Tom makes an excellent point.  However, many biologists are afraid of
potential political backlash by the lay public if species are declared
endangered when one can go out and see them by the droves.  Like it or not,
species are protected by our tax dollars and the general public appears to
be becoming much more vocal on how this money is allocated.  If we screw up
too many times (at least in the public's eye) we may be in for even more
trouble getting moola for a species in immediate danger.  Kurt
 
At 07:21 AM 1/21/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>I CAN'T COMMENT ON THE FIRST TWO, BUT I'LL TAKE A STAB AT #3.  NO, IT
>>SHOULD NOT BE LISTED YET.  I WOULD TAKE THE WE HAVEN'T LOOKED HARD ENOUGH
>>YET STAND.  CONSERVATIONALISTS AND OTHER BIOLOGISTS DO NOT NEED THE BAD
>>PRESS CONCERNING THE LISTING OF A SPECIES THAT IS LATER FOUND TO BE
>>THRIVING.  SNAIL DARTER AND OTHERS NIGHTMARE.  A SPECIES SHOULD BE LISTED
>>ONLY AFTER THOROUGH SEARCHES HAVE BEEN MADE BY COMPETENT FIELD BIOLOGISTS.
>>FOR INSTANCE, MANY LAND SNAILS ARE KNOWN ONLY FROM THE SMALL TYPE SERIES OR
>>A UNIQUE SPECIMEN.  MANY ARE FROM OUT OF THE WAY PLACES WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN
>>ADEQUATELY SURVEYED.  SOME OF THESE MAY INDEED BE ENDANGERED, BUT UNTIL
>>SOMEONE LOOKS FOR THEM, WE CAN NOT SAY.
>>
>
>Although I agree with Kurt, there is more to listing an endangered species
>than the number of individuals left around (at least in the USA). Number and
>location of populations are equally important. For instance, you could have
>thousands of individuals in a healthy, reproducing population- but if that
>population could be wiped out by a single disaster, then they may be
>considered endangered. As an example, there are several freshwater mussel
>species in Ohio that only occur in the lower Muskingum River. Most of these
>species are doing well, and some are quite common. The point is that they
>are in one place, and one slug of pollution upstream could kill them all.
>Thus, they are considered endangered by the State even though they are
>locally common. But as Kurt said, a species should not be considered rare or
>endangered until we have thouroughly searched for it.
>
>
>*  G Thomas Watters               *
>*  Ohio Biological Survey &       *
>*  Aquatic Ecology Laboratory     *
>*  Ohio State University          *
>*  1315 Kinnear Rd.               *
>*  Columbus, OH 43212 USA         *
>*  v:614-292-6170 f:614-292-0181  *
>
>"The world is my oyster, except for months with an "R" in them" - Firesign
>Theater
>