Environment and Conservation
June 17, 2016
Protecting Endangered Species
Endangered List Grows through Addition of Three Local Plant Species
Three local plant species have gained special protection under the Provincial Government�s Endangered Species Act. The Mountain Bladder Fern, the Northern Twayblade and the Fernald�s Braya have been added to the Endangered Species List on the recommendation of the Species Status Advisory Committee (SSAC) and the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
�The Provincial Government is committed to protecting and preserving all species that live in Newfoundland and Labrador. Listing these three plant species as endangered is an important step toward protecting them from extinction. We will work with industry, conservation organizations, academia and the general public to ensure that our activities do not further threaten the survival of these species.�
- The Honourable Perry Trimper, Minister of Environment and Conservation
Only one Mountain Bladder Fern site is known to exist on the Island of Newfoundland, near Savage Cove on the Great Northern Peninsula. Northern Twayblade is found at only two sites within the province, one in Gros Morne and one at a recently discovered site near Eddie�s Cove East. The only place in the world where Fernald�s Braya has been identified is in the limestone barrens on the northwest coast of the Northern Peninsula.
Further information, including links to fact sheets about each species can be found in the attached backgrounder.
�Communities near the areas where these plants are found have a strong history of stewardship, and we look forward to working with them to protect these and other species under the Endangered Species Act.�
- Minister Trimper
Listing the plants under the Endangered Species Act makes it illegal to disturb, harass, injure or kill any individual of the species. It is also illegal to buy, sell or trade a specimen of these species or destroy or disturb their residence. Fernald�s Braya was previously listed as �threatened� and already received these protections.
QUICK FACTS:
- Three plant species will receive special protection after being added to the Endangered Species List.
- Mountain Bladder Fern and Northern Twayblade are being added to the list, while Fernald�s Braya is being up-listed from �threatened� to �endangered�.
- It is illegal to disturb, harass, injure or kill these plants or disturb their habitats.
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Media contact:
Emily Timmins
Director of Communications
Department of Environment and Conservation
709-729-2575, 709-693-1292
emilytimmins@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Information on Endangered Plants
Mountain Bladder Fern (Cystopteris montana) occurs in cool climates found at high latitudes and high altitudes in North America, Greenland, Europe and the high mountain areas of central and eastern Asia.
This low-growing fern has triangular leaves up to 30 centimetres tall that arise from growing tips of long, thin underground stems. This fern grows on the ground in wet woodlands or along watercourses.
Mountain Bladder Fern is thought to be rare due to low reproductive rates and poor establishment success; availability of suitable habitat is not considered a threat to the population.
Only one Mountain Bladder Fern site is known on the Island of Newfoundland. It is located on the Great Northern Peninsula, on the eastern side of Yankee Point, at the edge of the community of Savage Cove. Mountain Bladder Fern was first discovered in 1924 and was still found at the site in 2007.
Northern Twayblade (Listera borealis) is restricted to North America but has a wide distribution across the northern part of the continent. It is found in all provinces and territories of Canada with the exception of the Maritime provinces and the next known populations in Quebec and Ontario are considered to be �critically imperiled�.
Northern Twayblade is a small, less than 20 cm high perennial orchid with one small pair of oval to egg-shaped leaves that are directly attached to the stem without a leaf stalk.
In this province, Northern Twayblade is currently known to only two small locations on the Island of Newfoundland: Lomond, in Gros Morne National Park and at Eddie�s Cove East, where it was recently discovered.
The total population in the province is estimated at a maximum of 81 mature plants.
Fernald�s Braya (Braya fernaldii) is one of only four plants that are endemic to the Island of Newfoundland, meaning the species does not occur anywhere else in the world.
Fernald�s Braya is found on the northwest coast of the Great Northern Peninsula and is restricted to the limestone barrens ecosystem.
It is a small, up to 10 cm tall, long-lived herbaceous perennial belonging to the mustard family. Flowering plants make up only a small proportion of the population, with yearly seed output ranging from tens to a few hundred seeds per plant.
Populations counted in 1996-2000 estimated that there were 3,434 flowering Fernald�s Braya. The same population counted in 2008-11 contained only 1,242 mature flowering plants, a 64 per cent decline.
2016 06 17 11:40 a.m.