Wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 10

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Evaluation and Proposed Status

Existing Protection or Other Status

The Nature Conservancy gives this species a global rank of G4G5; however there is no state/province where it is ranked as Secure (S5) or even Apparently Secure (S4). It is listed as Critically Imperiled (S1) in three states (North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin), Imperiled (S2) in 6 states (Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Virginia) and Ontario, and Vulnerable (S3) in two states (Indiana and Iowa), by the most recent listing of 2000, accessible through the NatureServe web site. 

It has been listed as a species of Special Concern by COSEWIC but is currently without formal protective status in Ontario. While many of the populations were secure at the most recent field observations in May 2001, one population appears extirpated due to the cormorants nesting on East Sister Island, and under severe impact on Middle Island, the latter of which was a very large population. Others have been lost due to habitat conversion for building development at Mosquito Point (recently) and North Harbour and Bois Blanc (historically).

Assessment of Status and Author’s Recommendation

The comparison of counts of those with past estimates has not changed substantially; the more thorough search has found populations not counted before so the slight increase likely is not significant. Several sites have been completely lost (East Sister Island, Mosquito Point) or experienced severe declines (Middle Island) since the original status report of 1988. Some of the sites are federal, provincial or NGO nature reserves, others are without protection and subject to development pressures as seasonal recreational housing increases on Pelee Island. This could also be a threat to Middle Sister Island.

Proposed Status: Threatened. Cormorants have transformed habitat on East Sister Island and Middle Island. Habitat has also been lost due to land clearing for housing on North Harbour and Bois Blanc Islands, and a subpopulation of Fish Point at Mosquito Point. Several sites are not secure and could come under threat of land clearing: lands of Middle Pt., private lands near the Stone Road Alvar and Middle Sister Island. The Hen Island population co-exists with a long established fishing club, whose forests have been invaded by garlic mustard and Norway maple, increasing the ground level competition and canopy shading which likely will eventually severely impact this and other species of the ground flora.