Why are the brodiaea, pussypaws, clarkia, and vervain being listed as threatened?
What are the threats to their survival? A: The Service uses five factors to determine whether any species is endangered or threatened. The four factors that apply to the four plants: 1) the present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of the species’ habitat or range; 2) disease or predation; 3) inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; and 4) other natural or manmade factors affecting the species’ continued existence. These plants are variously threatened by urbanization, roadway maintenance activities, off-highway vehicle use, recreational placer gold mining, and heavy livestock grazing and/or trampling. In addition, the combination of few populations, small range, and/or restricted habitat makes these four species susceptible to extinction due to random chance events such as disease, fire, or drought. Q: Does the Endangered Species Act protect plants differently than it does animals? A: In some ways. The Endangered Species Act requires all Federal agencies to
