PDF《Davis's Green Pitaya》

Davis'

s Green Pitaya Echinocereus viridiflorus var.

davisii Houghton And Nellie'

s Cory Cactus Escobaria minima (Baird) D.R. Hunt (Syn. Coryphantha minima Baird) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Austin Ecological Services Field Office Austin, Texas

2 5-YEAR REVIEW Davis'

s Green Pitaya / Echinocereus viridiflorus var. davisii Houghton Nellie'

s Cory Cactus / Escobaria minima (Baird) D.R. Hunt (Syn. Coryphantha minima Baird) 1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 Reviewers Lead Regional Office: Southwest Regional Office (Region 2) Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Threatened and Endangered Species, (505) 248-6641 Wendy Brown, Recovery Coordinator, (505) 248-6664 Julie McIntyre, Regional Recovery Biologist, (505) 248-6663 Lead Field Office: Austin Ecological Services Field Office Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor, (512) 490-0057 x

248 Chris Best, Texas State Botanist, (512) 490-0057 x

225 1.2 Purpose of 5-Year Reviews: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is required under section 4(c)(2) of the endangered Species Act (ESA) to conduct a status review of each listed species once every

5 years. The purpose of five-year reviews is to evaluate whether or not a species'

status has changed since it was listed, or since completion of the most recent 5-year review. Our original listing as endangered or threatened is based on the five threat factors described in section 4(a)(1) of the ESA. In the 5-year review, we first review the best available scientific and commercial data on the species, focusing on any new information obtained since the species was listed or last reviewed. We then consider the same five threat factors to determine whether the species'

status should remain the same or be changed from threatened to endangered, endangered to threatened, or be removed from the endangered species list. However, recommended status changes only become final through a separate rule-making process that includes public review and comment. 1.3 Methodology used to complete the review: The public notice for this review was published in the Federal Register on February 11,

2009 (74 FR 6917). This review considers both new and previously existing information from Federal and State agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia, and the general public. Information used in the preparation of the review include the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Natural Diversity Database (TXNDD), final reports of Section 6-funded projects, monitoring reports, scientific publications, unpublished documents, personal communications from botanists familiar with the species, and Internet web sites. The 5-year review was prepared without peer review by personnel of Austin Ecological Services Field Office.

3 1.4 Background: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) listed both Davis'

s green pitaya and Nellie'

s cory cactus as endangered without critical habitat on November 7,

1979 (44 FR 64738). The State of Texas listed both species as endangered on April 29, 1983. Both of these cactus species are referred to by a variety of common names and taxonomic synonyms. See Section 2.3.1.3 for an explanation of the nomenclature used here. For brevity, this report uses the abbreviations E. v. davisii and E. minima for Echinocereus viridiflorus var. davisii and Escobaria minima, respectively, where the species are referred to repeatedly. The first use of technical terms and words with arcane meanings in the lexicons of science and government are underlined, and are defined in the glossary on pages 34-37. For convenience, the first uses of scientific units are spelled out, and are also summarized on page 34. Photographic credits are on page 34. 1.4.1 FR Notice citation announcing initiation of this review: