Genetic Resources
The NWT is home to a number of rare species and endemics –species that exist nowhere else in the world . Tracking the status of rare and endemic species in the NWT provides information on how well we are conserving endemic genetic resources that may be important for future use in medicine or agriculture or to human well-being in general. Arctic species (subspecies) have adaptations to harsh climates that are important to conserve of part of NWT’s contribution to the world’s biodiversity.
Indicators on genetic resources are related to the third aspect of biodiversity -ecosystems, species, genetic resources - and are tracked at national and international levels. Some indicators on genetic resources are not relevant to the NWT and have been omitted here. These indicators are mostly related to the Agro-industry (e.g. genetically modified organisms).
17.1. Status of endemic and rare species in the NWT
The indicator tracks species that are rare in the world or endemic to the NWT.
This indicator uses information collated for the NWT General Status Ranking Program (NWT - GSRP)3, and additional information from NatureServe Canada1. Official lists of NWT species are compiled by NWT General Status Ranking Program. Updates on new species are possible only with the contribution of NWT residents, visiting specialists, entomologists, botanists and tourists interested in NWT biodiversity. New discoveries are the result of increased monitoring and studies on lesser-known species in the NWT.
All information on global status ranks are obtained from the NatureServe Canada webpage.
NWT Focus
The number of species present in the NWT is surprisingly high considering our harsh northern climate. Insects and plants make up the largest part of our biodiversity.
Much of the NWT was covered by ice during the last Ice Age, which ended about 8000 years ago. This means NWT’s ecosystems are quite young in an evolutionary time scale. However, large tracks of land in the northern and western part of the NWT remained free of ice during that time. These special places are called glacial refugia. In northern North America, these areas are part of a region called Beringia, and harbour many species that survived during the last glaciation. Some of these species are rare today, and form a special component of our genetic resources.
Current view: status and trend
One species of birds, the Whooping Crane (Grus americana), is endemic to North America, and NWT is home to about 90% of its wild breeding population. The NWT also harbours 40-60% of the two sub-species of mammals that are rare in the world, the Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) and the Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae). See Focal Point Species at Risk for more information on the status of these populations.
So far there are two known species of vascular plants that are endemic to the NWT, they are found nowhere else on earth: the Hairy Rockcress (Braya pilosa) and Nahanni Aster (Symphyotrichum nahanniense). An additional two species are known in only 2-3 sites in the NWT, and in very few sites in adjacent jurisdictions. These species are all rare genetic resources that survived the last Ice Age in the glacial refugia called Beringia.
| Common Name |
Scientific species name |
Definition
Code |
Comments |
| Rare and Endemic species |
| Mammals |
 Wood Bison |
Bison bison athabascae |
Rare in the world (Subspecies only) |
In the NWT, herds are in Dehcho and South Slave - in Taiga Plains |
 Peary Caribou |
Rangifer tanrandus pearyi |
Rare in the world (Subspecies only) |
Populations in Arctic Islands in Northern Arctic ecozone. |
| Birds |
 Whooping Crane |
Grus americana |
Rare in the world |
Nesting populations in NWT are only in Wood Buffalo National Park and just north of it – in Taiga Plains. |
| Vascular Plants |
 Hairy Rockcress |
Braya pilosa |
Endemic to the NWT – Exists nowhere else in the world |
Only one known location in the world - Cape Bathurst, Southern Arctic. Beringian species. G1 |
 Nahanni Aster |
Symphyotrichum nahanniense |
Endemic to the NWT– Exists nowhere else in the world |
Only found at 4-5 sites near hot springs in the Nahanni National Park Reserve, Taiga Cordillera. Beringian species. G1Q1 |
 Drummond Bluebell |
Mertensia drummondii |
Rare in the world |
Only found at 3 sites in the northern NWT near the Beaufort Sea, Southern Arctic, and 7 sites in Nunavut and Alaska. Beringian species.G2Q |
 Raup’s Willow |
Salix rauppii |
Rare in the world |
Only found in 2 sites in the Dehcho, Taiga Plains, NWT, and 7 sites in Yukon, Alberta and northern BC. Possibly a hybrid established soon after the last Ice Age. G2 |
Banks Island Alkali Grass
 |
Puccinellia banksiensis |
Rare in the world |
Only found on Banks Island, and 2 other sites in Alaska and Nunavut. Newly described species possibly Beringian. G1
|
| Mosses |
Velenovsky's Hilpertia Moss
 |
Hilpertia velenovsky |
Rare in the world |
Found at one site in the Nahanni National Park Reserve, and in other sites in Nunavut, British Columbia, China, Russia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Yugoslavia. G1 |
Source: Information from the NWT General Status Ranking Program and as referenced. Photo of Braya pilosa: Jim Harris; Salix rauppii: Canadian Museum of Nature; Mertensia drummondii: Jo Overholt Symphyotrichum nahanniense: John Semple; Puccinellia banksiensis: R.D.Bull; Hilpertia velenovsky: T Zoltanne (Nature Conservation in Hungary webpage, Deputy State Secretariat for Nature Conservation and Environment Protection, Ministry of Rural Development, Gov. of Hungary at http://www.termeszetvedelem.hu/welcome
Looking forward
Almost every summer, new species, mostly plant and insect, are recorded in the NWT. Some of these are new to science and have not been completely described yet. Many rare species in the NWT are found in glacial refugia in northwestern NWT. This region is shared with Yukon and Alaska, and is host to an important set of species that have survived the last Ice Age, and hence form a special part of our genetic resources. More inventories and studies, including efforts from local natural enthusiasts, will certainly result in additional new and rare species.
Find out more
Other focal points
- Additional information on rare birds and mammals can be found in the Species at Risk focal point.
- Find more on new species to the NWT – exotics – in the Wildlife focal point. See VEGETATION – FOREST for other indicators on insects, especially forest pests in the NWT.
Technical Notes
- G1 - NatureServe Global Conservation Status Rank, Critically Imperiled - At very high risk of extinction due to extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer populations), very steep declines, or other factors.
- G2 - NatureServe Global Conservation Status Rank, Imperiled - At high risk of extinction due to very restricted range, very few populations (often 20 or fewer), steep declines, or other factors.
- Q = Questions on taxonomy still exists.
- The indicator tracks species that are rare in the World or endemic, and tracks new species to the NWT using these definition codes:
- Endemic = species with a general status rank of “May be at Risk” in the NWT, are rare in the world (G1 or G2), and are known to exist only in the NWT, and nowhere else in the world. Global ranks follows criteria set by NatureServe.
- Rare in the world = species with a ageneral status rank of “May be at Risk” in the NWT, are rare in the world (G1 or G2), but are known to exist in other jurisdictions as well as in the NWT. Global ranks follows criteria set by NatureServe.
Updated: 03 August 2011
References
Ref 1 - 2011, NatureServe Canada, http://www.natureserve-canada.ca/
Ref 2 - Catling,P.M, S. Carriere, D. Johnson, and M. Fournier, 2004, Dragonflies of the Northwest Territories, Canada: New records, ecological observations and a checklist. ARGIA 16, (1): 9-13
Ref 3 - Working Group on General Status of NWT Species (2011) NWT Species 2011-2015 General Status Ranks of Wild Species in the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife: GNWT. http://nwtspeciesatrisk.ca/pdf/NWT_species_2011_2015.pdf