What minimum adult census target, maintained across 10 populations, does the 1985 Recovery Plan aim for before considering the SFGS recovered?
Answer
200 adult SFGS
The formal Recovery Plan approved by the FWS in 1985 established concrete, measurable benchmarks that must be achieved to deem the subspecies secure and potentially warrant a down-listing from endangered status. A primary component of this benchmark involves stabilizing the population size across multiple managed areas. The plan specifically calls for establishing four new populations, resulting in a total of ten populations, each sustaining a baseline count of 200 adult San Francisco garter snakes. Crucially, this target of 200 adults must be maintained in a one-to-one sex ratio across these ten populations for a minimum duration of 15 consecutive years before recovery benchmarks are considered met.
Related Questions
When was the San Francisco garter snake officially listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)?How many known significant populations of SFGS currently remain across its fragmented habitat?What specific type of underground refugia do San Francisco garter snakes utilize for winter hibernation and summer dormancy?Which threatened amphibian, heavily dependent on shallow water for metamorphosis, forms a critical part of the SFGS diet?What minimum adult census target, maintained across 10 populations, does the 1985 Recovery Plan aim for before considering the SFGS recovered?According to demographic simulations, what is the recommended duration for releasing head-started juveniles into a single subpopulation to maximize viability?What dual threat is posed to the SFGS ecosystem by the presence of non-native American bullfrogs?What specific visual characteristics make the San Francisco garter snake prone to illegal poaching for the pet trade?What is the ideal shallow water depth, measured in centimeters, required near pond edges for SFGS foraging between May and July?Which two specific open space preserves are mentioned as actively supporting SFGS populations while also being managed as cattle ranches?