BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Oreamnos americanus
Mountain Goat
| Scientific Name: | Oreamnos americanus |
|---|---|
| English Name: | Mountain Goat |
| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | S3 |
| Date Status Assigned: | April 27, 2015 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | February 15, 2015 |
| Reasons: | Although the species is widespread in the province with a large population size, it faces threats throughout much of its range and has undergone some declines, with continuing declines in some areas of the province, especially in the south. In particular, the mountain goat population in the Okanagan region is especially vulnerable due to very small population sizes, isolation from other populations to the east and west, and serious threats to the population (Wilson and Morely 2007, G. Kuzyk pers. comm. 2010). |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | G = 200,000-2,500,000 square km |
| Range Extent Estimate (km2): | 693,000 |
| Range Extent Comments: | Range extent, calculated using an alpha-hull based on the centroids of polygons denoting mounatin goat distribution (Mountain Goat Management Team 2010), is approximately 693,000 sq km. |
| Area of Occupancy (km2): | U = Unknown |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | U = Unknown |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | Rank Factor not assessed |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | Rank Factor not assessed |
| Population Size: | F = 10,000 - 100,000 individuals |
| Comments: | Shackleton (2013) estimated the provincial population at 41,000-66,000 animals. The provincial population represents over half the world's population of O. americanus. |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | Moderate and imminent threat |
| Comments: | There are numerous threats to mountain goats, and although individually these threats may have only a low to medium impact provincially, the overall threat impact value is calculated as high due to cumulative effects. An IUCN threat assessment was completed in 2015 that identified current threats. The highest ranking threat was human intrusions and disturbance (High-medium). Other threats include mining, activities associated with renewable energy production, disturbance from helicoptors (recreation and industiral activities), harvesting of timber in winter range, increased access for predators and hunters along roads and other linear corridors. (Mountatin Goat Management Team 2010). |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | FG = Decline of <30% to relatively stable |
| Comments: | Because the generation time for O. Oreamnos is ~8 years (Pacifi et. al. 2013), the short-term trend is evaluated over the last 24 years. The recent trend in mountain goat numbers within the province is stable in areas with the highest numbers (northern and central British Columbia and the Kootenay), but stable/decreasing or decreasing in southern and south coastal areas where numbers are lower. In particular, numbers have declined steeply in the southern interior and there is little to no evidence of recovery. Overall, the population in BC is stable to declining (Mountain Goat Recovery Team 2010). |
| Long-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | Many interior and some coastal populations (e.g., portions of Lower Mainland region) declined through the 1960s and early 1970s, primarily from massive overharvest of animals with liberal harvesting regulations combined with increased access (Phelps et al. 1983; Mountain Goat Recovery Team 2010). Since most regions lack extensive inventories, trend data are based in large part on surveys of small portions of each region, or on indices to population trend (hunter harvest, hunter success, observations, kid:adult ratios; Mountain Goat Management Team 2010) and there is no overall quantitave value the % decline for the total provincial population. |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | Rank Factor not assessed |
| Environmental Specificity: | BC=Narrow to moderate. |
| Comments: | Suitable escape terrain is a limiting factor for habitat suitability for mountain goats across their range. Alpine vegetation contains low sodium content and high potassium levels, thus many populations of mountain goats obtain supplemental minerals to their diet from mineral licks (Mountain Goat Management Team 2010). |
| Other Rank Considerations: | |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | |
| Inventory Needs: | |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | |
| Management: | |
| Version | |
| Author: | Kuzyk, G., Nagorsen, D. and L. Ramsay |
| Date: | March 02, 2015 |
| References | |
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Mountain Goat Management Team. 2010. Management Plan for the Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus) in British Columbia. Prepared for the B.C. Ministry of Environment, Victoria, BC. 87 pp.
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2015. Conservation Status Report: Oreamnos americanus. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Apr 25, 2024).