How are species ranked by NHIC?
A feature that appears on our web page is the “Element Report” for many species. These reports contain basic information on the species (taxonomic, bibliographic) including information justifying a particular SRANK (this part of the form is termed the “ESR” or Element Subnational Ranking form). These Element Reports will help the user understand why a particular species has been assigned a certain rank. SRANKS are not solely based on the number of occurrences, but also take into account factors such as threat, population size, population trend, EO quality, etc. Ranking is a qualitative process: it takes into account several factors, which function as guidelines rather than arithmetic rules. The ranker’s overall knowledge of the element allows him or her to weigh each factor in relation to the others and to consider all pertinent information for a particular element. The factors considered in ranking species and communities are similar, but the relative weight given to the factors diffe
