The Blue Whale - Grant Wilson

Grant Wilson

Bio 227

Needles

19 November 2016

                                                                       Blue Whales

                                                            bigfishexpeditions.com

Description and Ecology of The Blue Whale 

The Blue Whale, Earth’s largest animal ever, is a marine mammal that is sometimes located in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. We know little about where their homes are or where they breed in the vast oceans. Weighing almost 200 tons, the Blue Whale is twice the size of the biggest dinosaur ever to exist. Ironically, Blue Whales almost exclusively feed on krill, one of the world’s smallest animals. In order to satisfy their appetites, one Blue Whale consumes almost 4 million krill in a single day (National Geographic). Their skin is a mostly blue-grey color, with cream colored stomach areas. Some causes of death include Blue Whale calves being hunted by killer whales and ice enclosures as well (Sears, Sergeant). However with the increase in global warming, fewer ice enclosures have happened in the past couple decades (iucnredlist.org).

Geographic and Population Changes

While scientists do not know the exact routes Blue Whales travel throughout the oceans, they are found in all the oceans of the world except the Arctic. About 2,000 of the world’s Blue Whales live off the Coast of California and migrate down to Central America during the winter months. Some of the popular feeding areas are around the Channel Islands, and Monterey Bay (Marine Mammal Center). Occasionally, they travel in groups called pods but oftentimes are found in pairs or alone. The population density of Blue Whales in a certain area usually correlates with the amount of krill in the area. According to the IUCN Red List they are slowing increasing in population. Below, the orange area is where Blue Whales are found around the world.

                                                                   iucnredlist.org

Listing Date and Type of Listing

In 1939, the southern hemisphere protected the Blue Whales against whaling. Between 1940 and 1966, the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and Antarctic all put them in safety (Reeves, Randall). By 1966, they came under the protection of the International Whaling Commission. Now they are on the Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List which is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species (National Geographic). 

                             http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6167/6199978506_223144153e_o.jpg

Cause of Listing and Main Threats to its Continued Existence

A main reason for the decrease in Blue Whale population is due to an advancement in technology which allowed whalers to pick off whales of all kinds at an alarming rate. The exploitation of the Blue Whale can be tied to the use of modern era deck-mounted harpoon cannons (iucnredlist.org). There have been a few cases of Blue Whales being subject to ship collisions and entanglements. Being that the population of Blue Whales has considerably decreased in the past century, inbreeding and density dispensation (also know as the Allee effect) are more modern threats to the Antarctic Blue Whale population. That being said, Antarctic Blue Whale populations have been increasing which is an encouraging sign (iucnredlist.org). 

Recovery Plan and What We Can Do

Deliberate killing of Blue Whales has been outlawed for decades now which positively effects the whale populations. There are also strict whale watching regulations which protect harassment of these animals. Minimizing the chance of ship-whale contact is another way we can promote whale populations. We can do this by altering ship trade routes ever so slightly depending on the season (iucnredlist.org). Learning more about the ocean is something that everyone can do that could help not only whales but all marine wildlife. Working to put an end to ocean pollution will also help all marine animals as well. Humans should never underestimate their impact on the natural world. 

Help Out Blue Whales

Visit WWF Global to help or donate to help Blue Whales:
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/cetaceans/about/blue_whale/

Send a message to the Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to help avoid ship-whale encounters: 
https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3029

Works Cited 

"The Marine Mammal Center." The Marine Mammal Center. Ke Kai Ola, 2016. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.

Reeves, Randall R., Phillip J. Clapham, Robert L. Brownell, and Gregory K. Silber. "RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE BLUE WHALE." (n.d.): n. pag. Http://ecos.fws.gov/. Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service, July 1998. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.

Reilly, S.B., Bannister, J.L., Best, P.B., Brown, M., Brownell Jr., R.L., Butterworth, D.S., Clapham, P.J., Cooke, J., Donovan, G.P., Urbán, J. & Zerbini, A.N. 2008. Balaenoptera musculus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T2477A9447146.http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T2477A9447146.en.

Sears, R., J.M. Williamson, F.W. Wenzel, M. Bérubé, D. Gendron, and P. Jones. 1990. Photographic identification of the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. Rep. int. Whal. Commn., Special Issue 12:335-342.

Sergeant, D.E. 1966. Populations of large whale species in the western North Atlantic with special reference to the fin whale. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Arctic Biological Station, Circular No. 9. 

Society, National Geographic. "Blue Whales, Blue Whale Pictures, Blue Whale Facts - National Geographic." NationalGeographic.com. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.

Eastern Gorilla - Anita Velazquez

I am Gorilla beringei, the Eastern Gorilla.  We are very similar, you and I, don't you think so?  It's quite plain to see, even if you choose to overlook that our genetics mimic one another [4].  But beside that, we do have our differences.  I live in the forests in three neighboring African countries: Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo [1]  Some of our relatives prefer the mountains, but we tend to range in the lowlands of these countries, starting at 600 meters, but we can live up to 2,900 meters, especially if humans tend to live nearby.  When we sleep, we do so in nests, and when we eat, we favor bamboo shoots, seasonal fruit, and other roots and plants [1].  We have few predators, and our food is substantial for now, so why is it that so few of us remain on this planet?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Eastern_Gorilla_area.png

At one point, when still small but nevertheless far more abundant, our numbers reached almost 17,000.  However, now we have dropped to a mere 3,800 individuals. Due to a lack of information, we have only now been officially listed as "Critically Endangered" as of 2016, and our population has dropped 77% since 1994, when our people first began to suffer at the hands of your people [1].  

The biggest threat we must face is your need for food.  The people around us are multiplying, and their lack of affordable protein is not, so they continue to search far and wide for a source [1].  For the time being, they have decided to use us gorillas as their prey.  You see, we are large, ferocious animals, but we are not fast, and so the miners and workers who are living in our area are forced to hunt us as an easy source of food, despite the fact that it is illegal to hunt us [1].  What also comes as a result of this growing human population is a need for shelter.  Because of this need, our habitat is what is lost in order for you to gain the land to protect yourselves.  Our living space is at the mercy of your need for timber, area for mining, and area for agriculture [1].

https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~hargr22b/classweb/worldpolitics/images/nine665.jpg

To top it all off, the people surrounding us have been at war for years.  Africa's World War put heightened pressure on our land, and displaced people sought refuge in our lowlands [1].  If refugees were not the ones claiming our land, then it was the rebels who took their place.  These people were the dangerous ones.  These small time hunters were given guns, and soon enough they needed food, and when agriculture was not substantial, they hunted us, and thus the cycle continues. 

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/10/21/1445426350304/dd172790-375b-46db-9c4b-d6b27516227f-2060x1428.jpeg?w=620&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=7b0f512978feaa06ef306bb65cb606fb

By this point, I do so hope you are aware of how in need we are of your help.  We are in need your your help to stop your people from getting rid of us entirely.  At this rate, our population will be at a 90% decrease by 2054, and to our unfortunate dismay, simply making us illegal to hunt has done little to no help [3].  This land where we reside is still in a terrible political state as a result of the ongoing violence and war.  Organizations have tried to work with the official government to help conserve our population, but the people who are in our area are still armed, and have little regard or respect for government officials, let alone some volunteers who wish to save our people.  Along with this, we are simply not of importance to the Democratic Republic of Congo.  At the moment, security is their top priority, and while you may think in theory this would help us, by ridding of the men with the guns who consistently hunt us down, it actually would do the opposite [1].  By increasing national security, more of your people would be able to settle, and eventually, they would mingle into our habitat, condensing our area until we have nowhere to go, and are eventually killed either by a lack of resources, or by hungry workers and hunters [1].

In order to help, we must aide not the government, but rather these organizations that are unaffiliated with political gain.  One such organization, the World Wildlife Fund, is attempting to gain funds in order to help rehabilitate and reestablish the boundaries and outposts of the conservation areas that have been partially invaded by government rebels [2].  This means training the staff on how to handle poachers as well as giving them the power to work with the government to create and enforce the boundaries of the reserve that protects us [2].  Additionally, the funds will help expand the reserve, for as of now, only 25% of us are protected by these reserves [1].  Their suggested ways of donation are by opening a Visa credit card account, and with each opened and functioning account, $100 is donated to our protection, or by symbolically adopting one of us gorillas, with the proceeds helping in the same way the credit card does [1].

To Donate:

1. Go to World Wildlife Foundation 
2. Scroll down to the very bottom where you can either:
1. Set up a WWF Visa account
2. "Adopt" a Gorilla to support the conservation efforts

Citations:
[1] Plumptre, A., Robbins, M. & Williamson, E.A. 2016. Gorilla beringei. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T39994A17964126. 
[2] Eastern Lowland Gorilla. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2016, from http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/eastern-lowland-gorilla
[3] Milman, O. (2016). Eastern gorilla now critically endangered while giant panda situation improves. Retrieved December 02, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/04/eastern-gorilla-critically-endangered-illegal-hunting-iucn-red-list
[4] H. (2016, June 09). Gorillas and Humans: 10 Facts on Why We are More Similar Than We Think. Retrieved December 02, 2016, from https://owlcation.com/stem/Gorillas-and-Humans-10-Facts-on-Why-We-are-More-Similar-Than-We-Think

Hawaiian Monk Seal – Nicholas Tyra

Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi)

by Nicholas Tyra

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Monachus_schauinslandi.jpg

Description and Ecology

Monk Seals are considered to be one of the most primitive of all living phocid species, with anatomical features resembling those of seal fossils from as long as 14-16 million years ago (IUCN). Hawaiian Monk Seals can live to be approximately 15 years old. Adult seals can be anywhere from 2.1-2.4 meters long, and weigh anywhere from 170-240 kilograms (IUCN). Female Hawaiian Monk Seals first give birth between the ages of 4-10 years old (IUCN). Hawaiian Monk Seals are usually solitary, whether on land or at sea, and rarely make physical contact other than between mothers and newborn pups (IUCN).

https://marine-conservation.org/media/filer_public/filer_public/2015/02/04/littnan_mms_5x7inch.jpg

Geographic and Population Changes

Hawaiian Monk Seal Critical Habitat, Hawaii

http://ecos.fws.gov/arcgis/rest/directories/arcgisoutput/crithab/crithabPortal_MapServer/_ags_map35296af7179c45149155d88603325740.png

The Hawaiian monk seal is a species of seal that resides throughout the Hawaiian island chain. It is not known exactly when monk seals arrived at the Hawaiian island chain, but they possess certain traits that suggest they could have first appeared in the area as early as 14-15 million years ago (FWS). Monk seals are mainly found in one of six primary breeding sites within the Northwestern Hawaiian islands: Kure Atoll, Midway Islands, Pearl and Hermes Reef, Lisianski Island, Laysan Island, and French Frigate Shoals (IUCN). Most of the time, Monk Seals will not migrate and will remain close to the area of their birth.

Listing Date and Type of Listing

The Hawaiian monk seal was listed as an endangered species on November 23, 1976, and remains listed as endangered today (FWS). The Hawaiian monk seal is listed as Endangered C1 (IUCN), and has a recovery priority number of one due to the high number of threats affecting the species, high recovery potential, and possibility for economic conflicts to have a negative effect on recovery efforts (FWS).

Cause of Listing and Main Threats to its Continued Existence

There are multiple threats currently affecting the population of Hawaiian monk seals. Some of the most prominent threats currently include a limited food supply caused by changes in the condition of the oceans that the seals inhabit, seals becoming caught in ocean debris such as fishing nets and lines, predation of seals by sharks, and aggression between sub-dominant male seals (IUCN). Recovery efforts have also been affected by military activity throughout the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, specifically actions such as the development and occupation of military bases before World War II located on primary living areas for the seals. Luckily, most seals now reside in areas isolated from most human contact, although the degradation of structures like these military bases poses a major entrapment threat for the seals (IUCN).

Description of Recovery Plan

The overarching goal of the Hawaiian Monk Seal’s recovery plan is to assure long-term survival and viability in the wild, leading to a delisting of the species to threatened status, and eventually removal from the list of endangered species (FWS). The recovery plan for these seals includes four key actions to point the species towards recovery. The first goal of the recovery plan includes increasing the survival of female seals, especially juveniles, within subpopulations of the species in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The second goal of the plan is to ensure a maintained field presence in the main breeding locations of the seals during peak breeding seasons to monitor and record breeding activities, as well as actively manage and conserve subpopulations of seals throughout the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The third goal of the plan is to ensure continual natural growth of seal populations within the Main Hawaiian Islands by reducing the number of threats that affect the seals, like interactions with fisheries and exposure to diseases. The fourth and final goal of the plan is to reduce the probability of the introduction of infectious diseases to the population.

What Can You Do?

One of the most important actions that people can take to ensure the safety and survival of the Hawaiian Monk Seal is to avoid harmful or negative interactions with the seals. In other words, seals should be given plenty of space and should not be antagonized or interacted with. It is also important for people to clean up after themselves and attempt to limit the amount of trash entering the ocean to reduce the chance of seals being entrapped in debris or ingesting any foreign objects.

http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/u/ss/fQYSUbVfts-T7pS2VP2wnKyN8wxywmXtY0-Fwsgxpzk0qKANJWqdPuMi1rWxv-n5VNHL3pUlMUQjFvD0Jr2r/

Other Resources

https://marine-conservation.org/what-we-do/program-areas/mpas/pacific-islands-conservation/hawaiian-monk-seals/

http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/PRD/prd_hms_index.html

http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/science/Working-with-Endangered-Species/hawaiian-monk-seals.html

References

IUCN Redlist – Hawaiian Monk Seal (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/13654/0) (IUCN)

US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Plan (http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/hawaiianmonkseal.pdf) (FWS)

Meet Nigel the Point Arena Mountain Beaver!

Andrea Walle

Save Nigel!

Nigel is part of the Aplodontia rufa nigra subspecies, also known as the Point Arena Mountain Beaver. He is a subspecies of the Mountain Beaver Aplodontia rufa. Though the Mountain Beaver is not endangered, the subspecies has made it onto the Endangered Species List. Nigel and his family are in desperate need of your help!

https://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnBeaver/documents/1998%20Recovery%20Plan%20for%20the%20Point%20Arena%20Mountain%20Beaver.pdf

Description and Ecology

The Aplodontia rufa nigra, which happens to be one of the oldest rodents, is only one of the seven subspecies of the mountain beaver. The Aplodontia rufa nigra have differing characteristics in comparison to the Aplodontia rufa. The most obvious differences are shown in the appearances, including the unique black coloration that outline the nose and cranial measurements (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2). They are also small, round, and compact; have tiny eyes, rounded ears, and a distinctive cylindrical stump of a tail (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1)).

Aplodontia rufa nigra also live in a different ecology environment. The majority of the Aplodontia rufa beavers live by ponds, forests and woodlands, lakes, rivers and streams but the subspecies lives in areas like coastal grasslands and forests. They can be seen in narrow valleys which have steep sides and north facing slopes and in areas where the soil is easiest to dig, so they can make tunnels to live in protected burrows (IUCN).

Geographic and Population Changes

The rest of the Aplodontia rufa population live along the Pacific Northwest, seen along the Pacific Coast of North America, from Southern British Columbia to Point Reyes, California, and east of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Ranges (Animal Diversity Web). Unfortunately the Aplodontia rufa nigra are considered a pest throughout this coastal range, and are targeted by humans (IUCN). The Aplodontia rufa nigra population has only been seen in Mendocino County in California. They are only found in this one area and not dispersed, like the mountain beaver, because of the development of livestock grazing. They could have been widely distributed had the destruction of their land for the livestock not reduced the habitat they lived in. This lead to a limitation of the distribution of this subspecies (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1)).

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YIKtGNivUc/VW9vEUmrivI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/OtcU89Z3s4s/s1600/597pxamerican_beaverbystevewashdcwc.jpg

Listing Date and Type of Listing

The Aplodontia rufa nigra became listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an endangered species on December 12, 1998. They were put on as the highest priority; labelled as the “Species of Special Concern” in California (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2). There was only about 100 members when they were finally listed as part of Endangered Species Act (Vol. 56).

Main threats to its continued existence

The mountain beaver subspecies decline was due to the increase in livestock grazing, highway construction, recreational control, housing developments, feral animals, human intervention, irrigation systems, pesticide/ rodenticide use and agricultural land (IUCN).

    

www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnbeaver/documents/1998%20recovery%20plan%20for%20the%20point%20arena%20mountain%20beaver.pdf.

Description of Recovery Plan

A recovery plan was set in place so that by 2025, the Aplodontia rufa nigra population can be taken off the endangered list. The plan consists of protecting and monitoring what is left of Aplodontia rufa nigra through acquisitions, easements, and conservation agreements. Putting Aplodontia rufa nigra in protected areas is essential for its conservation, because the major threat of his habitat is destruction. The population would not have to worry about their home being destroyed now that they are protected. Plans are set to implement management guidelines, so the Aplodontia rufa nigra can be protected in private and public lands. For example, the procedure involves putting fences in place to protect Aplodontia rufa nigra from humans and grazing animals who destroy their habitat. The plan also consists of controlling exoctic plants, along with domestic and feral predation. By these means, Aplodontia rufa nigra should be able to sustain themselves and hopefully rebuild their population. They will also be monitored to make sure their family is doing well and will be checked up on once every year for any signs of need in habitat modification, disturbance or other threats (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2).

www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnbeaver/mtnbeaver.html.

What can we do to help Nigel and his family?

• Vote for politicians in the local government that will look out for the welfare of the environment
• Try to illegalize the killing of the Aplodontia rufa nigra by writing to the Mendocino County and the government of California
• Stop using pesticides and rodenticides in your household  (Endangered Species Project)

Other Resources

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3CV-vck0JY

Work Cited

Animal Diversity Web. Newell, Toni Lynn. “Aplodontia Rufa (Mountain Beaver).” 2002,

animaldiversity.org/accounts/aplodontia_rufa/.

Encyclopedia of Life. “Mountain Beaver - Aplodontia Rufa -.”

    eol.org/pages/327978/details.

Endangered Species Project. Contreras, Jose, and Kyriakos Tsoulfas. "WHAT CAN WE DO?"

Point Arena Mountain Beaver N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.

http://www.drakehs.org/academics/seadisc/endangeredspecies/2013/beaver/website%20files/whatcanyoudo.html

Gale Virtual Reference Library. “Point Arena Mountain Beaver Species Profile.”   

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=gvrl&u=calpolyw_csu&id=gale%7ccx3400600053&v=2.1&it=r&sid=exlibris&usergroup=calpolyw_csu&authcount=1.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Aplodontia Rufa .”

     www.iucnredlist.org/details/1869/0.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1). “Point Arena Mountain Beaver Species Profile.” Point

Arena Mountain Beaver Species Profile, 11 Feb. 2011,

www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnbeaver/mtnbeaver.html.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2). Steel, Dale T., and Laurie Litman. “Point Arena Mountain Beaver Recovery Plan .” Recovery Plan for the Point Arena Mountain Beaver, 2 June 1998,

www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnbeaver/documents/1998%20recovery%20plan%20for%20the%20point%20arena%20mountain%20beaver.pdf.

Vol. 56, no. 239, 4 Dec. 1994, pp. 827–830. Smith, Richard N. “Threatened and Endangered Wildlife and Plants .” Point Arena Beaver (Aplodontia Rufa Nigra),

https://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnbeaver/documents/Endangered%20Status%20for%20Point%20Arena%20Mountain%20Beaver%20%20FR.pdf.

Andrea Walle

Ohlone Tiger Beetle - Lukas Wegmuller

Ohlone Tiger Beetle

by Lukas Wegmuller

With the brilliant sun dimmed by the faint morning mist, you continue along the muddy path. The crisp air fills your lungs and the unseen birds of the forest sing a song of commencement. The surrounding redwoods twist into outreaching hands, framing the trail with a friendly vignette of branches and leaves. It is a cool spring day in Santa Cruz, California, and the forest couldn’t be more alive. A luminous green dot catches your eye in a clearing of grass, and curiosity guides you closer. Your eyes tighten with wonder -- could it be a gem? Suddenly the flickering light scurries away. You come across scattered holes the width of a pencil eraser parallel to the trail and beside them, more dazzling green colors. An adult Ohlone tiger beetle exits one of the burrows in the ground, opening its eyes to the changing world.

Unfortunately, not everyone may share this same experience, for the Ohlone tiger beetle (Cicindela ohlone) is endangered and four of its remaining five known populations are threatened (5). As described in the official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 5-Year Review, the “adult Ohlone tiger beetles are medium-sized, elongate beetles characterized by their brilliant metallic green coloration highlighted by stripes and spots,” (2). They are members of “the Coleopteran family Cicindelidae (tiger beetles),” (recovery plan). The beetle is endemic to Santa Cruz, California and lives in open grassland habitats with “shallow, pale, poorly drained clay or sandy clay soil that bakes to a hard crust by summer,” (2).

The beetle is predatory, both as a larva and an adult, preying on small insects. Female tiger beetles lay their eggs in the ground, and are very sensitive to soil type and moisture. Once the larva is hatched, it creates a small burrow from which it will hunt, pupate, and emerge as an adult ready to reproduce (2). The burrows are found along side trails and are threatened by foot and bike traffic, potentially collapsing the small cave and killing the larvae. The Ohlone tiger beetle typically lives two years, if not disturbed by natural or posed threats. The most significant predator to the Ohlone tiger beetle are “parasitoid wasp and flies that lay their eggs in the beetle larvae. The larvae are then consumed by the wasp or fly larvae, which then emerge from the burrow as adults,” (1). Parasitism is increasingly harmful as the Ohlone tiger beetle population dwindles. The beetle has only been found in five nearby geographic areas within Santa Cruz County, three of which are in a three mile radius of each other (4).

Despite the beetles listing in 2001 under the Endangered Species Act, the beetle experienced significant population decline from 372 adult beetles in 2003 to 116 adults in 2008. The larval burrows, however, have risen from 556 documented burrows to 583  in the same time span (2). Two petitions were sent prior to the official listing in 2001, once in 1993 and again in 1997, requesting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service “emergency list” the Ohlone tiger beetle as endangered (5). Based on the recovery priority system (ranking 1-18), the Ohlone tiger beetle is a 2, meaning “the taxon is a species that faces a high degree of threat and has a high potential for recovery” (2). Precise information regarding population and geographic ranges is minimal due to the fairly recent documented discovery of the beetle in 1987. Despite this high ranking, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has yet to develop a recovery plan specific to the beetle, instead the beetle is included in the 1998 Recovery Plan for Insect and Plant Taxa from the Santa Cruz Mountains in California (2).

The recovery plan is intended to protect and delist endangered species within the same area as one of the five Ohlone tiger beetle populations. The plan states that urban development, agricultural conversion, recreational use, competition with nonnative plants, and overcollection of pesticides all pose threats to the Ohlone tiger beetle. The beetle inhabits coastal terraces often sought after for residential development. To ensure the survival and future protection of the Ohlone tiger beetle, we must secure and protect existing grasslands, develop habitat conservation plans for various local territories, regulate impact of nonnative plants, and conduct habitat and population research to better understand the beetle. Once we have a clear outline and have reduced harm caused by hikers, bikers, and natural erosion, we can begin locating additional habitats that fit the needs of the Ohlone tiger beetle. (3)

As a Santa Cruz local myself, it is hard to see a creature suffer from the neglect and destruction of us humans. Some of the remaining populations live by the same trails I’ve walked my entire life and I’m surprised to have only heard about their endangerment this year. To do your part in protecting the Ohlone tiger beetle and other endangered species, write to your city council and express the importance of proper management. Tell them that you care about your local wildlife and that they should thoroughly think through any city planning that may affect surrounding habitats. The Ohlone tiger beetle was previously threatened by proposals of a ballfield, a school, and residential development near their few remaining habitats (5). On a more personal level, be courteous in nature! Be aware of your surroundings and know we share the same earth as thousands of other creatures. It is our duty to stand up for those without a voice.

Resources:

1. "Ohlone Tiger Beetle." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohlone_tiger_beetle>

2. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ohlone Tiger Beetle (Cicindela Ohlone) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. Ventura, California, 2009. Print.

<https://www.fws.gov/ecos/ajax/docs/five_year_review/doc3220.pdf>

3. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Recovery Plan for Insects and Plant Taxa from the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. Portland, Oregon: 1998. Print.

<http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/980928a.pdf>

4. Morgan, Randall. "RE: Ohlone Tiger Beetle." Letter to U.S.F.W.S. Regional Office. 12 Feb. 1993. MS. Portland, Oregon.

<https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/petitions/92100/752.pdf>

5. Grey. "Petition: Ohlone Tiger Beetle." Letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 25 Apr. 1997. MS. Ventura, California.

<https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/petitions/92100/753.pdf>

Tiger beetle photo courtesy of Maycee Hash