NatureServe Explorer and NatureServe Explorer Pro list status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA) for plant, fungi, lichen, and animal species, subspecies, varieties, and populations. Status designations are similar for each country, but the elements covered, status definitions, listing processes, and legal ramifications are very different. Although NatureServe Explorer and NatureServe Explorer Pro are updated regularly, there can be lag time between a legal status change and that change being reflected in NatureServe Explorer. For the most current national status on any given element, contact the appropriate U.S. or Canadian national authority.
US Endangered Species Act
Listings under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
The ESA is the primary legislation that affords federal legal protections to threatened and endangered species in the United States, and is administered by the U.S. Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The USFWS has primary responsibility for terrestrial and freshwater organisms, while NMFS is responsible mainly for marine wildlife such as whales and anadromous fish such as salmon. As defined by the Act, endangered refers to species that are "in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range," while threatened refers to species that are "likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges.” All species of plants and animals, except pest insects, are eligible for listing as endangered or threatened. For the purposes of the ESA, Congress defined species to include subspecies, varieties, and, for vertebrates, distinct population segments
Status under the ESA provided by NatureServe Explorer and NatureServe Explorer Pro is based on formal notices published by USFWS or NMFS in the Federal Register. The date shown alongside the status (in parentheses) refers to the formal Federal Register publication date regarding the status designation. Dates appear only for taxa and populations that are specifically named in a Federal Register Notice of Review Table or in the section of a Federal Register Proposed or Final Rule that proposes or declares an amendment to 50 Code of Federal Regulations Part 17 Section 11 or 12 (i.e., changes to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants).
ESA Status in NatureServe Explorer and NatureServe Explorer Pro
Because the names that scientists give to species change from time to time due to new interpretations about how species are related to each other, the name of a species when it is listed under the ESA may not be the same as the one currently accepted by scientists. Where names used by the USFWS differ from those used by NatureServe, NatureServe Explorer and NatureServe Explorer Pro records are cross-referenced and can be found using either name.
The Other Statuses section of a species summary page describes the ESA status of the species if it has one.
Status Due to Taxonomic Relationship ("Implied USESA Status")
In some cases, subspecies, varieties, or populations may not be named in a federal register notice but may still have federal protection due to their taxonomic relationship with formally listed taxa. For example, all varieties of a listed plant species will have the same protection as the listed species even if the variety was not named in the federal register notice.
Also, if a subspecies, varieties, or populations has federal status, then by default, some part of the species has federal protection. NatureServe Explorer and NatureServe Explorer Pro note where federal protection of a taxon is "implied" through such taxonomic relationships.
Taxa which have implied status only will not be included in results of searches for species with ESA status on the Status search tab.
Status of Geopolitically or Administratively Defined Populations
Distinct population segments of vertebrate animals may be listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA. Listed populations may be defined by geopolitical boundaries (i.e., the status applies to the species or subspecies only within those boundaries, even though it may range more broadly), or populations may be defined administratively (e.g., experimental populations). Because such populations do not typically have individual records in NatureServe Explorer, the ESA status is recorded for the species or subspecies to which that population belongs. In these cases, the abbreviation "PS" for "partial status" is used, indicating that the status applies only to a portion of the species' range.
Canadian Species at Risk Act
Legal Status of Canadian Species
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is an independent advisory panel to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada that assesses the status of wildlife species at risk of extinction. COSEWIC classifies the status of species, subspecies and populations using the best available information on the biological status of a species, including scientific knowledge, community knowledge, and Aboriginal traditional knowledge.
Under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), the Government of Canada considers COSEWIC status to establish a legal list of species at risk. Thus a species with a COSEWIC status of Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concern does not necessarily imply that the species has that status under SARA.
COSEWIC assessments and the reasons for the species’ status are posted on the SARA Public Registry. COSEWIC also provides a Canadian Species at Risk list.
NatureServe integrates any changes and additions made by COSEWIC and SARA to their statuses and Schedule 1 Legal Listings into the central databases twice a year. The COSEWIC status displayed on NatureServe Explorer and NatureServe Explorer Pro reflects the status current at the time of the most recent update from NatureServe’s central databases.
COSEWIC Status and SARA Designation in NatureServe Explorer
Where the names used by COSEWIC and NatureServe differ, data in NatureServe Explorer and NatureServe Explorer Pro can be found by searching on either name.
The Other Statuses section of a species results page describes the COSEWIC status of the species if it has one.
Status Due to Taxonomic Relationship (Interpreted COSEWIC Status)
The taxonomic relationships between species and their subspecies, varieties, or populations may determine whether it has COSEWIC status. The assignment of status to a species includes lower taxonomic units that occur in Canada. Also, if a subspecies, variety, or population has COSEWIC status, then by default, some part of the species also has an interpreted or implied status. NatureServe Explorer and NatureServe Explorer Pro data for some taxa therefore show values indicating COSEWIC status, even though the taxonomic entity is not specifically named in the Canadian Species at Risk list.
Taxa which have implied status only will not be reported in results of searches for species with COSEWIC status on the Status search tab.
Status of Geopolitically or Administratively Defined Populations
COSEWIC status has been assigned to some populations that are defined by geopolitical boundaries within Canada (i.e., the status applies to the species or subspecies within those boundaries, even though it may range more broadly). Although most of these populations do have individual records in NatureServe Explorer or NatureServe Explorer Pro, for clarity, the COSEWIC status is recorded for the species or subspecies to which that population belongs. In these cases, the abbreviation "PS" for "partial status" is used, indicating that the status applies only to a portion of the species' range.