Conservation status
Risk of extinction
Extinction
Extinct Extinct in the Wild
Threatened
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Threatened
Lower risk
Conservation Dependent Near Threatened Least Concern
See also
World Conservation Union IUCN Red List

The NatureServe conservation status system was developed by NatureServe, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Natural Heritage Network as a ranking of the relative imperilment of species on global, national and/or regional levels. It is also called TNC ranks or the NatureServe status.

In the system, G codes refer to rankings made at the global level (G-rank), N codes refer to rankings made at a national level (N-rank) and S codes refer to rankings made at the sub-regional level (S-rank), such as states within the US:

• X - presumed extinct (not located despite extensive searches)
• H - possibly extinct [or h historical occurrence (still some hope of discovery)]
• 1 - critically imperilled (typically five or fewer occurrences or 1,000 or fewer individuals)
• 2 - imperilled (typically six to twenty occurrences or 1,000 to 3,000 individuals)
• 3 - vulnerable (rare; typically 21 to 100 occurrences or 3,000 to 10 000 individuals)
• R or ? - Recorded within nation or state, but local status not available; when combined with global rank of G1 to G3, local status is 'Indeterminate'
• 4 - Apparently secure (uncommon but not rare; some cause for long-term concern, usually more than 100 occurrences and 10,000 individuals)
• 5 - Secure (common, widespread and abundant)

Thus, for example, a G3 species is "globally vulnerable", and an N2 species is "nationally imperilled" for whatever country the rank is assigned. Species with G, N, or S rankings of 4 or 5 are generally not the basis for major conservation actions.

Infraspecific taxa (subspecies, varieties and other designations below the level of the species) can also be assigned T-ranks, which is appended to the G-rank.

See also

• Conservation status

External link and references

• http://www.unep-wcmc.org/species/plants/status_tnc.htm