Overutilization for commercial, recreational scientific, or educational purposes In the late 19th century, LPCs were subject to market hunting (Xxxxxxx and XxXxxxxx 1963). Harvest has been regulated since the turn of the 20th century (Xxxxxxxx 1980). Currently, the LPC is classified as a game species in Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, although the legal harvest is now closed in New Mexico and Oklahoma. Overutilization through recreational hunting is not considered a main cause of LPC population declines. However, because most remaining LPC populations are now very small and isolated, and because they naturally exhibit a clumped distribution on the landscape, they are likely vulnerable to local extirpations through many mechanisms, including human harvest (Xxxxxxxx 1980, Xxxxxx and Xxxxxxx 1980). One new activity that has the potential to negatively affect individual LPC populations is the growing occurrence of bird watching by the public and guided tours, especially of leks during the breeding season. The site-specific impact of recreational observations of LPCs at leks is currently unknown. However, disturbance effects are likely to be minimal at the population level if disturbance is avoided by observers remaining in vehicles or blinds until LPCs naturally disperse from the lek and observations are confined to a limited number of days and leks. Solitary leks comprised of fewer than ten males are most likely to be affected by repeated recreational disturbance. Research is needed to quantify this potential threat to local populations of LPC (FWS 2008).
Overutilization for commercial, recreational. Scientific or Educational Purposes There are a limited number of researchers that study springsnails, and they are usually sensitive to their rarity and endemism. Consequently, collection for scientific or educational purposes is very limited. The PYTH has been subjected to a limited number of scientific studies and collections intended to determine taxonomy, distribution, and habitat use. Although sampling- without-replacement can reduce population size of spring-dependent invertebrates, including springsnails (Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx 2007), studies conducted on PYTH have not resulted in the removal of large numbers of springsnails and are not believed to have had any negative effect on the species. The species is not known to be utilized for commercial or recreational purposes. Therefore, this is not known to be a factor threatening the PYTH. Refer to Stressor/Conservation Measure Matrix (Appendix A) for the conservation measures and threat reduction strategy under this CCA.
Overutilization for commercial, recreational. SCIENTIFIC, OR EDUCATION PURPOSES Human collection and consumption are the primary way in which gopher tortoise populations are over utilized. Human predation on gopher tortoises has occurred throughout the Southeastern U.S. Harvesting of gopher tortoises is now prohibited by all states throughout its range; however, hunters continue to illegally collect gopher tortoise for their meat. For example, the effects of human predation on tortoise populations in longleaf pine-turkey oak habitat in the Florida Panhandle has resulted in a low density of tortoise populations, as compared to higher densities of tortoises found in similar habitat in Peninsular Florida. Although tortoise protection and decreased tortoise populations have reduced human consumption rates, some tortoise populations may still be depleted by sustained human predation.
