Nuevo León (NE Mexico) destroyed approximately 12,000-15,000 hectares of suitable agave habitat. An estimated 40,000 agaves were lost. While this region isn’t unfamiliar with fires the scale and severity of them is increasing as a result of climate change and they haven’t experienced anything like this in over a decade. At the end of March over 1,100 people from 14 communities were evacuated from locations around Nuevo León. Fortunately the fires didn’t get near one of the main maternity colonies in the region, but it does highlight the vulnerability of the species.

The Mexican long-nosed bat is only one of three species within the genus Leptonycteris. As a nectivore that has been recorded feeding on over 50 different species of plant, especially those within the genus Agave, of which it serves as an important pollinator. While many of the species of plants that the Mexican long-nosed bat are known to visit are capable of reproducing asexually, bat pollination plays a crucial role in maintaining the genetic diversity of plants. With a migration range spanning Mexico and the United States, along with nightly foraging bouts of up to 50km from their roost, the role this species of bat plays in pollinating plants across fragmented and anthropized landscapes cannot be underestimated. The extinction of the Mexican long-nosed bat will undoubtedly have negative effects on the sexual reproduction and genetic variability of Agave plants increasing their vulnerability to future environmental changes.

USFWS Species Status Assessment for the Mexican long-nosed bat: https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/170590
IUCN Assessment: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/11697/22126172
Paper entitled: "Climate change, range shifts, and the disruption of a pollinator-plant complex" - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-50059-6
Paper entitled: "Vulnerability of bat–plant pollination interactions due to environmental change" - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.15611
Paper entitled: "Limited refugia and high velocity range-shifts predicted for bat communities in drought-risk areas of the Northern Hemisphere" - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235198942100158X
Paper entitled: "Using Species Distribution Modeling to Delineate Richness Patterns of Chiropterophilic Plants and Allocate Conservation Efforts in Mexico and the Southwestern United States" - https://bioone.org/journals/natural-areas-journal/volume-41/issue-2/043.041.0203/Using-Species-Distribution-Modeling-to-Delineate-Richness-Patterns-of-Chiropterophilic/10.3375/043.041.0203.short

Alison Kelly

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The population estimate of the endangered Florida panther is 120 to 230 adult and subadults in a single population. The Florida panther occurs in a tiny fraction (5 percent) of its once large historical range. The existing Florida panther population represents the last remaining population of Puma in the eastern United States and is therefore critical to the genetic representation for pumas in North America.

The threat to the endangered Florida panther and its limited remaining south Florida habitat is both direct and indirect. Due to the Florida panther’s already limited range and the high degree of development in and surrounding panther habitat, there is likely little suitable habitat where the Florida panther could disperse, making climate change a dire threat to its survival. Climate change stressors that pose significant and growing threats to the Florida panther include sea level rise, increasing storm surge and tidal flooding, changes in precipitation, rising temperatures, and increases in extreme weather events like hurricanes.

Global average sea level has already risen by roughly eight inches over the past century, and sea level rise is increasing in pace. A rapid acceleration in the rate of sea level rise along the U.S. Atlantic Coast since 2000 has been attributed to the weakening of the entire Gulf Stream system. Consistent with this acceleration, coastal areas of South Florida have experienced rates of sea level rise that are higher than the global average. Other regional projections for Florida also indicate that sea level rise of three to four feet or more is highly likely within this century. The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact (“Compact”) provides guidance on the sea level rise projections that managers should use for different time horizons for south Florida. According to the Compact, in the short term, by 2030, sea level is projected to rise 6 to 10 inches above 1992 mean sea level; in the medium term, by 2060, sea level is projected to rise 14 to 34 inches above 1992 mean sea level; and in the long term, by 2100, sea level is projected to rise 31 to 81 inches above 1992 mean sea level. The best available science makes clear that the impacts of sea level rise will be long-lived. A recent study estimated that eight feet of sea-level rise are locked in over the long term for every degree Celsius of warming. Under all IPCC emissions scenarios, sea level rise will continue beyond 2100 for many centuries, as summarized by the Third National Climate Assessment.

Sea level rise is a primary threat to the Florida panther because it is projected to inundate and fragment large regions of the panther’s existing habitat in south Florida. Three feet of sea level rise, which is likely to occur within this century, would inundate about 30 percent of existing panther habitat, which is vulnerable because of its low elevation, flat topography, and porous limestone geology. Low elevation presents the risks of inundation due to hurricanes and storm surges, reduced stormwater release capacity, saltwater intrusion, and seawater flooding of inland ecosystems. Saltwater intrusion from sea level rise and invasive species has already compromised the Everglades by altering habitat and making it inhospitable to native wildlife.

Increasingly intense storms and storm surge due to climate change will exacerbate flooding of the Florida panther’s habitat. Water level is one of the most important factors when determining adult breeding habitat, noting that habitat is not useful for breeding panthers if the average water depth is greater than 0.5 meter. As sea levels rise, storm surge rides on a higher sea surface which pushes water further inland and creates more flooding of coastal habitats. The frequency of high-severity Atlantic hurricanes is increasing, which results in more frequent and severe hurricane-generated surge events and wave heights. Large storm surge events of Hurricane Katrina magnitude have already doubled in response to warming during the 20th century.

Inland inundation, even under lower scenarios of sea level rise, would create mass human population migration and social crisis, which would also have significant direct and indirect effects on the Florida panther and its habitat. Hauer, et al., 2016 forecast that 13.1 million people in coastal areas of the U.S. will be at risk of flooding from sea level rise by 2100, which would drive mass human migration. With six feet of sea level rise, Florida is projected to account for nearly half of the total U.S. population at risk from displacement by sea level rise.

Primary habitat important to the survival and recovery of the panther is also threatened by climate damaging fossil fuel development. For example, extensive oil exploration has taken place within 70,000 acres of Florida panther habitat in the Everglades’ Big Cypress National Preserve. Another 160,000 acres of the preserve is proposed for additional oil exploration activities. Oil drilling facilities and related infrastructure and roads are now proposed for these same habitats. The impacts of oil and gas exploration and development on Florida panthers has not been extensively studied. However, oil exploration activities caused extensive damage to habitats and resulted in the following threats: (1) fragmenting and degrading of natural plant compositions making the impacted areas less suitable for habitation; (2) panther dens were not adequately protected; (3) oil exploration activities overlap denning season and federal and state agencies have not analyzed the impacts associated with mothers abandoning their dens in response; (4) the potential for dispersal of and impacts to the panther’s prey species may reduce the amount of food available to panthers; (5) avoidance of oil activities in Big Cypress by panthers may result in more frequent crossings of roads, putting panthers at increased risk of death or injury by vehicular collision; (6) federal and state agencies have not analyzed the cumulative effects of oil exploration or development along with other development projects taking place in nearby panther habitat, which will no longer be available for use by panthers for retreat and solitude; and (7) the damage already caused by oil exploration activities in panther habitat has not been fully restored.

Florida panthers are central to Florida’s identity and culture. The panther is the state animal and the Florida Legislature has deemed the third Saturday in March “Save the Florida Panther Day.” Florida panthers are important elements in the cultural histories and traditions of both the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Florida panthers require large, contiguous areas of suitable habitat to meet their social, reproductive, and energetic needs. Dense understory vegetation provides some of the most important feeding, resting, and denning cover for panthers. Telemetry monitoring and ground tracking indicate that panthers select forested habitats, marsh shrub swamps, and prairie grasslands with agricultural lands and other habitat types used in proportion to their availability. Panthers are an umbrella species, so protecting them and the vast, unspoiled, wild territory each one needs to survive - an average of 200 square miles for a single male - protects many other plants and animals that live there. At the top of the food chain, panthers can help manage feral hog numbers and maintain healthy and balanced raccoon and other prey populations.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida panthers serve as a keystone species in south Florida. The protection of panthers and their habitat benefits all the wildlife and plants that are found in the same area. Watersheds that are vital to the health of local wetlands and serve as recharge areas for aquifers also benefit from this protection. These aquifers are essential to providing drinking water for the local residents. Consequently, the loss of panthers from the ecosystem can adversely affect all the plants, animals, and people that depend on that ecosystem’s resources.

Florida panthers are indicators of ecosystem health, including the identification of pollutants. For example, mercury in the environment can result in mercury toxicosis and has been linked to panther mortalities in the past. The chemicals in various agricultural fertilizers can lead to accumulations of toxic mercury in fish and wildlife, including the Florida panther.

The importance of landscape components for sustaining viable panther populations have important practical implications for both management of public lands and conservation of panther habitat on private lands as well. Regulatory land use decisions in South Florida are also driven by perceptions of the relative importance of various landscape components to panther survival. In this rapidly developing region, where numerous interests conflict with those of panthers, narrowly defined forest-centered characterizations of habitat suitability play an important role in land-use permitting and Everglades restoration.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2008. Florida Panther Recovery Plan, Third Revision. P. x, 79-87, available at: https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Panther%20Recovery%20Plan.pdf

Fei, et al., 2011. A Perfect Storm May Threaten Florida Panther Recovery. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9: 317-318.

Comiskey, E. J., O. L. Bass, Jr., L. J. Gross, R. T. McBride, and R. Salinas. 2002. Panthers and forests in South Florida: an ecological perspective. Conservation Ecology 6(1): 18, available at: https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol6/iss1/art18/manuscript.html

Whittle, et al., 2008. Global Climate Change and its Effects on Large Carnivore Habitat in Florida. Abstract, Florida’s Wildlife: On the Frontline of Climate Change, October 1-3, 2008, http://www.ces.fau.edu/floc/posters.html; Miller, n.d.. Climate Change and Florida’s Wildlife. [online] Defender.org. Available at: http://www.defenders.org/sites/default/files/publications/climate_change_and_floridas_wildlife.pdf

Weiss et al., 2011. Implications of Recent Sea Level Rise Science for Low-Elevation Areas in Coastal Cities of the Coterminous U.S.A. Climatic Change 105:635-645

Strauss, et al., 2012. Tidally Adjusted Estimates of Topographic Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise and Flooding for the Contiguous United States. Environmental Research Letters 7: 014033

Melillo & Yohe, Eds., 2014: Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program
Parkinson, et al., 2015. Managing the Anthropocene marine transgression to the year 2100 and beyond in the State of Florida U.S.A. Climatic Change 128: 85-98

Strauss, et al., 2014. Florida and the Surging Sea: A Vulnerability Assessment With Projections for Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Risk. Climate Central Research Report at 23. Available at: http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/uploads/ssrf/FL-Report.pdf

Obeysekera et al., 2011. Past and Projected Trends in Climate and Sea Level for South Florida. Interdepartmental Climate Change Group. South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, Florida, Hydrologic and Environmental Systems Modeling Technical Report. Available at: http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/ccireport_publicationversion_14jul11.pdf

Finkl, et al., 2017. The Florida Everglades: An Overview of Alteration and Restoration. Pages 3-45 in C. W. Finkl and C. Makowski (Eds.). Coastal Wetlands: Alteration and Remediation. Springer International Publishing, Cham

Sallenger, et al., 2012. Hotspot of Accelerated Sea-Level Rise on the Atlantic Coast of North America. Nature Climate Change 2: 884-888

Ezer et al., 2013. Gulf Stream’s Induced Sea Level Rise and Variability along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 118: 685-697
Park, J. and W. Sweet. 2015. Accelerated Sea Level Rise and Florida Current Transport. Ocean Science 11: 607-615

Wdowinski, et al., 2016. Increasing Flooding Hazard in Coastal Communities Due to Rising Sea Level: Case Study of Miami Beach, Florida. Ocean & Coastal Management 126: 1-8

Sweet, et al., 2017. Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, January 2017

Southeast Florida Climate Change Compact Sea Level Rise Work Group (Compact), 2015. Unified Sea Level Rise Projection for Southeast Florida Prepared for the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Steering Committee, available at: https://southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org/unified-sea-level-rise-projections/

Past and future, Geophysical Research Letters 42: 9846–9852

Dahl, et al., 2017. Sea level rise drives increased tidal flooding frequency at tide gauges along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts: Projections for 2030 and 2045. PLoS ONE 12(2): e0170949

Frakes, et al., 2015. Landscape Analysis of Adult Florida Panther Habitat. PLoS ONE, 10(7): e0133044. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133044, available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0133044

Tebaldi, et al., 2012. Modelling sea level rise impacts on storm surges along US coasts. Environmental Research Letters 7: 014032. P. 12

Elsner, et al., 2008. The increasing intensity of the strongest tropical cyclones. Nature 455: 92-95; Bende et al. 2010. Modeled impact of anthropogenic warming on the frequency of intense Atlantic hurricanes. Science 327: 454-458

Kishtawal, et al. 2012. Tropical cyclone intensification trends during satellite era (1986–2010). Geophysical Research Letters 39:L10810

Grinsted, et al., 2012. Homogeneous record of Atlantic hurricane surge threat since 1923. PNAS 109:19601-19605

Komar & Allan, 2008. Increasing hurricane-generated wave heights along the U.S. east coast and their climate controls. Journal of Coastal Research 24: 479-488

Grinsted et al., 2013. Projected hurricane surge threat from rising temperatures. PNAS 110: 5369-5373

Balaguru, et al., 2016. Future hurricane storm surge risk for the U.S. gulf and Florida coasts based on projections of thermodynamic potential intensity. Climatic Change 138: 99-110

Hauer, et al., 2016. Millions projected to be at risk from sea-level rise in the continental United States. Nature Climate Change 6: 691-695

Zwick& Carr, 2006. Florida 2060: A Population Distribution Scenario for the State of Florida, available at: www.1000fof.org/PUBS/2060/Florida-2060-Report-Final.pdf

Culver, et al., 2000. Genomic Ancestry of the American Puma (Puma concolor). Journal of Heredity, 91. P. 10

McClintock et al., 2015. Endangered Florida Panther Population Size Determined from Public Reports of Motor Vehicle Collision Mortalities. Journal of Applied Ecology, Vol. 52, P. 893-901

Doren, et al., 2009. Ecological Indicators for System-Wide Assessment of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Program. Ecological Indicators, 9:S2-S16

Doren, et al., 2009. Invasive Exotic Plant Indicators for Ecosystem Restoration: an Example from the Everglades Restoration Program. Ecological Indicators, 9:S29-S36

Evans & Crumley, 2005. Mercury in Florida Bay Fish: Spatial Distribution of Elevated Concentrations and Possible Linkages to Everglades Restoration. Bulletin of Marine Science, 77:321-345

Quest Ecology, Preliminary Evaluation of Potential Effects of Seismic Surveying for Oil and Gas on the Endangered Florida Panther (2018), available at: https://www.nrdc.org/resources/preliminary-evaluation-potential-effects-seismic-surveying-oil-and-gas-endangered-florida

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Assessment for the Interagency Florida Panther Response Plan (2008) at 24, available at: https://www.fws.gov/VeroBeach/MammalsPDFs/R4FWSPantherEAFinal.pdf?spcode=A008

Steve Holmer

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538 99% decline

A recent study found that the Whooping Crane use of stopover habitat is being affected by power line and wind farm development. https://abcbirds.org/article/wind-turbines-deter-whooping-cranes-from-stopover-sites-study-confirms/

Along with the Condor, an ESA recovery success that is essential to continue and achieve full recovery.

Todd Steiner

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5,700 (in 2020) scattered in 22 herds across California. This is a decline of ~99% from the estimated 500,000 tule elk roamed California when Europeans arrived. By 1870 they were thought to be extirpated when a few individuals (<30) were discovered in 1874. The current existing tule elk are all the progeny of these few animals.

Tule elk, all progeny of the few remaining elk discovered in the 1870s have been have been translocated and re-introduced at a number of locations, including to Point Reyes National Seashore in 1978 and make up three distinct herds.
The largest is confined behind a fence to prevent competition with private cattle ranches that lease ~25% of the National Park Seashore. This herd alone, at its highest recorded population of 585 (in 2007), represented ~10% of the existing population throughout its range.
In 2020 this confined herd’s population succumbed to a massive die-off due to drought conditions, caused by climate change. It reduced available forage and water and the population declined by 34% from 445 to 293. Climate change also exacerbated a drought and massive die-off in in this herd in 2015, when the population dropped 48%, from 540 to 283 individuals.

Although these herds continue to provide opportunities for public viewing and education, artificial conditions associated with their confinement are undesirable in the long term. The Department should shift objectives to emphasize managing tule elk in a free-roaming state to the maximum extent possible, as specified in the Management Plan for the Conservation of Tule Elk (CDFW Tule Elk Interagency Task Force 1985), at p454 https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=162912&inline)

Climate change is expected to increase the length and severity of droughts in this region, causing more harm to this fragile population of tule elk.
The park has a proposed management plan now being considered that will allow its two free roaming herds to remain small by shooting individuals to prevent competition with the private cattle interests inside the National Park Seashore.

Climate change is recognized as a threat to tule elk by California Department of Fish & Wildlife, yet lethal removal is still be allowed to this fragile population (https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=162912&inline p.47)

See https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-04-14/scores-of-tule-elk-died-at-point-reyes-national-seashore regarding current issue regarding culling the elk to protect rancher interests.

Tule elk were the dominant grazers on these lands until their local extirpation in the 1850s. Tule Elk are both grazers and browsers and Tule Elk co-evolved with native species including California native bunchgrasses (Stipa pulchra), California native oaks, shrubs and herbaceous forbs. Tule Elk help in the reestablishment of native perennial bunch grasses which coevolved with the Tule Elk and were historically transported from place to place in Tule Elk hooves.
Tule elk play a critical role in preventing succession of open grasslands to less diverse, shrub-dominated ecosystems. Grazing herbivores like elk play a critical role on plant health and productivity, biodiversity and species composition, nutrient cycling, and other processes. Elk grazing is known to have a positive impact on native grassland species abundance and diversity.

Additionally, tule elk have played a significant role in the lives in the original human inhabitants of the land, the Coastal Miwok people, providing spiritual, as well as nutritional sustenance for thousands of years. Many, if not all parts of tule elk were utilized, for materials, medicine and regalia, including the antlers and bones for tools and jewelry, and the hides for clothes and accessories.

See: https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/nature/tule_elk.htm
https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/upload/resourcenewsletter_tuleelk.pdf
https://wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/mammals/elk/tule-elk#341091208-distribution--range
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=162912&inline

• California Department of Fish and Game. 1994. Environmental Document: Tule Elk Hunting. Department of Fish and Game Sacramento office, 1812 9th Street, Sacrmento, CA 95811.
• California Department of Fish and Game. 1990. California's Tule Elk. Video cassette.
• deCalesta, D.S. and G.W. Witmer. 1994. Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage.
• Hobbs, J. 2007. Personal Communication. 23 April, 2007.
• IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 15 April 2007.
• Kanewske, R. 2000. www.sfsu.edu. Downloaded 15 April 2007.
• McCullough, D.R. 1969. The tule elk, its history, behavior, and ecology. University of California Press.
• Murie O.J., 1951. The Elk of North America. The Stackpole Company, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and the Wildlife Management Institute, Washington D.C. 376 pp.
• Phillips, W.E. 1976. The Conservation of the California Tule Elk. The University of Alberta Press. 120 pp.
• Thomas, J.W., and D.E. Toweill, eds. 1982. Elk of North America: ecology and management. Stockpole Books, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 698 pp.
• Williams, C.L., B. Lundrigan and O.E. Rhodes, Jr. 2004. Journal of Wildlife Management. 68: 109-119.
• Van Wormer, J. 1969. The world of the American Elk. J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia and New York. pp.
• Zeiner, D.C., Laudenslayer, W.F., Mayer, K.E. & White, M. 1990. California's Wildlife. Volume III: Mammals.Sacramento, California: California Statewide Wildlife Habitat Relationships System, Department of Fish and Game.

Jym St. Pierre

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Estimated 750 - 1,000 adult lynx in Maine. Percentage decline data not available but UMaine reports (2020) that “Canada lynx…are experiencing multiple threats as a result of climate change, including shifting winter ice cover and scouring regimes; shorter winters with less deep snow cover…”

Maine is the only state in the Northeast with a resident breeding population of lynx. The species is listed as Threatened at the national level and as a Species of Special Concern at the state level. In recent years, they have been threatened by trapping as incidental take, road mortality, and habitat fragmentation and loss. Now, climate change is a direct threat to Canada lynx in Maine. A 2020 assessment for the Maine Climate Council reported: “Iconic Maine species such as…Canada lynx…are experiencing multiple threats as a result of climate change, including shifting winter ice cover and scouring regimes; shorter winters with less deep snow cover…”

Lynx rely on snowshoe hares for more than 75 percent of their winter diet. Snowshoe hare are a keystone prey species. Canada lynx keep snowshoe hare populations in check.