Updated Threats List in Biotics5 and Rank Calculator

Background: In 2012, NatureServe adopted the classification of threats proposed by IUCN, as published in Salafsky et al. (2008). The threats list is used in the Threats Assessment grid in Biotics EGR/ENR/ESR records and in the Conservation Rank Calculator. This classification only included Level 1 and Level 2 threats (see http://cmp-openstandards.org/using-os/tools/threats-taxonomy/). A proposed set of Level 3 threats was still under review at that time, but was subsequently adopted by IUCN. In December 2013, the IUCN Red List Technical Working Group asked that NatureServe incorporate the IUCN Level 3 threats into our threat classification, to improve compatibility and to facilitate more data sharing.

 

The revised Threat classification was implemented in Biotics in the 5.5.5 release, in the global, national and subnational Threats Assessment grids. In addition to adding all IUCN Level 3 threats, the following Level 1 and Level 2 changes were made to match IUCN version 3.2 of the IUCN-CMP Unified Classification of Direct Threats (http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes/threats-classification-scheme):

 

Custom Level 3 and Level 4 Threats

In previous versions of Biotics5 (prior to 5.5.5), the NatureServe Threat Classification included some level 3 and level 4 threats but none were IUCN threats; these were all related to agriculture and were added for a specific project deliverable for USESA listed species. In Biotics5.5 these threats were converted to custom threats and are now only available at the element national level. (If you used any of these custom threats in a global or subnational threats assessment, you will still be able to see the data, but you won't be able to add any new custom threats at these levels.)


The custom threat codes all contain a "C", such as "7.2.C1" and "7.2.1.C1". This coding scheme is expandable and will not produce conflicts with the official codes.

Custom threats will be excluded from data exchanges.


Rank Calculator Update

To keep the rank calculator synchronized with Biotics (to prevent errors when exporting from Biotics to the calculator), we made the corresponding changes to the Level 1 and Level 2 threats in the Rank Calculator. At this time, we have chosen NOT to add the level 3 threats to the rank calculator, in anticipation of the development of a web version that will interact directly with Biotics. For more information, see the rank calculator announcement also posted to this forum today (5 Jan 2015).


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