Conservation-induced extinction

Conservation-induced extinction is where efforts to save endangered species lead to the extinction of other species. This mostly threatens the parasite and pathogen species that are highly host-specific to critically endangered hosts. When the last individuals of a host species are captured for the purpose of captive breeding and reintroduction programs, they typically undergo anti-parasitic treatments to increase survival and reproductive success. This practice may unintentionally result in the extinction of the species antagonistic to the target species, such as certain parasites. It has been proposed that the parasites should be reintroduced to the endangered population. A few cases of conservation-induced extinction have occurred in parasitic lice.^[1]

Examples

Extinct species	Type	Host species	Notes
Colpocephalum californici^[2]	Parasite	California condor	The parasite most probably became extinct when the last individuals of its only host species were captured for a captive-breeding program; all parasites found were deliberately killed in an attempt to assist the host's survival.^[3]
Felicola isidoroi^[4]	Parasite	Iberian lynx	As with Colpocephalum californici, likely became extinct when the last individuals of its host species were taken into captivity and deloused to assist survival.
Linognathus petasmatus	Parasite	scimitar-horned oryx	The host specificity of this parasite is uncertain. Either it was specific to the scimitar-horned oryx and became extinct during captive breeding of the host, or – alternatively – it may be specific to the addax and possibly still surviving in the wild.
Rallicola guami	Parasite	Guam rail	The only known host species of this parasite exists exclusively in captivity and kept under veterinary control. Little information about the fate of the parasite, likely extinct.^[5]
Rallicola pilgrimi^[6]	Parasite	little spotted kiwi	The parasite most probably became extinct when the last individuals of its only host species were captured and, after routine veterinary antiparasitic treatments, re-introduced into predator-free islands.

Erroneous example

The trichodectid louse of the black-footed ferret has been mentioned in the literature several times^[7] as a parasite that became extinct during the captive breeding program of the host. However, this parasite most probably never existed as a separate species from Neotrichodectes minutus.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Rózsa, Lajos; Vas, Zoltán (2014-08-22). "Co-extinct and critically co-endangered species of parasitic lice, and conservation-induced extinction: should lice be reintroduced to their hosts?" (PDF). Oryx. 49 (1): 107–110. doi:10.1017/s0030605313000628.
^ Dunn RR 2009. Coextinction: anecdotes, models, and speculation. In Holocene Extinctions (ed. S.T. Turvey), pp. 167–180. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
^ Stringer, Andrew Paul; Linklater, Wayne (2014). "Everything in Moderation: Principles of Parasite Control for Wildlife Conservation". BioScience. 64 (10): 932–937. doi:10.1093/biosci/biu135.
^ Pérez, J.M.; Sánchez, I. & Palma, R.L. (2013). The dilemma of conserving parasites: the case of Felicola (Lorisicola) isidoroi (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) and its host, the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). Insect Conservation and Diversity 6: 680–686.
^ Emerson, K. C. (1957, August 4). Pror. ent. soc. Wash., vol. 59, no. -1, August, 1957 185 soc. 2: ... Biodiversity Library. Accessed at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/partpdf/63868
^ Buckley TR, Palma RL, Johns PM, Gleeson DM, Heath ACG, Hitchmough RA, Stringer IAN 2012. The conservation status of small or less well known groups of New Zealand terrestrial invertebrates. New Zealand Entomologist 35: 137–143.
^ Gompper ME, Williams ES 1998. Parasite conservation and the black-footed ferret recovery program. Conservation Biology 12: 730–732.

External links

The Iberian lynx and its unique louse

[Rózsa2014-1] Rózsa, Lajos; Vas, Zoltán (2014-08-22). "Co-extinct and critically co-endangered species of parasitic lice, and conservation-induced extinction: should lice be reintroduced to their hosts?" (PDF). Oryx. 49 (1): 107–110. doi:10.1017/s0030605313000628.

[Dunn-2] Dunn RR 2009. Coextinction: anecdotes, models, and speculation. In Holocene Extinctions (ed. S.T. Turvey), pp. 167–180. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

[Stringer2014-3] Stringer, Andrew Paul; Linklater, Wayne (2014). "Everything in Moderation: Principles of Parasite Control for Wildlife Conservation". BioScience. 64 (10): 932–937. doi:10.1093/biosci/biu135.

[Felicola-4] Pérez, J.M.; Sánchez, I. & Palma, R.L. (2013). The dilemma of conserving parasites: the case of Felicola (Lorisicola) isidoroi (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) and its host, the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). Insect Conservation and Diversity 6: 680–686.

[5] Emerson, K. C. (1957, August 4). Pror. ent. soc. Wash., vol. 59, no. -1, August, 1957 185 soc. 2: ... Biodiversity Library. Accessed at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/partpdf/63868

[Buckley-6] Buckley TR, Palma RL, Johns PM, Gleeson DM, Heath ACG, Hitchmough RA, Stringer IAN 2012. The conservation status of small or less well known groups of New Zealand terrestrial invertebrates. New Zealand Entomologist 35: 137–143.

[Gompper-7] Gompper ME, Williams ES 1998. Parasite conservation and the black-footed ferret recovery program. Conservation Biology 12: 730–732.

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v t e Conservation of species
Index of conservation articles
Conservation biology	Biodiversity Captive breeding Compassionate conservation Conservation behavior Conservation-dependent species Conservation genetics Conservation-induced extinction Conservation status Endemism Ex-situ conservation Extinction threshold In-situ conservation Latent extinction risk Marine conservation Mutualisms and conservation Nature conservation Conservation biology of parasites Species translocation Conservation welfare Threatened species Vulnerability and susceptibility
Approaches	Conservation agriculture Conservation development Conservation finance Conservation grazing Conservation management system Conservation movement Conservation photography Conservation psychology Conspicuous conservation Community-based conservation Ecoregion conservation status Environmental protection Evidence-based conservation Flagship species Forest management Forest protection Tropical rainforest conservation Integrated Conservation and Development Project Other effective area-based conservation measures Riparian buffer Roadless area conservation Roadside conservation Site-based conservation Wetland conservation
Protected areas	Conservation designation Conservation district Conservation easement Conservation reserve Gap analysis Habitat conservation High conservation value area Landscape-scale conservation Marine protected area Marxan Open space reserve Wildlife corridor 30 by 30 target
Key issues	Conservation refugee Fortress conservation Habitat fragmentation Human–wildlife conflict
Restoration	Assisted natural regeneration Ecosystem restoration Island restoration Reforestation afforestation Rewilding marine Species reintroduction
By taxon	Arthropod Bird Hawaiian honeycreeper Raptor Golden eagle Fungi Land mammal American bison Arabian oryx Bear Polar bear Cheetah Elephant Indian elephant Slow loris Tiger Bengal Tiger Wolf Marine Dolphin Gray nurse shark Manatee Painted turtle Salmon Sea otter Plant Seed bank Cryopreservation
By country	Angola Australia Belize Brazil Canada Central African Republic Costa Rica Hong Kong Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Italy Malaysia Mauritius Namibia New Zealand Pakistan Papua New Guinea South Sudan Sweden Uganda United Kingdom Scotland United States forests
Related	Conservation officer De-extinction Planetary boundaries IUCN Red List NatureServe conservation status Special Area of Conservation Soil conservation
List of conservation issues List of organisations List of people Category

Examples

Erroneous example

See also

References

External links