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Cause for Concern in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, Alaska
Nearctic
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Temperate Coniferous Forests
Southeastern conifer forests
Virtually all of the long-leaf pine forests are gone, either replaced by mixed hardwood forests as a result of fire suppression or converted to farms to grow food or trees for lumber or paper pulp. The expansion of housing developments and construction of roads has also cut into this ecoregion. Only two percent of the original habitat remains, and much of this is in small pieces. The reduction in frequent fires, which kept the forests open and prevented catastrophic burns, is a major problem. The fox squirrels and black bears that live here are sometimes hunted illegally.
Most of the Wasatch and Uinata Montane Forests ecoregion has been damaged by livestock grazing, logging, mining, and recreational uses such as downhill skiing. Large predators (such as wolves) have been wiped out, and large ungulates like bighorn sheep are now in decline. Off-road vehicles crush vegetation and disturb streams.
Unlike many other ecoregions, this area is almost entirely intact. But that doesn't mean there's no cause for concern. Commercial fishing and processing, and subsistence fishing and hunting all occur within the region, but not yet at threating levels. Over-hunting of brown bears could cause a problem in the future. Gold, silver, lead, and copper have been mined on a small scale, and some coal and petroleum extraction occurs.
Nearly 80 percent of this ecoregion remains intact. Habitat pressures are most severe in Manitoba, where the ecoregion is considered 65 percent intact. Rapidly expanding forestry projects; mining for uranium, nickel, gold, and copper; and flooding from hydroelectric development are the main habitat threats.
Most of the impacts on the habitat of this region come from urban development, as well as from some agriculture. Timber harvest and oil and gas exploitation on the Kenai Peninsula have occurred, and there is a high potential for future exploitation here and in other parts of the ecoregion. The populations of wolf, bear, lynx, and other animals on the Kenai Peninsula are isolated from others in Alaska by water, glaciers, and development and are at risk of becoming locally extinct if the degradation of their habitat continues or if the animals themselves are exploited. Coal mining poses an additional threat to the ecoregion.
An estimated 10 percent of this ecoregion's habitat has been lost, primarily due to development in the Glenallen area and from timber harvesting in the Copper River Valley and Chitina. The roads connecting areas of development, the major rivers, and areas of timber harvest are responsible for the majority of habitat fragmentation in the ecoregion. Recreation and tourism are increasing and may pose a future threat. While hunting here is managed, caribou and moose are taken in larger numbers, which can reduce those available for brown bears and wolves.
Approximately 40 percent of the ecoregion remains intact. Humans have a long history in the area, and settlement has caused extensive habitat alteration. Coastal communities harvest wood for fuel, but the major current threat comes from large-scale logging. Peat collection is a localized threat, particularly in Newfoundland. Roads have fragmented almost all of the ecoregion, mining and mineral exploration are rapidly expanding.
Approximately 95 percent of the ecoregion remains intact. Five percent of the ecoregion is permanently flooded by hydroelectric projects. Future threats include additional hydroelectric projects, mining, and logging.
The ecoregion is almost entirely intact. Habitat loss has been mostly around human communities, particularly Fairbanks, and in the Tanama Valley State Forest, where there has been clearcutting. Several other threats include subsistence and recreational hunting and fishing, mining, and agriculture. Expansion of timber harvesting and oil and gas development pose future threats. Regularly occurring fires are important to this ecoregion, and if these fires are to continue, large blocks of habitat must be preserved. Scientists believe global warming is shifting the distribution of many species.
An estimated 50 percent of this habitat remains intact. Large-scale forestry operations, oil and gas development, and mining are the main causes of habitat destruction. Logging roads have also caused habitat fragmentation.
