Wild species 2010: chapter 5

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Section 3: Results of the general status assessments

The general status ranks for the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut are draft ranks until they have been reviewed by the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board, the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope), the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (Northwest Territories), the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, the Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board, the Wek’èezhii Renewable Resources Board and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB).

Assessed taxonomic groups

This report presents the general status assessments for 20 groups of species (table 5). These groups are the lichens, mosses, vascular plants, freshwater mussels, spiders, odonates, predaceous diving beetles, ground beetles, lady beetles, bumblebees, black flies, horse flies, mosquitoes, some selected macromoths, butterflies, crayfishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. A total of 11 groups of species are being assessed for the first time by the National General Status Working Group, namely lichens, mosses, spiders, predaceous diving beetles, ground beetles (including tiger beetles reassessment), lady beetles, bumblebees, black flies, horse flies, mosquitoes, and some selected macromoths.

In addition, the Wild Species 2010 report also provides reassessments (updated species list and general status ranks) for nine taxonomic groups that were first assessed in the report Wild Species 2000 or Wild Species 2005. The taxonomic groups that were reassessed are the vascular plants, freshwater mussels, odonates, butterflies, crayfishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Some of these groups are assessed for the second time, while others are assessed for the third time (table 5).

Interpretations of the results

In the following sections, an overview is provided for each taxonomic group assessed for the current report. Each overview gives some background information on important characteristics of that group of species, their role in the environment, status of knowledge of the group in Canada, and, most importantly, some key statistics gleaned from the general status ranks for that group. Overviews for groups that were reassessed also provide a comparison with ranks presented in the previous Wild Species reports, along with a brief discussion of the reasons for changes. General status ranks for individual species at the national level, or for a particular province, territory, or ocean region, can be found by consulting the database or the General Status Search Tool available on the Wild Species website.

The general status ranks present the best estimate of the general status of these species at the time of assessment. However, the situation for species is dynamic: some populations will fare better or worse in the time between this report and the next. The reader is cautioned against over-interpreting differences in general status ranks; they are best viewed as a coarse-scaled guide, based on the best information available at the time of assessment to allow comparison among species and regions. Variability in general status ranks is introduced when we try to compare the status of groups with widely different life histories and habitat requirements. For example, if you imagine trying to compare the number of occurrences, the distribution and the population size of a tiger beetle, a bear and a migratory marine fish, you will see why general status categories must necessarily be broad and somewhat flexible. In addition, while general status ranks are based on the best available information at the time of completion, the quality of information varies widely among species, and among regions, and definitive, quantitative data are simply not available for many species, nor likely to be available in the near future. Variation in general status ranks does not diminish their value as guides to a species’ status, but it does necessitate a conservative approach to their interpretation.

In the Wild Species 2010 report, we present two calculations of the percentage of species that are ranked as Secure. Firstly, in the “Quick facts” section of the text of each taxonomic group, we present the percentage of species ranked as Secure among the resident native species (excluding species ranked as Extinct, Extirpated, Undetermined, Not Assessed, Exotic or Accidental). Secondly, in the tables showing the results of the assessments, we present the percentage of species included in all rank categories, including the rank Secure.