CAN-SAR: A database of Canadian species at risk information.

Threatened species lists describe the conservation status of species and are key tools used to inform decisions for biodiversity conservation. These lists are rich in information obtained during status assessment and recovery planning processes, ranging from biological attributes to actions that support recovery. Data compiled from species lists allow for analyses, including assessing trends in threats, prioritizing actions, and identifying barriers to achieving recovery objectives. For legally protected species at risk of extinction in Canada, such analyses are challenging owing to a lack of comprehensive and accessible data reflecting information compiled from listing and recovery documents. To encourage ongoing synthesis and minimise duplication of efforts, we initiated CAN-SAR: a database of Canadian Species at Risk information. This transparent, open-access, and searchable database contains information transcribed from listing documents, including listing date, and derived variables. Derived variables required interpretation for which we developed standardised criteria to record information, including classification of recovery actions. The CAN-SAR database is updateable, and will contribute towards improved recovery planning to safeguard species of conservation concern.

Seasonality of floral resources in relation to bee activity in agroecosystems.

The contribution of wild insects to crop pollination is becoming increasingly important as global demand for crops dependent on animal pollination increases. If wild insect populations are to persist in agricultural landscapes, there must be sufficient resources over time and space. The temporal, within-season component of floral resource availability has rarely been investigated, despite growing recognition of its likely importance for pollinator populations. Here, we examined the visitation rates of common bee genera and the spatiotemporal availability of floral resources in agroecosystems over one season to determine whether local wild bee activity was limited by landscape floral resource abundance, and if so, whether it was limited by the present or past abundance of landscape floral resources. Visitation rates and landscape floral resources were measured in 27 agricultural sites in Ontario and Québec, Canada, across four time periods and three spatial scales. Floral resources were determined based on species-specific floral volume measurements, which we found to be highly correlated with published measurements of nectar sugar mass and pollen volume. Total floral volume at varying spatial scales predicted visits for commonly observed bee genera. We found Lasioglossum and Halictus visits were highest in landscapes that provided either a stable or increasing amount of floral resources over the season. Andrena visits were highest in landscapes with high floral resources at the start of the season, and Bombus visits appeared to be positively related to greater cumulative seasonal abundance of floral resources. These findings together suggest the importance of early-season floral resources to bees. Megachile visits were negatively associated with the present abundance of floral resources, perhaps reflecting pollinator movement or dilution. Our research provides insight into how seasonal fluctuations in floral resources affect bee activity and how life history traits of bee genera influence their responses to food availability within agroecosystems.