Species at Risk Assessment—Pacific Rim National Park Reserve Of
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Species at Risk Assessment—Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada Prepared for Parks Canada Agency by Conan Webb 3rd May 2005 2 Contents 0.1 Acknowledgments . 10 1 Introduction 11 1.1 Background Information . 11 1.2 Objective . 16 1.3 Methods . 17 2 Species Reports 20 2.1 Sample Species Report . 21 2.2 Amhibia (Amphibians) . 23 2.2.1 Bufo boreas (Western toad) . 23 2.2.2 Rana aurora (Red-legged frog) . 29 2.3 Aves (Birds) . 37 2.3.1 Accipiter gentilis laingi (Queen Charlotte goshawk) . 37 2.3.2 Ardea herodias fannini (Pacific Great Blue heron) . 43 2.3.3 Asio flammeus (Short-eared owl) . 49 2.3.4 Brachyramphus marmoratus (Marbled murrelet) . 51 2.3.5 Columba fasciata (Band-tailed pigeon) . 59 2.3.6 Falco peregrinus (Peregrine falcon) . 61 2.3.7 Fratercula cirrhata (Tufted puffin) . 65 2.3.8 Glaucidium gnoma swarthi (Northern pygmy-owl, swarthi subspecies ) . 67 2.3.9 Megascops kennicottii kennicottii (Western screech-owl, kennicottii subspecies) . 69 2.3.10 Phalacrocorax penicillatus (Brandt’s cormorant) . 73 2.3.11 Ptychoramphus aleuticus (Cassin’s auklet) . 77 2.3.12 Synthliboramphus antiquus (Ancient murrelet) . 79 2.3.13 Uria aalge (Common murre) . 83 2.4 Bivalvia (Oysters; clams; scallops; mussels) . 87 2.4.1 Ostrea conchaphila (Olympia oyster) . 87 2.5 Gastropoda (Snails; slugs) . 91 2.5.1 Haliotis kamtschatkana (Northern abalone) . 91 2.5.2 Hemphillia dromedarius (Dromedary jumping-slug) . 95 2.6 Mammalia (Mammals) . 99 2.6.1 Cervus elaphus roosevelti (Roosevelt elk) . 99 2.6.2 Enhydra lutris (Sea otter) . 101 3 2.6.3 Eschrichtius robustus (Grey whale) . 105 2.6.4 Eumetopias jubatus (Steller sea lion) . 113 2.6.5 Gulo gulo (Wolverine) . 121 2.6.6 Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback whale) . 123 2.6.7 Mustela erminea anguinae (Ermine, anguinae subspecies) . 129 2.6.8 Myotis keenii (Keen’s long-eared bat) . 131 2.6.9 Orcinus orca (Killer whale) . 135 2.6.10 Phocoena phocoena (Harbour porpoise) . 141 2.6.11 Sorex palustris brooksi (Common Water shrew, brooksi subspecies) 147 2.7 Osteichthyes (Bony fishes) . 149 2.7.1 Acipenser spp. (sturgeon) . 149 2.7.2 Oncorhynchus clarki clarki (Coastal cutthroat trout) . 151 2.7.3 Oncorhynchus kisutch (Coho salmon) . 153 2.7.4 Oncorhynchus nerka (Sockeye salmon) . 155 2.7.5 Sebastes paucispinis (Bocaccio) . 157 2.8 Reptilia (Reptiles) . 161 2.8.1 Dermochelys coriacea (Leatherback turtle) . 161 2.9 Anthophyta (Vascular flowering plants) . 163 2.9.1 Abronia latifolia (Yellow sand-verbena) . 163 2.9.2 Abronia umbellata (Pink sand-verbena) . 165 2.9.3 Carex gmelinii (Gmelin’s sedge) . 171 2.9.4 Carex pansa (Sand-dune sedge) . 173 2.9.5 Castilleja ambigua ssp. ambigua (Paintbrush owl-clover) . 175 2.9.6 Convolvulus soldanella (Beach bindweed) . 177 2.9.7 Corydalis scouleri (Scouler’s corydalis) . 181 2.9.8 Glehnia littoralis ssp. leiocarpa (American glehnia) . 183 2.9.9 Jaumea carnosa (Fleshy jaumea) . 187 2.9.10 Lathyrus littoralis (Grey Beach peavine) . 189 2.9.11 Mimulus dentatus (Tooth-leaved monkey-flower) . 193 2.9.12 Myrica californica (California wax-myrtle) . 195 2.9.13 Oxalis oregana (Redwood sorrel) . 197 2.9.14 Polygonum paronychia (Black knotweed) . 199 2.9.15 Romanzoffia tracyi (Tracy’s romanzoffia) . 203 2.9.16 Schoenoplectus americanus (Olney’s bulrush) . 205 2.9.17 Selaginella oregana (Oregon selaginella) . 207 2.9.18 Sparganium fluctuans (Water bur-reed) . 209 2.9.19 Triglochin concinna (Graceful arrow-grass) . 211 2.9.20 Other vascular plants of note . 213 2.9.20.1 Brodiaea coronaria (Harvest brodiaea) . 213 2.9.20.2 Calypso bulbosa (Calypso orchid) . 213 2.9.20.3 Darlingtonia californica (Cobra plant) . 213 2.9.20.4 Habenaria chorisiana (Chamisso’s orchid) . 214 2.9.20.5 Hemitomes congestum (Gnome plant) . 214 2.9.20.6 Hymenophyllum wrightii/Mecodium wrightii (Filmy fern) 215 2.9.20.7 Valeriana sitchensis (Mountain valerian) . 215 4 2.10 Lichens . 217 2.10.1 Heterodermia sitchensis (Seaside Centipede lichen) . 217 2.10.2 Other Lichens of note . 223 3 Ecosystem Reports 224 3.1 Sand dominated shoreline . 227 3.2 Other areas of Conservation Value . 235 3.2.1 Important Bird Areas . 235 4 General References and Personal Communications 237 A NatureServe Ranks 247 A.1 Global Conservation Status Definitions . 247 A.1.1 NatureServe Global Conservation Status Ranks . 247 A.1.1.1 Basic Ranks . 247 A.1.1.2 Variant Ranks . 248 A.1.1.3 Rank Qualifiers . 248 A.1.1.4 Infraspecific Taxon Conservation Status Ranks . 248 A.2 National and Subnational Status Definitions . 249 A.2.1 Qualifiers . 250 A.2.1.1 Breeding Status Qualifiers . 250 A.2.1.2 Other Qualifiers . 250 B Park Ranks 251 B.1 Protected Area Status Status Definitions . 251 B.2 Breeding Status Qualifiers . 252 B.3 Other Qualifiers . 252 C Species summary list 253 D Recovery team chairs or other species contacts 280 5 List of Tables 1.1 Relationship between British Columbia Conservation Data Centre coloured lists and NatureServe ranks. 16 1.2 Primary ranks used for the Parks Canada detailed assessment. 18 2.1 Grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) element occurrences in Pacific Rim Na- tional Park Reserve, coordinates are for the approximate centre of the ele- ment occurrences (BC CDC 2004). 107 2.2 Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) haulouts in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004). 115 2.3 Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) harvested by Sechart whaling station 1908–1917 (Inglis no date). 125 2.4 Pink sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) occurrences in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Data from COSEWIC [1] and personal communications with B. Campbell. 166 2.5 Locations of Gmelin’s sedge (Carex gmelinii) in Barkley Sound (M. Cody pers. comm.). 171 2.6 Locations of Sand-dune sedge (Carex pansa) in Barkley Sound (M. Cody pers. comm.). 173 2.7 Beach Bindweed (Convolvulus soldanella) locations and population sizes in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004, N. Page pers. comm.). 178 2.8 American glehnia (Glehnia littoralis ssp. leiocarpa) localities in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Cordes et al 1974, BC CDC 2004, N. Page pers. comm.). 184 2.9 Grey Beach peavine (Lathyrus littoralis) records located in Pacific Rim Na- tional Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004, N. Page pers. comm.). 190 2.10 Black knotweed (Polygonum paronychia) localities in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004, N. Page pers. comm.). 200 2.11 Tracy’s romanzoffia (Romanzoffia tracyi) records for the Long Beach unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004). 204 2.12 Water bur-reed (Sparganium fluctuans) localities in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004). 209 2.13 Seaside Centipede lichen (Heterodermia sitchensis) locations within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve [3]. 219 6 3.1 British Columbia Conservation Data Centre tracked ecosystems at risk which are present within Biogeoclimatic Zones (BGC) of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004). 225 3.3 Summary descriptions of floristically-defined plant associations including characteristic species and environmental characteristics. Species richness values are mean number of species per 4 metre plot. Characteristic species are ranked according to their frequency (% of plots in which they were present) in the association. * denotes an exotic species. Adapted from [6]. 230 3.3 Sand beach and dune plant communities present in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve [6]. 232 7 List of Figures 1.1 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve region. 12 1.2 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Long Beach Unit. 13 1.3 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Broken Islands Unit. 14 1.4 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, West Coast Trail Unit. 15 2.1 Red-legged frog (Rana aurora) sighting or collection localities (black circles and stars) in and around Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Black stars indi- cate localities of increased Red-legged frog highway mortality [2, 6] (CBIF 2004). 32 2.2 Red-legged frog (Rana aurora) localities (black circles) in and around Pa- cific Rim National Park Reserve [6] (CBIF 2004). 32 2.3 Dromedary jumping-slug (Hemphillia dromedarius) localities (black circles) in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Long Beach unit) [2]. 96 2.4 Dromedary jumping-slug (Hemphillia dromedarius) localities (black circles) in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, West Coast Trail unit [2]. 97 2.5 Grey Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) feeding areas in the Long Beach unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004). 107 2.6 Grey Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) feeding areas in the Broken Group Is- land unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004). 108 2.7 Grey Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) feeding areas in the West Coast Trail unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004). 109 2.8 Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) localities (black circles) in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Long Beach unit (BC CDC 2004). 116 2.9 Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) localities (black circles) in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Broken Group unit (BC CDC 2004). 117 2.10 Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) localities (black circles) in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, West Coast Trail unit (BC CDC 2004). 118 2.11 Common Water Shrew, Brooksi Subspecies (Sorex palustris brooksi) ele- ment occurrence (open circle; feature ID: 12057) near Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (BC CDC 2004). 147 2.12 Pink sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) in the West Coast Trail unit of Pa- cific Rim National Park Reserve. Black circle indicates recent records and the BC CDC element occurrence (feature ID: 22841); “?” indicates uncer- tainty (locational or identity) surrounding records in.