IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Townsend Peterson, A. | |
| Endangered Species and Peripherale Populations: Cause for Reflection | |
| 2001 Endangered Species UPDATE (18): 30-31 | |
Endangered species lists constitute critical foci of conservation attention. Species on such lists are given special attention in prioritizations for conservation, with the Endangered Species Act affording immediate protection to areas known to hold populations of endangered species. Hence, decisions regarding "endangered" status of species have profound effects on conservation action. Oddly, though, endangered species lists seem to be assembled with little attention to the biology of species involved. The purpose of this commentary is to point out that many "endangered" species in the United States are actually peripheral populations when the entire range of the species is considered. Such populations are often not viable populations to begin with, constituting population "sinks," and indeed are often species of little conservation concern in the main portion of their geographic distributions. Inclusion of these species in status lists dilutes the effectiveness of endangered species legislation and conservation action, and changes geographic foci of endangered species richness. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |