The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand.¹

The list was developed since the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation status system, had some shortcomings for the unique requirements of conservation ranking in New Zealand.

Structure of New Zealand threat classification system

Categories

Species that are ranked are assigned categories and

Introduced and Naturalised

These are any species that are deliberately or accidentally introduced into new Zealand.

Vagrant

Vagrants are taxa that are rare in New Zealand that have made their own way and do not breed successfully.

Coloniser

These taxa have arrived in new Zealand without human help and reproduce successfully.

Migrant

Migrant species are those that visit New Zealand as part of their life cycle.

Data Deficient

This category lists taxa for which insufficient information is available to make as assessment on conservation status.

Extinct

Taxa for which there is no reasonable doubt that no individuals exist are ranked as extinct. For these lists only species that have become extinct since 1840 are listed.

Threatened

This category has three major divisions:

Acutely Threatened

This division is turther broken down into:

• Nationally Critical - equivalent to the IUCN category of Critically endangered
• Nationally Endangered - equivalent to the IUCN category of Endangered
• Nationally Vulnerable - equivalent to the IUCN category of Vulnerable

Chronically Threatened

This has two categories:

• Serious Decline
• Gradual Decline

At Risk

This has two categories:

• Range Restricted
• Sparse

Not Threatened

If taxa fit into none of the other categories they are listed in the Not Threatened category.

See also

• Conservation in New Zealand

References

External links

• Department of Conservation - New Zealand Threat Classification System lists – 2005

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