Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
Species information
The following is a report on progress made towards the protection and recovery of Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) (Ambystoma laterale – (2) jeffersonianum) in Ontario from 2007 to 2023, based on Ontario’s species-specific recovery policy. This report meets the legislative requirement for a review of progress under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA or “the Act”). Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) (also referred to hereafter as Jefferson dependent unisexuals) are both listed as endangered on the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List under the ESA.
Jefferson Salamander has been classified as a species at risk since April 26, 2004. It was originally classified as a threatened species and was listed as such under the ESA when it came into force in June 2008. The species was re-classified as an endangered species on June 8, 2011.
The Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) was listed as an endangered species under the ESA on June 2, 2017.
Jefferson Salamander has been protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken since 2008, and its habitat has been protected from being damaged or destroyed since 2010.
Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) has been protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken since 2017, and its habitat has been protected from being damaged or destroyed since 2010.
A habitat regulation (Ontario Regulation 232/21) for Jefferson Salamander was developed in 2010, which provides protection for both the Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson-dependent unisexuals. The habitat regulation provides greater clarity on the areas of habitat that are protected for these species by describing specific features (e.g., vernal pools) and prescribing geographic boundaries and the spatial extent of habitat, as well as other relevant characteristics.
The species-specific recovery policy for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population), known as the government response statement (GRS) was published in 2019. This policy replaced a previous GRS for the Jefferson Salamander, which was published in 2010. The GRS includes the government’s recovery goal for the species and the actions and priorities it intends to lead or support to help achieve that goal. The GRS considers science advice provided in the recovery strategy (published in 2018) regarding things such as the species biology, habitat needs, threats to survival, knowledge gaps and approaches to recovery when developing recovery actions for the species. As legislated in the Act, the purpose of this review is to report on progress made towards implementing the protection and recovery actions in the GRS. The review can also help identify opportunities to adjust and adapt the implementation of protection and recovery actions to achieve the recovery goal for the species.
Jefferson Salamander
Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
Further information about Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals, including the threats they face and actions being taken to help protect and recover these species, is available on the Government of Ontario webpages for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population). A summary on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals and an annual update on the broader species at risk program (i.e. the Introduction to the 2024 Review of Progress report) is available on the Review of Progress towards the Protection and Recovery of Ontario’s Species at Risk webpage.
Snapshot: Progress towards the protection and recovery of Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
Progress towards meeting the recovery goal
- The recovery goal in the government response statement (GRS) for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) in Ontario is to “ensure long-term viability and persistence of the extant distribution, and to support the expansion of the species’ range to include historically-occupied areas in Ontario. This will be achieved through approaches such as removing or sufficiently mitigating high priority threats, enhancing or restoring habitat and improving habitat connectivity.”
- Progress has been made towards implementing the majority of the government-led actions. Progress has been made towards implementing all of the government-supported recovery objectives and all of the associated actions. Examples of progress include:
- Multiple research studies that have provided important new information on species movements and habitat use to help inform ongoing habitat identification and threat mitigation work.
- Survey and monitoring work carried out by multiple stewardship partners to assess species presence at historic sites and locate new populations.
- Several organizations across southern Ontario have been enhancing and restoring habitat for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population). For example, Ontario Streams undertook an extensive project to enhance and restore habitat across several municipalities. This work included the identification and prioritization of habitat restoration needs, the development of habitat restoration plans for 13 breeding sites, and the implementation of habitat restoration activities to restore or improve nine of these breeding sites.
- Several organizations, including conservation authorities, researchers, and municipalities, have worked collaboratively to mitigate the effects of roads on Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals at several sites, as well as study the effectiveness of mitigation approaches to inform ongoing conservation work.
- Based on progress to date, the overall direction provided in the GRS should continue to guide recovery efforts for the Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population). For example, further work is required to:
- Integrate existing survey and monitoring efforts into a standardized province-wide monitoring program and to expand this work to include representative sites across the species’ ranges by engaging additional stewardship partners.
- Develop, implement, and evaluate best management practices to reduce the impacts of threats to the species. In the case of widespread and pervasive threats such as road mortality, this will require further collaborative efforts between government, non-government organizations, researchers, stakeholders, and the public to develop and implement innovative and effective solutions at both local and landscape scales.
- Prioritize the protection of existing populations and habitats through the development of tools and approaches for municipalities, planning authorities, industries, property managers and other stakeholders that will ensure habitat mapping and protection requirements under the ESA inform land use planning decisions.
Occurrences and distribution
- Thirty-six populations of Jefferson Salamander have been documented in southern Ontario. Twenty-eight of these populations have been newly identified since 2008. Currently, 24 of the 36 populations
footnote 1 are extantfootnote 2 , whereas the remaining twelve are considered historicalfootnote 3 . Since 2008, the status of nine populations changed from extant to historical based on the date that it was last observed, while four populations changed from historical to extant as their existence was confirmed through monitoring efforts. The much larger distribution of the Jefferson dependent unisexuals in Ontario (61 populations; see below) indicates that there are additional locations where Jefferson Salamander populations occur or have previously occurred, despite the absence of Jefferson Salamander records from those locations. Although Jefferson Salamanders may be persisting undetected at some of these locations, the species has likely been locally extirpated from many of them. - Sixty-one populations of Jefferson dependent unisexuals have been documented in southern Ontario. Fifty-one of these have been newly identified since 2017. Currently, 35 of the 61 populations are extant, whereas the remaining 26 are considered historical. Since 2017, the status of two populations changed from extant to historical based on the date the species was last observed, while six populations changed from historical to extant as their existence was confirmed through monitoring efforts. There are no records of Jefferson Salamanders at almost half of the sites where the Jefferson dependent unisexuals have been documented. While Jefferson Salamanders may have gone undetected at some of these sites, it is believed that many of those populations are now locally extirpated. Since the Jefferson-dependent unisexuals cannot reproduce in the absence of Jefferson Salamanders, it is likely that many of these populations will also become extirpated without immediate management action.
Government-supported stewardship projects
- Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the Government of Ontario has enabled its stewardship partners to conduct 46 projects (by providing $2,649,461 in funding) that have supported the protection and recovery of multiple species at risk, including Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population). Thirty-eight projects ($2,359,124) were designed to provide benefits to multiple species at risk (e.g., landscape-level habitat restoration, or outreach and education focusing on a certain group of species), while eight projects ($290,337) focussed exclusively on Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population).
- The government’s support helped its stewardship partners to involve 33,698 individuals who volunteered 51,269 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population). The estimated value of these voluntary contributions, as well as additional funding and in-kind support, is $4,296,313.
- Stewardship partners reported that through their actions 8.4 hectares of habitat were enhanced for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) and other species at risk that inhabit the same ecosystem.
- Stewardship partners reported providing outreach on multiple species at risk, including Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population), to 336,034 individuals.
Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery
- The Government of Ontario has issued 121 permits for the Jefferson Salamander: 112 ‘protection or recovery’ permits were issued under clause 17(2)(b), and nine ‘overall benefit’ permits were issued under clause 17(2)(c) of the ESA. Additionally, the Government of Ontario has issued 15 permits for the Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population): 12 ‘protection or recovery’ permits were issued under clause 17(2)(b), and three ‘overall benefit’ permits were issued under clause 17(2)(c) of the ESA.
- Three agreements were entered into for Jefferson Salamander. These agreements were enabled through Ontario Regulation 242/08 (prior to the July 1, 2013 amendment).
- One hundred fifty-five activities have been undertaken in accordance with a conditional exemption that requires registration under the ESA. The activities fell under conditional exemptions for ‘aquatic species’ (section 23.1), ‘drainage works’ (section 23.9), ‘ecosystem protection’ (section 23.11), ‘pits and quarries’ (section 23.14), ‘species protection, recovery activities’ (section 23.17), ‘threats to human health and safety, not imminent’ (section 23.18) or ‘trapping – incidental catch’ (section 23.19) under Ontario Regulation 242/08 of the ESA.
Reporting on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
Recovery goal
The government’s goal for the recovery of the Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) is to ensure long-term viability and persistence of the extant distribution, and to support the expansion of the species’ range to include historically occupied areas in Ontario.
The implementation of government-led and government-supported actions demonstrates progress towards reaching the desired objectives and the recovery goal set out in the GRS.
Progress towards implementing government-led actions
Progress has been made towards implementing several government-led actions identified in the GRS. Common actions for the government to lead as it works towards achieving a species’ recovery goal include:
- Continue to protect Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) and their habitat through the ESA.
- Continue monitoring, restoration and awareness efforts in protected areas where Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) have been found.
- Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA.
- Encourage the submission of Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) data to Ontario’s central repository through the citizen science projects that they receive data from (e.g., iNaturalist) and directly through the Natural Heritage Information Centre.
- Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario.
- Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Indigenous communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population). Support will be provided where appropriate through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services.
- Encourage collaboration and establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to reduce duplication of efforts.
Ontario Parks has played an important role in implementing several of these government-led actions, including managing, restoring and protecting habitat for Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals and monitoring populations within protected areas. For example:
- Ontario Parks has been monitoring Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual populations within provincial parks throughout southwestern Ontario since 2013
- surveys for Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals by Ontario Parks staff have resulted in the discovery of new populations in four protected areas across southern Ontario
- breeding sites have been restored at two locations for Jefferson dependent unisexuals
- a Jefferson Salamander breeding site has been protected through the installation of fencing to exclude cattle from salamander habitat
- breeding sites for Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals have been protected from impacts of motorized vehicle and mountain bike access in two protected areas through the posting of protection signage and closure of unauthorized trails
Additional progress made towards implementing these actions is described in the following sections.
Occurrences and distribution
Tracking the occurrences and distribution of a species is a useful way to monitor and view where a species is found and how it is doing. Ontario’s Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC), the government’s central data repository, gathers and manages this type of biodiversity information. NHIC tracks and maps this data as species observations and individual element occurrences, where an element occurrence is an area of land and/or water where a species or plant community is or was present, and has a practical conservation value. For the purposes of this report, ‘population’ is an alternative name for element occurrence.
Jefferson Salamander
In Ontario, the Jefferson Salamander is found in geographically isolated populations throughout the eastern portion of the Carolinian Zone and along the Niagara escarpment. Thirty-six populations of Jefferson Salamander have been documented in Ontario. Twenty-four of these are considered to be extant (i.e., observed within the past 20 years), and twelve are considered to be historical. Since 2008, the government’s central conservation data repository at the NHIC has received 252 records of the species. These records are based on observations from 1979 and 2023 and come from multiple sources. They have refined our knowledge of the past and present distribution of the Jefferson Salamander in Ontario, which helps inform protection and recovery efforts for this species.
Twenty-eight of the 36 known populations were discovered based on records that have been received since 2008, representing a significant increase in our knowledge of the species’ distribution in Ontario. These included both extant and historical populations. The recent identification of these additional 28 populations is not believed to represent an increase in the species’ distribution on the landscape, but rather increased knowledge about the distribution of the species based on recent search effort and advances in the genetic methods used to identify Jefferson Salamanders. Based on records that have been received since 2008, the status of four populations that were considered historical in 2008 have also been reconfirmed as extant. However, nine populations that would have been considered extant in 2008 are now classified as historical due to a lack of observations in the past 20 years. It is possible that these populations have persisted on the landscape despite the lack of recent occurrence records. However, considering the increased search effort for this species over the past decade, it is becoming increasingly likely that the absence of recent records in some of these locations may be indicative of the loss of these populations.
It is important to note that the number of known populations of Jefferson Salamander being reported here (36 populations) represents a significant underrepresentation of the range of this species in Ontario. The Jefferson dependent unisexuals require Jefferson Salamander males for reproduction and only exist in areas where Jefferson Salamanders occur or previously occurred. The much larger distribution of the Jefferson dependent unisexuals in Ontario (61 populations; see below) indicates that there are additional locations where Jefferson Salamander populations occur or have previously occurred, despite the absence of Jefferson Salamander records from those locations. Although Jefferson Salamanders may be persisting undetected at some of these locations, the species has likely been locally extirpated from many of these locations. For example, recent monitoring at a recently discovered population of Jefferson dependent unisexuals has failed to detect Jefferson Salamanders, suggesting that the species has been extirpated from that site.
The growing number of historical Jefferson Salamander populations, including those where the species has never been documented but is known to have occurred due to the presence of Jefferson dependent unisexuals, suggests a continuing decline in the abundance and distribution of Jefferson Salamander in Ontario.
It is possible that there are observations of Jefferson Salamander that have not been submitted to the government. Encouraging the submission of observations of this species is included in the GRS as a government-led action. Submission of species observations increases our knowledge of where they occur and plays an important role in assessing the viability of species populations and informing protection and recovery actions.
Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
In Ontario, Jefferson dependent unisexuals are found in geographically isolated populations throughout the eastern portion of the Carolinian Zone and along the Niagara escarpment. Sixty-one populations of Jefferson dependent unisexuals have been documented in Ontario. Thirty-five of these are considered to be extant (i.e., observed within the past 20 years), and 26 are considered to be historical. Since 2017, the NHIC has received 695 records of the species. These records are based on observations from 1978 and 2023 and come from multiple different sources. They have refined our knowledge of the past and present distribution of the Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) in Ontario, which helps inform protection and recovery efforts for this species.
Fifty-one of the known 61 populations were discovered based on records that have been received since 2017, representing a significant increase in our knowledge of the species’ distribution in Ontario. These included both extant and historical populations. The recent identification of these additional 51 populations is not believed to represent an increase in the species’ distribution on the landscape, but rather increased knowledge about the distribution of the species based on recent search effort and advances in the genetic methods used to identify it. Based on records that have been received since 2017, the status of 6 populations that were considered historical in 2017 have been reconfirmed as extant. Conversely, two populations that would have been considered extant in 2017 are now classified as historical due to a lack of observations in the past 20 years. It is possible that these populations have persisted on the landscape despite the lack of recent occurrence records.
Although no populations of Jefferson dependent unisexuals are currently considered to be extirpated by the NHIC, many of these populations are suspected to be non-viable. Jefferson dependent unisexuals require Jefferson Salamander males for reproduction and can only persist in areas where Jefferson Salamanders occur. Despite considerable search effort, there are no records of Jefferson Salamanders at almost half of the sites where the Jefferson dependent unisexuals have been documented. While Jefferson Salamanders may have gone undetected at some of these sites, it is believed that many of those populations are now locally extirpated. Without Jefferson Salamanders to provide sperm to the Jefferson dependent unisexuals, the remaining individuals cannot reproduce. These “ghost populations” are made up of non-reproducing adults that will eventually become extirpated as the older individuals die out. A recent monitoring study that was established to assess the presence of Jefferson Salamanders at a recently discovered population of Jefferson dependent unisexuals has provided some evidence of this process. No Jefferson Salamanders were ever documented, and the most recent monitoring efforts have also failed to find any Jefferson dependent unisexuals, suggesting that both species may now be locally extirpated. Without immediate management intervention, several additional populations are likely to follow, resulting in a significant ongoing decline in the abundance and distribution of this species in Ontario.
It is possible that there are observations of Jefferson Salamander that have not been submitted to the government. Encouraging the submission of observations of this species is included in the GRS as a government-led action. Submission of species observations increases our knowledge of where they occur and plays an important role in assessing the viability of species populations and informing protection and recovery actions.
- 252observations of Jefferson Salamander were submitted to the NHIC since 2008
- 695observations of Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) were submitted to the NHIC since 2017
Government-supported stewardship projects
An important government-led action in the GRS for Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the government has supported 46 projects $2,649,461 designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of multiple species at risk, including Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals. Thirty-eight of these projects ($2,359,124) were designed to provide benefits to multiple species at risk (e.g., landscape-level habitat restoration or outreach and education focussing on a certain group of species), including Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals, while eight projects ($290,337) focused exclusively on Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals.
In addition to the government funding, partners focusing exclusively on Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals reported they were successful in securing additional support ($317,874) from other sources, as did partners with projects designed to benefit multiple species at risk, including Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals ($3,978,439). These amounts include in-kind support in the form of time and expertise provided by volunteers.
Stewardship partners reported that provincial funding helped them to secure in-kind support by involving 134 individuals who volunteered 797 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities that focused exclusively on Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals, which has an estimated value of $14,885. As well, 33,564 individuals volunteered 50,472 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals, which has an estimated value of $1,248,645. Partners also reported that through both their efforts and the efforts of their volunteers to implement GRS actions, they were successful in enhancing 8.4 hectares of habitat that will benefit multiple species at risk, including Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals. In addition, stewardship partners reported providing focused outreach on Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals to 26,182 individuals, as well as broad outreach on multiple species at risk, including Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals, to 336,034 individuals.
The remainder of this section highlights a project supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program as well as the corresponding government-supported recovery actions that it helped to address for the species.
With support from the Species at Risk Stewardship Program and in collaboration with multiple partners, Ontario Streams undertook a comprehensive Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual recovery project from 2021-2023. This project included habitat assessments, surveys and monitoring, habitat restoration, and threat mitigation at multiple sites throughout the regional municipalities of Halton, Peel, and York and made significant contributions to the implementation of several GRS actions for these species.
To inform and prioritize habitat restoration efforts, Ontario Streams undertook a comprehensive assessment of extant, historically occupied and potentially suitable breeding sites across a large portion of the species’ ranges in the regional municipalities of Halton, Peel, and York. This work included detailed assessments of breeding pond hydrology at seven known breeding sites and one potential breeding site. Catchment area—the area from which precipitation flows into a vernal pool—was mapped using digital elevation models, aerial imagery, and field surveys. Using elevation data collected through field surveys, bathymetric maps depicting pond depths were produced for six of these ponds. Finally, water levels were monitored throughout the spring and summer at six of these ponds to determine the hydroperiod—the length of time that the ponds hold water. In total, habitat restoration plans were developed for 13 breeding ponds to address issues that were identified through the habitat assessments, including ponds drying up too early to support successful reproduction, the presence of invasive species and introduced fish, and lack of suitable microhabitat features such as egg attachment sites.
Guided by these habitat restoration plans, Ontario Streams implemented habitat restoration activities to increase the suitability of 13 breeding ponds for Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals. These efforts included excavating deeper refuge sites to increase the hydroperiod at three ponds, planting shrubs at five ponds, and adding twig bundles to nine ponds to increase the number of available egg attachment sites. Introduced fish were also removed from a historical breeding pond to restore its function as a breeding site. The extensive habitat assessments and development of restoration plans, as well as implementation of these plans across the landscape contributed significant progress towards GRS action No. 9. In addition to this, the pond hydrology assessments and creation of deeper refuge sites to improve pond hydrology also directly addressed GRS action No. 4.
In collaboration with local municipalities, Ontario Streams also implemented several projects to address the threat of road mortality to Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals (GRS action No. 8). An ecopassage was constructed at a location where large numbers of salamanders were being killed on the road in the Regional Municipality of Peel. An ecopassage is a tunnel that allows the salamanders to safely move under the road with fencing to help direct them to the tunnel and prevent them from getting onto the road. Monitoring of this new ecopassage, as well as four existing ecopassages, was carried out to assess effectiveness and provide recommendations for improving ecopassage design. Road signs were also developed and installed at locations with ecopassages to increase public awareness of road mortality and threat mitigation efforts for Jefferson Salamanders and Jefferson dependent unisexuals.
By engaging members of the public in this project and promoting the project through social media, Ontario Streams also contributed to the GRS focus area of increasing public awareness and promoting protection of Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals and their habitats in Ontario, as well as the associated GRS action (No. 12). A total of 128 volunteers were engaged in on-the-ground monitoring and restoration work, including pond rehabilitation by planting shrubs and monitoring ecopassages during salamander migration. These volunteer stewardship opportunities allowed community members to gain insights about this species in their own neighbourhoods and fostered environmental stewardship. Through several social media posts, Ontario Streams helped raise public awareness of Jefferson Salamander, threats to the species, and how their project helped mitigate threats—demonstrating how stewardship partners can make significant and meaningful contributions to the recovery of Ontario’s species at risk.
- 38
projects including Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
- 8
projects for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) exclusively
- $2,359,124
for multi-species projects that included Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
- $290,337
for projects that included Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) exclusively
- $3,978,439
in additional funding and in-kind support for multi-species projects
- $317,874
in additional funding and in-kind support for species exclusive projects
- 33,564
volunteers for multi-species project
- 134
volunteers for species exclusive projects
- 50,472
volunteer hours for multi-species project
- 797
volunteer hours for species exclusive projects
- 336,034
people received outreach for multiple species including Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
- 26,182
people received outreach for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) exclusively
- 8.4
hectares of habitat enhanced
Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual breeding pond. Photo credits: Ontario Streams
Jefferson Salamanders and Jefferson dependent unisexuals captured during pitfall trapping (left), and a salamander ecopassage sign installed by Ontario Streams (right). Photo credits: Ontario Streams
Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery
Supporting partners through authorizations and their associated conditions is an important government-led action.
One hundred and twenty-one permits have been issued for Jefferson Salamander since the species has been protected under the ESA: 112 ‘protection or recovery’ (17(2)(b)) permits and nine ‘overall benefit’ (17(2)(c)) permits. Additionally, 15 permits have been issued for Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) since the species has been protected under the ESA: 12 ‘protection or recovery’ (17(2)(b)) permits and 3 ‘overall benefit’ (17(2)(c)) permits.
‘Protection or recovery’ permits are issued if the purpose of the activity is to assist in the protection or recovery of a species at risk. Of the 112 ‘protection or recovery’ permits issued for Jefferson Salamander, 96 were issued exclusively for Jefferson Salamander and 16 were issued for multiple species, including Jefferson Salamander. Of the 12 ‘protection or recovery’ permits issued for Jefferson dependent unisexuals, all 12 were issued for multiple species, including Jefferson dependent unisexuals. These permits enabled a variety of stewardship partners and researchers to implement many of the recovery actions outlined in the GRS, including projects to restore, create and/or manage Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual habitat, survey and monitoring programs to fill knowledge gaps related to distribution and abundance, and research studies on spatial ecology and habitat use, the impact of threat to local populations, and the effectiveness of threat mitigation measures such as ecopassages.
Of the nine ‘overall benefit’ permits issued for Jefferson Salamander, six were issued exclusively for Jefferson Salamander, and three were issued for multiple species, including Jefferson Salamander. Of the three ‘overall benefit’ permits issued for Jefferson dependent unisexuals, all three were issued for multiple species, including Jefferson dependent unisexuals. ‘Overall benefit’ permits are issued if the activity authorized by the permit is not to assist in the protection or recovery of the species, but an overall benefit to the species will be achieved within a reasonable time through requirements imposed by the permit conditions. Several of the conditions included in the permits were designed to implement government-supported actions identified in the GRS for Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals, including:
- survey and monitoring programs to identify new populations of Jefferson Salamander (and Jefferson dependent unisexual) and to assess trends in abundance, impacts of threats or habitat quality
- research to address knowledge gaps identified in the GRS, including:
- an egg translocation experiment to investigate its use as a tool for future population augmentation
- radio-telemetry research to investigate spatial ecology and habitat use
- mark-recapture research to investigate juvenile dispersal
- education and outreach initiatives, including installing educational signage, to increase awareness of the species, threats the species is facing, and recovery needs
- habitat creation and restoration, such as tree and shrub plantings in agricultural land to create forested habitat for Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals
- threat mitigation, such as the decommissioning and removal of roads and trails within Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual habitat
Other conditions designed to minimize adverse effects include:
- species at risk education and awareness training provided to all staff working on the site, including what to do if individuals of the species are encountered during construction
- ceasing all work if an individual of the species is encountered until it can be safely relocated by a qualified professional
- use of erosion and sediment control fencing or other measures to prevent sediment and deleterious substance from entering any forests, vernal pools, ponds, watercourses or wetlands located within Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual habitat
- individuals of the species are captured, handled and transported according to approved animal care protocols
More detailed information regarding ‘overall benefit’ permits issued prior to 2023 may be available through the Environmental Registry of Ontario.
Three agreements were entered into for Jefferson Salamander. These agreements were enabled through Ontario Regulation 242/08 (prior to the July 1, 2013 amendment to revoke this provision). Conditions of the agreements involve implementing actions in a mitigation plan, including, but not limited to:
- the agreement holder will not undertake any activities that will disturb or dewater amphibian breeding ponds during a sensitive period, unless otherwise authorized
- individuals of the species that are encountered in any part of the work zone will be captured and moved to a safe location
- any person involved in the capture, holding, transfer or release of an individual will receive training in proper handling procedures and will operate in accordance with established procedures
Registration information
Since 2013, 155 activities that may affect Jefferson Salamander or its habitat have been undertaken in accordance with a conditional exemption through Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA. One of these activities was registered under ‘aquatic species’ (section 23.4), two activities under ‘drainage works’ (section 23.9), two activities under ‘ecosystem protection’ (section 23.11), 10 activities under ‘pits and quarries’ (section 23.14), 44 activities under ‘species protection, recovery activities’ ( section 23.17), 95 activities under ‘threats to human health and safety, not imminent’ (section 23.18), and one under ‘trapping – incidental catch’ (section 23.19).
Additionally, 42 activities that may affect Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) or it habitat have been registered for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA. One of these activities was registered under ‘drainage works’ (section 23.9), one activity under ‘ecosystem protection’ (section 23.11), two activities under ‘pits and quarries’ (section 23.14), 16 activities under ‘species protection, recovery activities’ (section 23.17), and 22 activities under ‘threats to human health and safety, not imminent’ (section 23.18).
Registrations require the registrant to comply with all conditions of the regulation. For example, in the case of the ‘threats to human health and safety, not imminent’ exemption, conditions include:
- the person must take reasonable steps to minimize adverse effects of the activity on a species, including taking steps to minimize or avoid killing, harming or harassing a member of the species and to avoid damaging or destroying its habitat, during a time of year when the species is likely to be carrying out a life process related to hibernation or reproduction
- ceasing from carrying out the activity if a member of the species is encountered, and either allowing the individual to leave the area before continuing with the activity or relocating the individual to a nearby location that is suitable and safe
- a mitigation plan must be prepared by a person with expertise in the species, using the best available information on steps that may help minimize or avoid adverse effects on the species
- 112protection or recovery permits for Jefferson Salamander
- 12protection or recovery permits for Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
- 9overall benefit permits for Jefferson Salamander
- 3overall benefit permits for Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
- 3agreements
- 155registrations for Jefferson Salamander
- 42registrations for Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
Progress towards implementing government-supported actions
Government-supported actions are organized under overarching recovery objectives. Progress has been made towards achieving all government-supported recovery objectives and implementing all of the associated actions identified in the GRS for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population).
Objective: Increase knowledge of Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) distribution, biology, habitat requirements, threats, and limiting factors:
- Action No. 1 (High Priority) – Implement a standardized survey protocol (i.e., presence/absence) to verify historic populations and document potential new populations of Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population).
- Action No. 2 (High Priority) – Continue to research the species’ movements and habitat use to inform habitat protection, including investigation of habitat needs for all life-stages and life processes.
- Action No. 3 – Develop a standardized long-term monitoring protocol and monitoring schedule to be implemented at subpopulations throughout the species’ range. Monitoring activities could include assessment of:
- species presence/absence
- population viability, recruitment and distribution
- site-specific threats
- trends in habitat condition and use
- changes in proportional abundance of Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population)
- Action No. 4 – Investigate, implement where appropriate and test the effectiveness of mitigation approaches to reduce or avoid impacts to breeding pond hydrology. Actions may include:
- identifying mitigation strategies (e.g., water management systems) to ensure sufficient quantity and duration of water present in breeding ponds adjacent to industry activities
- addressing or mitigating the potential impacts of climate change on pond hydrology
- Action No. 5 – Investigate the effects and severity of additional known and potential threats to Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population), including:
- the potential effects of introduced or invasive species
- the potential effects of environmental contaminants, disease and parasites
- Action No. 6 – Investigate the ecological relationship between Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) to assess potential demographic constraints to species’ recovery (e.g., related to reproductive output, recruitment, and survival in the larval and adult life stages).
- Action No. 7 – Investigate the potential need for, feasibility of and likely success of assisted recruitment techniques at existing sites to support the recovery goal for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population). If found to be feasible and necessary, implement, evaluate, adapt and improve recruitment techniques with consideration for Jefferson Salamander ecology and the Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) as a whole. An example of a priority recruitment technique is:
- exploring the potential benefits and need for a cost-effective head-starting protocol/program (e.g., reproductive monitoring, artificial incubation of eggs, and release of juveniles)
Under this objective, considerable progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 2, moderate progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 1 and initial progress has been made towards Actions No. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
With support from the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, several stewardship partners have contributed to the implementation of action No. 1 by conducting surveys for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) throughout parts of their range in Ontario. Surveys targeted historic populations, as well as potentially suitable habitats where the species had not been previously reported. This work resulted in the confirmation of Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) at multiple historic sites and the discovery of several new populations. Overall, these surveys have greatly increased our knowledge of the current distribution and abundance of these species in Ontario.
Several recent research projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program and through conditions of ESA overall benefit permits have made considerable progress towards action No. 2. Two of these studies, which were conducted by Natural Resource Solutions Inc. (NRSI) and the University of Guelph in collaboration with multiple partners, investigated habitat use and spatial ecology of adult and juvenile Jefferson Salamanders and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population). Researchers used radio transmitters to track adult salamanders to determine how far they disperse from their breeding ponds and to identify the location of key habitat features, such as overwintering sites. Spatial ecology data from these studies were combined with data from other studies to assess the extent of the species’ habitat use surrounding breeding ponds. This research also provided new information on overwintering habitat, which was previously poorly understood. As part of another study by NRSI in collaboration with multiple partners, researchers used drift fences and pitfall trap arrays along with mark-recapture methodology to assess Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) juvenile dispersal, including the timing of dispersal and the distances they travel from the breeding pond. A fourth study carried out by these same researchers and supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program further investigated the environmental variables that affect juvenile dispersal.
The information derived from these studies has greatly improved our knowledge of Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) spatial ecology and habitat use and will contribute to ongoing habitat identification and protection efforts for these species in Ontario. For example, the results of spatial ecology studies indicate that the area currently prescribed by the habitat regulation for Jefferson Salamander in Ontario may not be sufficient to protect the full extent of the habitat that is depended on by these species. By assessing the similarities and differences between Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) habitat use and spatial ecology, this research has also helped to make some initial progress to Action No. 6 to better understanding the ecological relationship between these species and assess potential demographic constraints to recovery.
Initial progress towards Action No. 3 has been made through the efforts of several conservation authorities, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), and other stewardship partners that have been monitoring Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) populations. A project supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program and carried out by Ontario Streams has made initial progress towards Action No. 4 to develop and test approaches to reduce or avoid impacts to breeding pond hydrology. This project successfully restored the hydrology of several breeding ponds, and the methodology that was developed will be valuable for informing future restoration and mitigation efforts related to managing pond hydrology for these species. Another project supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program and carried out by Trent University helped to make initial progress toward Action No. 5 by sampling populations across the species’ ranges for RanaVirus and Bsal. This research did not find any evidence of these pathogens in Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) populations, suggesting that they may currently pose a minimal threat to these species.
A research study carried out by NRSI and supported through an ESA overall benefit permit has helped make initial progress toward Action No. 7. Researchers collected Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual egg masses and reared the larvae in a lab and in experimental field enclosures to assess the potential to translocate and head-start larvae for the purposes of augmenting unviable populations. Larvae survival was high in the field enclosures and much higher than in the lab, suggesting that the direct translocation of eggs or young larvae from one breeding site to another may be an effective technique for augmenting or recovering populations of these species. Although this study has provided important new information, additional research is needed to further assess the effectiveness of egg and juvenile translocation under different conditions, explore other assisted recruitment techniques, and develop and refine husbandry techniques for captive populations.
Objective: Maintain or improve habitat quality and reduce threats to Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population):
- Action No. 8 (High Priority) – Collaborate with municipalities, developers, local organizations and members of the public to mitigate the effects of roads. Actions may include:
- developing, implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of best management practices and techniques to reduce road mortality (e.g., ecopassages, barrier fencing, traffic calming measures, seasonal closures) particularly in areas of high mortality
- installing permanent control measures to prevent sediment and pollution from roads from entering breeding ponds
- developing programs or campaigns to reduce road mortality, which may include installing signs and publicizing the need for cautious driving, particularly in areas of high mortality
- Action No. 9 (High Priority) – Collaborate with local groups and land managers to assess current, historic and presently unoccupied areas with suitable habitat and identify candidate areas for habitat enhancement and restoration, prioritizing currently occupied habitat. This may involve identifying site-specific restoration needs and goals and developing restoration plans. Actions could include:
- targeting removal of fish or invasive species from breeding ponds using appropriate and approved methods
- creating a mosaic of suitable habitat with a focus on increasing connectivity between suitable habitat patches
- applying techniques to ensure sufficient water levels and quality in breeding ponds during the breeding season. This may include buffering for the potential effects of climate change on water levels in the future and exploring opportunities to support hydrology at a watershed scale (e.g., restoring riparian habitat)
- Action No. 10 – Develop, implement and evaluate best management practices and techniques to mitigate impacts of additional threats (e.g., industry activities, recreational use) on Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) individuals and their habitat.
Under this objective, moderate progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 9, while initial progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 8 and 10.
With the support of the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, several organizations have undertaken projects to mitigate the effects of roads on Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals (Action No. 8). These projects have included:
- mapping road mortality hotspots at the municipal scale to inform future road mortality mitigation work
- research on salamander habitat use, spatial ecology and road mortality along a road with high salamander mortality to inform road mortality mitigation strategies
- the installation and monitoring of a salamander ecopassage at another road mortality hotspot
- an effectiveness monitoring study of several previously constructed ecopassages to inform future ecopassage design
In addition to the projects supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, some municipalities and conservation authorities have been working collaboratively to help mitigate the threat of road mortality to Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals by implementing road closures during the peak salamander migration periods. The Regional Municipality of York in partnership with Toronto Region conservation authority has been implementing a soft or voluntary (i.e., still open to local traffic) closure of Stouffville Road during the salamanders’ spring migration period since 2021, while the City Burlington in partnership with Conservation Halton has been implementing full closures of King Road during the spring migration period since 2012.
Several organizations across southern Ontario have been contributing to the implementation of Action No. 9 by enhancing and restoring habitat specifically for Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals. For example, with support from the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, Ontario Streams implemented an extensive project to enhance and restore Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual breeding sites across Halton, Peel and York Regions. Candidate sites were identified by assessing pond hydrology and other measures of habitat quality, and nine breeding sites were restored and enhanced through a combination of methods, including creating refuge pools to ensure sufficient water levels during the breeding season, planting shrubs around the ponds, adding twig bundles to provide egg attachment sites, and removing predatory fish. A project carried out by NCC and supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program has also contributed to the implementation of this GRS action by developing and implementing measures to reduce ongoing sedimentation of a breeding pond. Another project undertaken by the City of Hamilton has helped restore a breeding site by removing predatory fish. Ontario Parks has also made important contributions to the implementation of this GRS action through the enhancement and restoration of several breeding sites across multiple provincial parks (see government-led actions). Finally, conservation authorities have been playing a major role in the management and restoration of Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual habitat across the species’ Ontario ranges through a wide variety of projects—many of which were supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. All these habitat restoration projects have been considering and mitigating a wide range of threats and, in doing so, have been making some initial progress towards GRS Action No. 10.
Objective: Increase public awareness and promote protection of Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) and their habitats in Ontario:
- Action No. 11 (High Priority) – Support the development of tools and approaches for municipalities, planning authorities, industries, property managers and other stakeholders to ensure habitat mapping and protection requirements under the ESA are integrated into official plans and other relevant planning processes.
- Action No. 12 – Identify communication needs and develop products that will provide information and resources to landowners, property managers, the aggregate industry, local stewardship councils, local conservation authorities and other stakeholders to assist in recovery efforts and promote land stewardship.
Initial progress has been made towards implementing all of the actions under this objective.
With the supportive of the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, several stewardship partners have contributed toward the implementation of Action No. 11 by updating our knowledge of Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual distribution and habitat needs and making that information available to inform municipal planning and other relevant planning processes. For example, with the support of the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, one stewardship partner developed a mapping tool that identified sites within their municipality where Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual were at high risk of road mortality to inform municipal road planning and mitigation options. In addition, several conservation authorities have been working collaboratively with municipalities to develop tools, including seasonal road closures, to assist in mitigating the impacts of new and existing roads on Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals.
Initial progress has been made toward the implementation of Action No. 12 through the efforts of several Species at Risk Stewardship Program-supported projects that developed outreach and educational materials, including online resources, displays and social media posts, to promote Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals recovery and stewardship efforts. For example, the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas, which was run by Ontario Nature and supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program for over a decade, provided extensive information and resources to support recovery and stewardship efforts for Ontario’s amphibians and reptiles, including Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals. These outreach efforts included presentations and workshops for the public, social media posts, a website, a mobile app, and a range of other communications strategies and products. The Ontario Jefferson Salamander Recovery Implementation Team, which is comprised of government and non-government organizations and individuals involved in the recovery of this species in Ontario, has also helped to make progress towards this GRS action. This group is working collaboratively to identify communications needs and share information among stewardship partners and other stakeholders to assist in the recovery of these species.
Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goal
The recovery goal for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) is to ensure long-term viability and persistence of the extant distribution, and to support the expansion of the species’ range to include historically occupied areas in Ontario. Efforts made towards the government-led and government-supported actions have helped to make progress towards this goal. For example, multiple organizations have undertaken projects to manage, restore and create habitat, as well as to mitigate key threats to Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual across large portions of their Ontario range. Given the severity of threats faced by these species, these initiatives have been instrumental in helping to enhance local population viability and slow the decline and local extirpation of extant populations.
Since 2008, our understanding of the species’ distribution and status has also greatly improved. This has been achieved through extensive survey effort across the parts of the range of the Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals, with much of this work being supported and facilitated through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program and the conditions of ESA authorizations. This information has been crucial in informing ongoing recovery work, including subpopulation viability assessments and the implementation of intensive population management of the Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals.
Recommendations
As stated in the GRS, this review of progress can be used to help identify whether adjustments to the implementation of GRS actions are needed, to achieve the protection and recovery of the species. Based on progress to date, the overall direction provided in the GRS for Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population), particularly the implementation of actions identified as high priority, should continue to guide protection and recovery of the species.
Initial progress has been made towards GRS Actions No. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12 but substantial work is required to fully implement these actions. For example, although some initial progress has been made towards the implementation of monitoring programs for the Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals (Action No. 3), additional work is needed to integrate these existing efforts into a standardized province-wide monitoring program and to expand this work to include representative sites across the species’ ranges by engaging additional stewardship partners. The continuation and expansion of these monitoring programs over the long-term will be essential for informing ongoing management and recovery planning for these populations. With the potential absence of Jefferson Salamander from several sites where the Jefferson dependent unisexuals are known to occur, ongoing testing and implementation of assisted recruitment techniques (Action No. 7), including captive-breeding and head-starting programs, may be essential to achieve the recovery goal for these species. Despite the efforts of several stewardship partners to mitigate threats to Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexual, several threats remain widespread and pervasive. Specifically, road densities within the range of these species are among the highest in Canada, and the large number of salamanders being killed on roads across the species’ ranges continues to threaten the long-term viability of many populations. Additional collaborative efforts between government, non-government organizations, researchers, stakeholders, and the public are necessary to develop and implement innovative and effective solutions to mitigate such threats at both local and landscape scales (GRS Action No. 8). Given the high development pressure throughout the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding region where these species occur, habitat loss from ongoing urban development also continues to pose a serious threat to this species. Prioritization of the protection of existing populations and habitats, as outlined in the GRS, should remain a strong focus when making decisions pertaining to land use planning and the application of the prohibitions under the ESA, and further work towards the implementation of GRS Action No 11 is crucial to help achieve this outcome.
While moderate to considerable progress has been made towards GRS Actions No. 1, 2 and 9, further work is still required to fully implement each of these actions. For example, significant knowledge gaps remain with respect to the current distribution of these species, and additional search effort is required to provide a better understanding of the species’ distributions, particularly at historical sites where one or both species have not been documented in recent years (Action No. 1). Increased survey effort is especially important in areas where Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) appear to be occurring in the absence of Jefferson Salamanders to inform management approaches for these populations. Similarly, continued research on the habitat needs of Jefferson Salamander and Jefferson dependent unisexuals (Action No. 2) is required to inform an adaptive management approach to recovery, particularly with respect to assessing the effectiveness of habitat restoration and creation work. Finally, continued habitat restoration and creation efforts are still urgently needed across much of the species’ distributions (Action No. 9). The implementation of a broad-scale and comprehensive approach to habitat identification, restoration and management—much like the approach implemented by Ontario Streams and highlighted in the ‘government supported stewardship projects’ section—would contribute significantly to the ongoing implementation of this action.
Protecting and recovering Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) will continue to be a shared responsibility that will require the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities. Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. The government can also advise if any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required to undertake a project. By working together, progress can continue to be made towards protecting and recovering Jefferson Salamander and Unisexual Ambystoma (Jefferson Salamander dependent population) in Ontario.
Footnotes
- footnote[1] Back to paragraph For the purposes of this report, a population is an alternative name for an element occurrence which is defined as an area of land and/or water on/in which an element (e.g., a species) is or was present. A population record is based on one or more observations, and the area has a practical conservation value as it is important to the conservation of the species.
- footnote[2] Back to paragraph A population is considered extant if it has been observed within the last 20 years or an appropriate interval for the species in question. Extant populations may have been extirpated, particularly if observations are not recent and updated information is unavailable.
- footnote[3] Back to paragraph A population is considered historical if it has not been recorded within the last 20 years. Historical populations may still exist, but updated information is not available.