Probabilities of Extinction for Conservation Prioritization
Author Information
Author(s): Mooers Arne Ø., Faith Daniel P., Maddison Wayne P.
Primary Institution: Institute for Advanced Study, Berlin, Germany
Hypothesis
How do different transformations of IUCN species categories affect the stability of extinction risk rankings?
Conclusion
The choice of transformation from IUCN categories to extinction probabilities can significantly affect species rankings for conservation prioritization.
Supporting Evidence
- The study highlights the importance of sensitivity analyses when transforming species ranks.
- Different transformations can lead to dramatically different conservation priorities.
- The EDGE and HEDGE metrics are affected differently by transformations of extinction probabilities.
Takeaway
This study shows that how we decide to measure extinction risk can change which species we think are most important to save.
Methodology
The study used computer simulations to test how different transformations of IUCN categories affect species rankings.
Limitations
The study did not assess the sensitivity of ranking metrics to incorrect or imprecise evolutionary distinctiveness scores.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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