Imperiled Species

Human activities such as habitat destruction, overexploitation, pollution, and the spread of invasive species and disease have led to dramatic declines in the world’s plant and animal species.  Imperiled species are those whose populations have decreased so dramatically that they are at risk of extinction.  In the United States, over 1500 species are listed as “endangered” and “threatened” and are protected under the Endangered Species Act.  However, many additional species are not afforded this same protection due to lack of information on their distribution, abundance, and primary threats to the species.   Our Center supports a diverse and multi-disciplinary approach to studying a wide variety of imperiled species, addressing questions related to distribution and abundance, conservation genetics, critical habitat designation, disease susceptibility, and tolerance to stress.  Our many Federal and state partners rely on this important science to make information decisions on approaches for conservation and restoration of our country’s many imperiled species.