NatureServe conservation status facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Conservation status
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 Comparison of Red list classes above and NatureServe status below  |
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The NatureServe conservation status system helps us understand how safe or endangered different species of plants, animals, and other living things are. It also looks at natural areas called ecological communities.
This system was created in the United States in the 1980s by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). It helps rank how much danger a species or community is in, whether it's worldwide, in a specific country, or in a smaller area like a state or province. These rankings are often called NatureServe ranks or Natural Heritage ranks.
NatureServe ranks focus on species and communities in their natural homes. They don't count animals in zoos or plants grown by people. They also don't count species that humans have moved to new places where they don't naturally belong.
Most NatureServe ranks are used for species and communities in the United States and Canada. However, the system can be used anywhere in the world. You can find these ranks on the NatureServe Explorer website.
Contents
What are NatureServe Ranks?
NatureServe ranks usually use a scale from one to five. Number 1 means a species is in the most danger, and 5 means it's very safe. These ranks can be for the whole world (global), a country (national), or a smaller area within a country (subnational).
Sometimes, letters are used instead of numbers for special situations. We'll explain these below. Ranks can also be combined to show different geographical levels or to rank smaller groups within a species.
Different Levels of Ranking
NatureServe ranks can be given at three main levels:
- G - Global ranks (G-rank) show the status of a species or community all over the world.
- N - National ranks (N-rank) show the status within a specific country.
- S - Subnational ranks (S-rank) show the status within a smaller area, like a state in the U.S. or a province in Canada.
Common NatureServe Ranks
Here are the most common NatureServe ranks you might see:
Number Ranks
- 1 — Critically imperiled — This means a species is in extreme danger. There are usually 5 or fewer places where it lives naturally, or fewer than 1,000 individual plants or animals.
- 2 — Imperiled — This means a species is in great danger. It typically lives in 6 to 20 places, or has between 1,001 and 3,000 individuals.
- 3 — Vulnerable — This means a species is rare and could be in danger. It usually lives in 21 to 100 places, or has between 3,001 and 10,000 individuals.
- 4 — Apparently secure — This means a species is uncommon but not rare. There might be some small worries for its future. It usually lives in 101 or more places, or has over 10,000 individuals.
- 5 — Secure — This means a species is common, found in many places, and has no major threats.
Letter Ranks
- X - Presumed extinct or extirpated — This means the species has not been found despite many searches.
- Extinct means it's gone from the whole world.
- Extirpated means it's gone from a specific country or area, but still lives somewhere else.
- H - Possibly extinct or extirpated — This means the species was seen in the past but not recently. There's still some hope it might be found again.
- R or ? - Recorded but status unknown — This means the species is known to be in an area, but its exact status there isn't clear yet.
For example, a G3 species is "globally vulnerable." An N2 species is "nationally imperiled" in a certain country. Species with G, N, or S ranks of 4 or 5 are usually not the main focus for big conservation efforts because they are doing well.
Special Cases for Ranks
The NatureServe system has other ways to rank species for less common situations.
Subspecies and Plant Varieties
- T - Sometimes, smaller groups within a species (like subspecies or plant varieties) get their own global T-ranks. This T-rank is added to the main species' G-rank. For example, a G5T1 means the main species is secure, but a specific variety of it is critically imperiled.
Non-Native Species
- E - This letter is used at the national or subnational levels. It means a species is not naturally from that area. It was brought there by humans, either on purpose or by accident. These are often called exotic or non-native species.
- However, if a species arrives in a new area naturally (like carried by wind or birds), it is ranked like any other native species.
Species Only in Captivity
- C - If a species is only found in zoos or grown by people, and is extinct or extirpated in the wild, the letter 'C' is added to its X or H rank. For example, XC means it's extinct in the wild but still exists in captivity.
Uncertain or Not Applicable Ranks
- #x# – This shows a range of ranks when there's some uncertainty. For example, G2G3 means the global rank is somewhere between G2 and G3.
- U – Unrankable — This means there isn't enough information to give a rank, or the information is confusing.
- NR – Not ranked — This means the species or community has not been assessed yet.
- NA – Not applicable — This means the ranking system doesn't apply to this specific case. For example, it might be used for human-made areas like farm fields, or for hybrids that don't need conservation.
Combining Ranks
NatureServe ranks can be used alone or combined. For example, a G5N3S1 rank means:
- The species is globally secure (G5).
- It is nationally vulnerable in a specific country (N3).
- It is critically imperiled in a particular state or province within that country (S1).
A species only has one global rank (G-rank, or G-rank with a T-rank). But it can have different national or subnational ranks depending on which country or area you are looking at.
