Victorin’s gentian COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 11

Technical Summary

Gentianopsis procera ssp. macounii var. victorinii

Victorin’s gentian: Gentiane de Victorin

Range of Occurrence in Canada:
Quebec

Extent and Area Information

Extent of occurrence (EO) (km²)
(Based on GIS calculation of a polygon in which all points at outer limits of range are included):
171 km²
Specify trend in EO:
Stable
Are there extreme fluctuations in EO?
No
Area of occupancy (AO) (km²)
(approximate total areas of shoreline habitat):
1 km²
Specify trend in AO:
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in AO?
No
Number of known or inferred current locations:
28 extant
Specify trend in #:
Unknown, but increased numbers of populations reflect greater search effort
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of locations?
No
Specify trend in area, extent or quality of habitat:
Decline in quality of habitat

Population Information

Generation time (average age of parents in the population):
annual or biennial plant
Number of mature individuals:
1700-6000 flowering plants
Total population trend:
Unknown, but increased numbers of plants reflect greater search effort
% decline over the last/next 10 years or 3 generations.
Not Applicable
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of mature individuals?
Likely not
Is the total population severely fragmented?
No
Specify trend in number of populations:
Increasing due to greater search effort
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of populations?
No

list populations with number of mature individuals in each:

  • Beaumont, Vincennes cove: 11-50
  • Berthier-sur-Mer, Anse de Berthier: 55-110
  • Berthier-sur-Mer, Road 561: 1
  • Deschambault: 100-1000
  • Grosse-Île: 200-400
  • Ile aux Grues, wharf: 11-50
  • Ile aux Grues, Rivière à Anguilles: 13-60
  • L'Ange-Gardien, Casgrain Street: 51-100
  • L'Ange-Gardien, du Fleuve Street: 51-100
  • Lévis, Pointe Martinière: 15
  • Montmagny: 1
  • Neuville, Provancher marsh: 10-30
  • Pointe-aux-Trembles-Ouest: 3-11
  • Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly, Les Fonds: 11-50
  • Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures: 300-500
  • Sainte-Croix, Pointe Platon: 111-1050
  • Sainte-Pétronille: 32
  • Sainte-Pétronille, Anse chez Porteous: 200-500
  • Saint-François, pointe d'Argentenay: 100-1000
  • Saint-Jean-de-Boischatel: 11-59
  • Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, the two sides of the wharf: 30-120
  • Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Pointe à Menin: 50-100
  • Saint-Roch-des Aulnaies, Pointe à Chouinard:70-100
  • Saint-Laurent-d'Orléans : 32
  • Saint-Laurent-d'Orléans, Village-des-Anglais: 25-100
  • Saint-Nicolas, Anse Ross: 2-10
  • Saint-Vallier, Pointe de Saint-Vallier: 200-400

Threats (actual or imminent threats to populations or habitats)

Actual threats
  • human trampling: high risk
  • mowing of grass beds: moderate
  • shoreline filling: moderate
  • flower picking: low
  • insect predation of fruit: low
  • ? ice scouring: low
  • water quality and level: low
Potential threats
  • limited habitat: low level of risk
  • oil spills: moderate

Rescue Effect (immigration from an outside source)

Status of outside population(s)?
USA:  None; this is a Canadian endemic
Is immigration known or possible?
Not Applicable
Would immigrants be adapted to survive in Canada?
Not Applicable
Is there sufficient habitat for immigrants in Canada?
Not Applicable
Is rescue from outside populations likely?
Not Applicable

Quantitative Analysis

Not Applicable

Other Status

  • COSEWIC: Special Concern (1987)
  • Quebec: Menacée

Status and Reasons for Designation

Status: 

Alpha-numeric code: Threatened D2

Reasons for Designation: A geographically highly restricted and short-lived annual or biennial that is endemic to the freshwater or slightly brackish shoreline areas of the St. Lawrence River estuary in Quebec. It is present at 28 extant sites but in very small localized habitats where it is at risk from a wide range of impacts. These include habitat disruption by ATVs, shoreline in-filling, mowing of vegetation, picking of flowers and potentially from oil spills.

Applicability of Criteria

Criterion A (Declining Total Population): N/A. No overall declines documented but a significant increase in number of localities due to increased search effort.

Criterion B (Small Distribution, and Decline or Fluctuation): N/A. Extent of occurrence and area of occupancy are small but the taxon is not fragmented, population sizes do not fluctuate and the taxon occurs at 28 sites; habitat quality, however, has decreased and potential habitat for colonization has been greatly reduced.

Criterion C (Small Total Population Size and Decline): N/A. Total population estimate <10,000 but future decline of population size cannot reasonably be inferred in spite of some existing threats; some populations may contain >1000 plants and no extreme fluctuations are known.

Criterion D (Very Small Population or Restricted Distribution): Threatened under D2 with an area of occupancy <<20 km².

Criterion E (Quantitative Analysis): N/A

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