Northwest Territories
General Status Ranking Program
a collaborative program by all
agencies working on wild species in the NWT
Evaluation Process - From
Information System to General Status Ranks
Guidelines
were developed to convert data and information into seven indicators.
These indicators were then scored to produce a status rank for
each species. The process
by which this was done differed slightly amongst groups of species.
For mammals and fishes, a committee reviewed the information,
scored the indicators and drafted a status.
If the committee considered that insufficient information was
available to reliably evaluate the health of a species, a status of
"Undetermined" was given to that species.
For birds, amphibians, and reptiles, information used in the
scoring process was limited to printed material with the help of one or
two experts.
For plants, non-experts
evaluated status ranks using printed information only. In this case,
further guidelines were used to help non-experts with their evaluation.
Again, if the printed material available did not contain enough
information to draft a status, a status of "Undetermined" was
given to that species.
The guidelines were
followed generally, but were not used as a strict rule.
If committees, experts and knowledgeable people were of the
opinion that some indicators did not fully reflect a useful aspect of a
species' health, the indicator was given less weight in drafting a
status. In each case,
justifications and comments were provided with the status.
To evaluate the biological status of a species, seven standard
biological indicators were examined.
Indicators and Scores - Tools to rank the general
status of a species
To evaluate the biological status of a species, seven standard
biological indicators were examined.
| Size |
| 1A |
Population Size = the current
estimate of the total number of mature individuals. |
| 1B |
Number of Occurrences = the
estimated number of occurrences where the species currently7
persists. An occurrence is a location or place where a species
is found, in which a single event may affect all of the
population, |
| 1C |
Distribution = the current
range in this report, distribution was calculated as the
percentage of total NWT land or marine area covered by the
range of the species. |
|
| Trend |
| 2A |
Trend in Population = an
estimate of the change in number of mature individuals over
time. |
| 2B |
Trend in Distribution = an
estimate of the change in area of range over time. |
|
| Threat |
| 3A |
Threats to Population =
observed, inferred, or projected factors affecting individuals
or populations that may result in population declines. |
| 3B |
Threats to Habitat = observed,
inferred, or projected habitat alterations that may result in
population declines. |
|
Each
indicator was given a score according to the matrix, shown below.
The scores were then converted into a general status by following
guidelines demonstrated in the scoring matrix.
As a guide, the species is assigned the highest general status
reached using any indicator.
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Size |
1A. Population |
| 1B. Number of Occurrences |
| 1C. Distribution |
|
Very Small
(<1000) |
Small
(1000-3000) |
Medium
(3000-10000) |
Large
(>10000) |
Very Small
(0-5) |
Small
(6-20) |
Medium
(21-100) |
Large
(>100) |
Very Restricted
(<3% of jurisdiction) |
Restricted
(4-10% of jurisdiction) |
Regional
(10-50% of jurisdiction) |
Widespread
(>50% of jurisdiction) |
|
|
Trend |
2A. Trend in Population |
| 2B. Trend in Distribution |
|
Rapid Decline
(>50% in ten years) |
Decline
(20% in ten years |
Stable (incl. natural fluctuations) |
Increasing
(at any rate) |
|
Rapid Decline |
Decline |
Stable |
Increasing |
|
|
Threat |
3A. Threats to Population |
| 3B. Threats to Distribution |
|
|
Extreme |
Moderate |
Limited |
None |
|
Extreme |
Moderate |
Limited |
None |
|
| Guide: Assign the highest general
status reached using any indicator. |
|
|
May be at risk |
|
Sensitive |
|
Secure |
|
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