Mexican Mosquito Fern (Azolla Mexicana)
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COSEWIC Assessment and Update Status Report on the Mexican Mosquito-fern Azolla mexicana in Canada THREATENED 2008 COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: COSEWIC. 2008. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Mexican Mosquito-fern Azolla mexicana in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 35 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm). Previous reports: COSEWIC. 2000. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Mexican mosquito-fern Azolla mexicana in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 11 pp. Martin, M.E. 2000. Update COSEWIC status report on the Mexican mosquito-fern Azolla mexicana in Canada, in COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Mexican mosquito-fern Azolla mexicana in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 1-11 pp. Brunton, D.F. 1984. COSEWIC status report on the mosquito fern Azolla mexicana in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 36 pp. Production note: COSEWIC would like to acknowledge Brian Klinkenberg for writing the status report on the Mexican Mosquito-fern Azolla mexicana in Canada, prepared under contract with Environment Canada, overseen and edited by Erich Haber, Co-chair, COSEWIC Vascular Plants Specialist Subcommittee. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: 819-953-3215 Fax: 819-994-3684 E-mail: COSEWIC/[email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Également disponible en français sous le titre Ếvaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur l’azolle du Mexique (Azolla mexicana) au Canada – Mise à jour. Cover photo: Mexican Mosquito-fern — Photo by Brian Klinkenberg. ©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2009. Catalogue No. CW69-14/568-2009E-PDF ISBN 978-1-100-12452-0 Recycled paper COSEWIC Assessment Summary Assessment Summary – November 2008 Common name Mexican Mosquito-fern Scientific name Azolla mexicana Status Threatened Reason for designation This tiny floating aquatic fern of south-central British Columbia is restricted to 8 small water bodies where its populations undergo periodic fluctuations in numbers of individuals. Two populations and their habitat have been lost in recent years due to construction activities with most of the extant populations occurring adjacent to major highways or a railway where they are at potential risk from maintenance activities, including the use of chemicals such as road salt. Occurrence British Columbia Status history Designated Threatened in April 1984. Status re-examined and confirmed in April 1998, May 2000, and November 2008. Last assessment based on an update status report. iii COSEWIC Executive Summary Mexican Mosquito-fern Azolla mexicana Species information Mexican Mosquito-fern Azolla mexicana is a tiny floating aquatic fern found in wetlands and small wet areas. Individual plants range in size from 1-2 cm in length. Leaves are tiny and overlap like shingles. Spore-producing structures, borne below the water surface, are present in the Canadian populations. Roots are simple and short. Plants usually have three “floats”. This species forms extensive green or red mats on the water surface. Distribution The natural range of Mexican Mosquito-fern is North, Central and South America (from Peru, northern Bolivia and Brazil north). In Canada, it is restricted in occurrence to British Columbia, where it occurs at the northern tip of its range. The eight extant British Columbia populations occur in three regions: the Little Fort area, the Shuswap Lake area, and Vernon. The extent of occurrence is 5400 km2 and the area of occupancy for the small fragmented water bodies is 11 km2 based on a 1 x 1 km grid and 40 km2 based on a 2 x 2 km grid. Habitat Mexican Mosquito-fern is a wetland species of sheltered still waters and is found in ponds, ditches, oxbow ponds, and lakeshores. It grows best in 50% sunlight, and is tolerant of semi-shade conditions. In BC, it is found in sites with pH ranging from 6.5- 8.1, although it is tolerant of pH ranging from 3.5 to 10. Biology This aquatic fern grows in a symbiotic relationship with a species of blue- green alga (a cyanobacterium) Anabaena azollae. Primary reproduction is through fragmentation of plants. Secondary reproduction is sexual through spore production. This is a heterosporous fern: two types of spores (of different sizes and appearance) are produced that fall to the bottom of water bodies and eventually germinate, producing new plants. Dispersal is by wind, waterfowl, and accidentally by humans. iv Population sizes and trends Ten populations of this species have been confirmed from British Columbia. Two of these are now extirpated as a result of road construction and urban development. In spite of this, there has been an increase in known populations for this species since the 1984 status report, which reported only four sites for the species. Populations fluctuate dramatically from year to year in areal extent. Because of this, population trends are unknown and further study over several years is needed. Limiting factors and threats Mexican Mosquito-fern is naturally limited by factors such as water chemistry and temperature, which restrict its range in British Columbia. Threats to the populations include road repairs and construction, housing / urban development, accidental spills on roads and railways (which can influence water chemistry and could cause complete population die-off), invasive species, and eutrophication of sites. Special significance of the species This species is rare in BC and Canada and is found in British Columbia at the northern limits of its range. As populations peripheral to the main species range, the Canadian populations could be important to the species long-term survival in the face of climate warming. The species is economically important and is cultivated in many countries around the world as a green fertilizer, due to the presence of the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium, and for use as a nutritional supplement in livestock feed. Existing protection or other status designations One population of Mexican Mosquito-fern occurs within a provincial park. Other populations have no existing formal protection. COSEWIC assessed Mexican Mosquito-fern as Threatened in 2000. v COSEWIC HISTORY The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) was created in 1977 as a result of a recommendation at the Federal-Provincial Wildlife Conference held in 1976. It arose from the need for a single, official, scientifically sound, national listing of wildlife species at risk. In 1978, COSEWIC designated its first species and produced its first list of Canadian species at risk. Species designated at meetings of the full committee are added to the list. On June 5, 2003, the Species at Risk Act (SARA) was proclaimed. SARA establishes COSEWIC as an advisory body ensuring that species will continue to be assessed under a rigorous and independent scientific process. COSEWIC MANDATE The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assesses the national status of wild species, subspecies, varieties, or other designatable units that are considered to be at risk in Canada. Designations are made on native species for the following taxonomic groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, arthropods, molluscs, vascular plants, mosses, and lichens. COSEWIC MEMBERSHIP COSEWIC comprises members from each provincial and territorial government wildlife agency, four federal entities (Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Federal Biodiversity Information Partnership, chaired by the Canadian Museum of Nature), three non-government science members and the co-chairs of the species specialist subcommittees and the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge subcommittee. The Committee meets to consider status reports on candidate species. DEFINITIONS (2008) Wildlife Species A species, subspecies, variety, or geographically or genetically distinct population of animal, plant or other organism, other than a bacterium or virus, that is wild by nature and is either native to Canada or has extended its range into Canada without human intervention and has been present in Canada for at least 50 years. Extinct (X) A wildlife species that no longer exists. Extirpated (XT) A wildlife species no longer existing in the wild in Canada, but occurring elsewhere. Endangered (E) A wildlife species facing imminent extirpation or extinction. Threatened (T) A wildlife species likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed. Special Concern (SC)* A wildlife species that may become a threatened or an endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats. Not at Risk (NAR)** A wildlife species that has been evaluated and found to be not at risk of extinction given the current circumstances. Data Deficient (DD)*** A category that applies when the available information is insufficient (a) to resolve a species’ eligibility for assessment or (b) to permit an assessment of the species’ risk of extinction. * Formerly described as “Vulnerable” from 1990 to 1999, or “Rare” prior to 1990. ** Formerly described as “Not In Any Category”, or “No Designation Required.” *** Formerly described as “Indeterminate”