The number of Maine’s “species of greatest conservation need” has almost doubled in the latest wildlife protection roadmap released by the state.
The 10-year Wildlife Action Plan now includes more than 700 kinds of birds, mammals, fish and invertebrates.
For the first time it also includes plants, said Alex Fish, endangered and threatened species coordinator with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
“So that increased around 300 species there, including endangered, threatened and special concern plant species,” Fish said in an interview.
Plants were not included in previous iterations of the plan, but were folded in this time because of an understanding that plant species have associations with other vulnerable wildlife, Fish added.
“Endangered, threatened, or special concern plants occupy less than 1% of the state, so they’re not common at all but they can really be indicators of rare and uncommon habitats,” Fish said.
The higher number of species also reflects better understanding of the conservation status of some invertebrates such as bees and butterflies, according to the department.
The new species roster also takes into account the rate and magnitude of bird species decline, it adds.
Some species in the plan are threatened or endangered, but others declining, rare, or more abundant in Maine than elsewhere in New England.
The plan lays out voluntary measures to conserve or enhance wildlife habitat, such as installing nesting structures for birds or improving stream crossings and culverts for fish and other species.
Fish said that there are some common threats to species on the list, including development and land conversion, climate change and extreme storms, invasive species and pollution.