Threatened, endangered species differ

By Linda C. DOLAK

OSU Extension master gardener volunteer

While the terms endangered and threatened are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a big difference for species we are trying to help in their natural environments. Endangered species refers to those that will most likely become extinct, while threatened species are those that are likely to become endangered in the future. “Extinct” means that the particular species will no longer exist.

Even though the term “endangered” and the process of protecting species began in the early 1900s, awareness of the term began in 1973 when Congress passed the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Around that time, people began to become conscious of the growing rate of extinction of the world’s living organisms. The government began to recognize those species of plants and animals that were to be classified as endangered or threatened, based on scientific evidence.

The ESA prohibits people from harassing, capturing, or killing any protected species. Currently, there are more than 2,000 species of both plants and animals on the government list of federally endangered or threatened. More than half of those are in the U.S. The remaining are foreign species. The ESA is governed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources designated 71 species as endangered in the state in 1974. Currently, there are about 120 species in Ohio.

The eastern hellbender, found mostly in the southern and eastern counties, is the largest amphibian listed as endangered. Human-raised eastern hellbenders have been released into an Ohio creek, in hopes of strengthening that population. These amphibians survive in rocky streams with plentiful crayfish, a mainstay food source. The hellbender does not appear on the federal list of endangered species.

The northern riffleshell is on both state and federal lists. This species, at one time, was plentiful in Big Darby Creek in Columbus, However, it all but disappeared in other areas. Many agencies in the state are working to increase the population of the riffleshell.

The beautiful Karner blue butterfly used wild lupine as the host for its larvae. However, the wild lupine has nearly disappeared, and the small blue Karner has gone with it. This species is also on both the state and federal endangered lists. Reintroduction and habitat restoration are both working to restore the small blue butterfly.

The fun-loving river otter slowly disappeared from our state at one time, but the otter is being reintroduced in Ohio, by relocation of the species from Arkansas and Louisiana. The population has now grown to the point that it was removed from the Ohio endangered species list in 2002. It is actually now legal to trap the river otter in 43 Ohio counties.

Although you may or may not recognize all of these examples, please remember that all species, threatened or endangered, are part of a balanced environment for each of us to enjoy in the future.

For further information, visit http://go.osu.edu/beaware