Lake Louise Arnica. (je9h/iNaturalist)

By David Opinko

Nature Conservancy calling for greater protection for Alberta’s 54 endemic species

Jun 4, 2020 | 6:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Canada is home to 308 species of plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, around one-sixth of which live in Alberta.

These are known as endemic species and both the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and NatureSense Canada want to see them be more greatly protected.

“Many of Canada’s national endemic species have restricted ranges, which makes them particularly vulnerable to habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species,” says Patrick Henry, Executive Director of NatureSense. “This report provides decision-makers with critical information in understanding where conservation investments could be directed in order to safeguard these uniquely Canadian species.”

Nationally, almost 40 per cent of these species are ranked by NatureSense as critically imperiled or imperiled while under 10 per cent are considered secure.

Although there are 54 endemic species that live in Alberta, most can be found in other parts of the country. 18 species are solely situated in the province.

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Of those, the NCC currently only protects two: the whooping crane and the Lake Louise arnica, a type of wildflower.

There are five main areas in Alberta where these endemic species are found, including Waterton, Banff, Jasper, Cypress Hills, and Lake Athabasca.

The NCC hopes this study will encourage investments into species assessments and further research into species that lack sufficient information to assign conservation ranks. Currently, almost one-third of Canadian endemic species do not have enough information to assign a conservation rank.

Once some of those gaps are filled, the groups hope to share the expanded report with the various levels of government to encourage them to increase conservation efforts.

Endemic species found exclusively in Alberta. (Nature Conservancy of Canada)

Endemic species by region. (Nature Conservancy of Canada)

Hotspots of endemic species. (Nature Conservancy of Canada)

Global ranks of national endemic species. (Nature Conservancy of Canada)