North Cascades Threatened and Endangered Species

biodiversity (biological diversity): the variety of life on Earth. It refers to the genetic diversity within a species, the variety of the species themselves, and the varieties of ecosystems. The greater the diversity or variety there is in a system, the greater the strength and stability the system has over the long run; diversity strengthens the potential of a population to cope with, or respond to, changes in the environment

candidate species: plants and animals for which enough scientific information exists to warrant a proposal for listing as endangered or threatened

The candidate designation can be thought of as a population that is teetering on the edge of a critical illness and is being carefully watched; the population is closely monitored to determine if they need to be included on the state or federal threatened or endangered species lists. These populations are not stable, and, in some cases the viability of that species is in question

carnivore: an organism that eats only meat. The gray wolf and salmon are examples of carnivores

ecosystem: includes all the organisms of an area, their environment, and the linkages and interactions between them; all parts of an ecosystem are interrelated. The fundamental unit in ecology, containing both organisms and non-living environments, each influencing the properties of the other and both necessary for the maintenance of life. A complete, interacting system of living organisms and non-living elements; the home places of all living things

endangered species: plants and animals that are still living today but are in immediate danger of extinction

Endangered Species Act: a law designed to protect species in danger of extinction. The stated purposes of the Endangered Species Act are to "provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved, (and) to provide a program for (their) conservation"

extinct species: complete disappearance of a species from Earth; they once lived on Earth but have died out

habitat: a place where a plant or animal lives that provides seasonal or year-round food, water, shelter, and space

herbivore: an organism that eats only plants. An elk is an example of an herbivore

migration: to move from one area to another. This movement is connected with a changing of season and the availability of food, water, shelter, and space that an organism needs to survive

omnivore: an organism that eats a combination of plants and animals. Black bears and grizzly bears are examples of omnivores

population: all the organisms that make up a specific group or occur in a specific habitat

predator: an organism that captures and feeds on parts or all of an organism of another species Lynx are predators of snowshoe hares.

riparian area: area with distinctive soil and vegetation between a stream or other body of water and the adjacent upland; includes wetlands and those portions of floodplains and valley bottoms tat support riparian vegetation

species: a population or series of populations of organisms that can interbreed freely with each other but not with members of other species

species of concern: species for which population viability is a concern but no scientific information is available to support a listing proposal.

Species of concern experience current or predicted downward trends in population numbers or density, or significant current or predicted downward trends in habitat capacity that would reduce a species' existing distribution

threatened species: plants and animals whose numbers are very low or decreasing rapidly; there are very few of them left. They are not endangered now, but are likely to become so in the future

viable population: a population that is regarded as having the estimated numbers and distribution of reproductive individuals to ensure that its continued existence is well distributed in that area

wilderness: an area where the earth and its community of life have not been seriously disturbed by humans and where humans are only temporary visitors. Where the word "wilderness" is used with a capital W, it refers to the lands designated by Congress as Wilderness areas that are protected and managed to preserve their natural condition

The following is a partial resource list that may be useful in searching for more information about the North Cascades Ecosystem and the furred and feathered beings whose presence within this area is a gift.

Bats:

Americas' Neighborhood Bats by Merlin D. Tuttle
University of Texas Press
Austin, TX 1994
$9.95

Ranger Rick's NatureScope Amazing Mammals Part II
National Wildlife Federation
Washington, DC

Zoobooks: Bats by John Bonnett Wexo Wildlife Education Limited
San Diego, CA 1996
$2.75

Bears:

Bears by Bobbie Kalman and Tammy Everts
Crabtree Publishing Company
New York, NY 1994
$5.95

Expedition Yellowstone!! by Jack de Golia and Joe Zarki
Yellowstone National Park, WY 1987
  Copies may be obtained from Yellowstone National Park, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190

Field Guide to the Grizzly Bear by Lance Olsen
Sasquatch Books
Seattle, WA 1992
$6.95

Giving Voice to Bear. Native American Myths, Rituals, and Images of the Bear by David Rockwell
Key Porter Books
Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1991
$25.00

Zoobooks: Bears by John Bonnett Wexo
Wildlife Education Limited
San Diego, CA 1996
$2.75

Biological Diversity:

Biological Diversity Makes A World of Difference: A curriculum for teachers and interpreters
National Park Service/National Parks and Conservation Association,
Minnesota Environmental Education Board

Conserving Greater Yellowstone
Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative
Jackson WY
  Copies may be obtained from Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, PO Box 2705, Jackson, WY 83001 or 307-733-6856

Ghost Bears: Exploring the Biodiversity Crisis by R. Edward Grumbine
Island Press
Washington, DC 1992
$25.00

Wilderness Management by John C. Hendee, George H. Stankey, and Robert C. Lucas
North American Press. 1990

Eagles:

Return of the Eagle by Greg Breining
Falcon Press Publishing Co., Inc
Helena, MT 1994
$19.95

SkySpirit. The American Bald Eagle by Michael Furtman
NorthWord Press, Inc.
Minocqua, WI 1994
$19.95

The American Eagle with Cynthia Black, ed.
Beyond Words Publishing, Inc
Hillsboro, OR. 1994
$24.95

Zoobooks: Eagles by John Bonnett Wexo
Wildlife Education Limited
San Diego, CA 1993
$2.75

Endangered Species:

Ranger Rick's NatureScope: Endangered Species: Wild & Rare
National Wildlife Federation
Washington, DC
$7.95

Hawks:

(The) Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds by John Terres
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
New York, NY 1991

(The) Birder's Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds by Paul R. Erlich, David S. Dobkin, and Darryl Wheye
Simon & Schuester, Inc.
New York, NY 1988

Hawks, Owls and Wildlife by John J. Craighead and Frank C. Craighead, Jr.
Dover Publications, Inc.
New York, NY 1969

Loons:

The Uncommon Loon by Terry McEneaney
Northland Publishing
Flagstaff, AZ. 1991

Loon Magic by Tom Klein
NorthWord Press Inc.
Minocqua, WI. 1989

Native Americans:

Drummers and Dreamers by Click Relander
Caxton Printers, Ltd.
United States 1986
$9.95

Giving Voice to Bear. Native American Myths, Rituals, and Images of the Bear by David Rockwell
Key Porter Books
Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1991

Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest by Ella E. Clark
University of California Press
Berkeley, CA 1953
$14.95

Keepers of the Night. Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac
Fulcrum Publishing
Golden, CO 1994
$14.95

Native American Animal Stories by Joseph Bruchac
Fulcrum Publishing
Golden, CO 1992
$12.95

North Cascades National Park Service Complex:

A Field Guide to the Cascades & Olympics by Stephen R. Whitney
The Mountaineers
Seattle, WA 1983
$18.95

Cascade-Olympic Natural History by Dan Matthews
Raven Editions
Portland, OR 1988
$22.50

North Cascades National Park: The Story Behind the Scenery by Saul Weisberg
K.C. Publications
Las Vegas, NV 1988
$7.95

North Cascades Official National Park Handbook
Division of Publications, National Park Service
Washington, DC 1994
$7.95

Owls:

Ancient Forest by Margaret Anderson, Nancy Field, and Karen Stephenson
Dog-Eared Publications
Middleton, WI 1995
$5.95

Owls. Who Are They? by Kila Jarvis and Denver Holt
Mountain Press Publishing Company
Missoula, MT. 1996
$12.00

Spotted Owlets by Victoria Miles
Orca Book Publishers
Point Roberts, WA 1993
$5.95

Wilderness:

Living with Mountains: A Guide For Learning and Teaching About Mountain Landscapes
North Cascades Institute, 1991
  Copies may be purchased from North Cascades Institute 360-856-5700 extension 209

North Cascades National Park: A Living Classroom
North Cascades Institute, 1996
  Copies may be purchased from North Cascades Institute 360-856-5700 extension 209

Teaching for Wilderness: A Guide For Learning and Teaching About Wilderness & Wild Lands
North Cascades Institute, 1991
  Copies may be purchased from North Cascades Institute 360-856-5700 extension 209

Wilderness Management by John C. Hendee, George H. Stankey, and Robert C. Lucas
North American Press. 1990
$40.00

Wolves:

(The) Company of Wolves by Peter Steinhart
Alfred A. Knopf
New York, NY 1996
$27.50

Conserving Greater Yellowstone
Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative
Jackson WY
  Copies may be obtained from Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, PO Box 2705, Jackson, WY 83001 or 307-733-6856

Discovering Wolves by Nancy Field and Corliss Karasov
Dog-Eared Publication
Middleton, WI 1991
$5.95

Expedition Yellowstone!! by Jack de Golia and Joe Zarki
Yellowstone National Park, WY 1987
  Copies may be obtained from Yellowstone National Park, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190

Looking at the Wolf by the Teton Science School
Roberts Rinehart, Inc., Publishers
Boulder, CO 1987

Of Wolves and Humans by Barry Lopez
Charles Scriber's Sons
New York, NY 1986

Wolf: A Year's Journey by A.M. Kosh
Albion Publishing Group
Santa Barbara, CA 1993
$9.95

(The) Wolf Almanac by Robert H. Busch
Lyons & Burford, Publishers
New York, NY 1995
$27.95

The Wolf: The Behavior and Ecology of an Endangered Species by David L. Mech
The Natural History Press
Garden City, NY 1970

Wolves by Candace Savage
Sierra Club Books
San Francisco, CA 1988
$19.95

Wolves (for kids) by Tom Wolpert
NorthWord Press
Minocqua, WI 1990
$6.95

Zoobooks: Wolves by John Bonnett Wexo
Wildlife Education Limited
San Diego, CA 1993
$2.75

Additional Resources:

An Activity Guide for Teachers: Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park
PO Box 279
Homestead, FL 32399-1400

Creature Features:
Olympic National Park
Port Angeles, WA
  This curricula is part of Olympic National Park's environmental education program. Teachers may borrow the curricula and its corresponding traveling trunk by contacting the Park. Olympic National Park, 600 East Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362 or 360-452-4501

The Living Forest: A Curriculum Guide to the Lowland Forests of Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park
Port Angeles, WA
  This curricula is part of Olympic National Park's environmental education program. Teachers may borrow the curricula and its corresponding traveling trunk by contacting the Park. Olympic National Park, 600 East Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362 or 360-452-4501

WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands
Environmental Concern Inc., 1993
PO Box P, St. Michaels MD 21663
410-745-9620