names and the ESA

[Chris J. Durden]

Seems like a frustrating exercise in semantics. I would think that "any 
distinct population segment" would have to be identified in order to be 
talked about. To talk about 
the  Spruce-Knob-of-West-Virginia-population-segment of *Colias interior* 
is tantamount to polynomially naming a subspecific entity. Surely it is 
simpler to describe it and name it trinomially. It is clearly different 
from the population segments of the same species in Pennsylvania, upstate 
New York and eastern Ontario, at least one of which has its own subspecific 
name. Perhaps my problem is that I find the punctuated equilibrium model of 
speciation fits everything I have looked at so far. The character step 
between each subspecies corresponds to the punctuation in time or in space.
..............Chris Durden


At 09:25 AM 2/2/2001 -0900, you wrote:
>Chris:
>
>Ron and I have been going back and forth on the pluses and minuses of
>subspecies as a taxon. He and Harry Pavulan (sp?) wrote that names were
>required for protection. I pointed out to him that according to the
>Endangered Species Act, this was not true. My message is below. Please
>feel free to comment on line about this, but I have officially surrendered
>because I do not feel I can spend the resources to debate this person
>anymore.
>
>The exact quote from the law book: "(15) The term "species" includes any
>subspecies of fish or wildlife or plants, and any distinct population
>segment of any species or vertebrate fish or wildlife which interbreeds
>when mature."
>
>  "any distinct population segment". The argument that a population
>has to be formally recognized taxonomically is invalid.
>
>See it yourself at:
>http://endangered.fws.gov/esa.html
>
>click on definitions, scroll down to #15.
>
>James J. Kruse, Ph.D.
>Curator of Entomology
>University of Alaska Museum
>907 Yukon Drive, PO Box 756960
>Fairbanks, AK  99775-6960
>Phone: 907.474.5579
>Fax: 907.474.1987/5469
>http://www.uaf.edu/museum/
>
>On Thu, 1 Feb 2001, Chris J. Durden wrote:
>
> > At 04:49 PM 2/1/2001 -0900, you wrote:
> > >I've already shown that Ron's crusade as stated above is a war against a
> > >straw man based on the wording of the Endangered Species Act.
> > >
> > >James J. Kruse, Ph.D.
> > >Curator of Entomology
> > >University of Alaska Museum
> >
> > Wow! Did I miss something?
> > ..............Chris Durden
> >
> >



 
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