Working Together to Save Species at Risk in Canada
Canada is a very unique country, with a wide range of diversity in the organisms that call Canada their home. However, this biodiversity is diminishing, as more species are continually being considered at risk. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is an organization that assesses the national status of wildlife species that are at risk in Canada (5).
In April 2009, the committee reviewed terms for assessing an organism's status of being at risk. They defined a wildlife species as being a species animal, plant or other organism, other than a bacterium or virus, that is wild by nature. These species are either native to Canada or have extended their range into Canada without human intervention, and have been present in Canada for at least 50 years (5).
There are seven classifications that COSEWIC uses to classify wildlife species in Canada. These classifications are seen as a ladder, in which the species begins at a lower risk and will become at a higher risk of extinction if the pattern continues. The levels of a wildlife species being at risk are outlined below:
In April 2009, the committee reviewed terms for assessing an organism's status of being at risk. They defined a wildlife species as being a species animal, plant or other organism, other than a bacterium or virus, that is wild by nature. These species are either native to Canada or have extended their range into Canada without human intervention, and have been present in Canada for at least 50 years (5).
There are seven classifications that COSEWIC uses to classify wildlife species in Canada. These classifications are seen as a ladder, in which the species begins at a lower risk and will become at a higher risk of extinction if the pattern continues. The levels of a wildlife species being at risk are outlined below:
EXTINCT
EXTIRPATED
ENDANGERED
THREATENED
SPECIAL CONCERN
NOT AT RISK
DATA DEFICIENT
EXTIRPATED
ENDANGERED
THREATENED
SPECIAL CONCERN
NOT AT RISK
DATA DEFICIENT
The goal of this website is to educate readers on the importance of biodiversity in the world, especially in Canada. The website was made with the intention of being a resource for visitors to learn about one specific species in Canada that is at risk: The Blanding's Turtle. The Blanding's Turtle is considered a threatened species as of May 2005, according to the COSEWIC reports (5). This webpage will give a brief description of the physical appearance of this species, analyze the population characteristics and growth, and discuss species interactions. More importantly, the goal of this website is to provide knowledge of human influence on this species, specifically resulting in habitat destruction and pollution from commercial, industrial, and agricultural industries.