3.1 Introduction
3.1.2 Evaluation and Identifcation of Priority Species Conservation priorities need to include the greatest variety of biological diversity possible as a means of ensuring that genetic diversity and ecosystem services remain viable as our environment is changed by natural and man-made forces. One way to determine where to focus our conservation eforts is to evaluate what we know about the status of a species and prioritize where best to direct our eforts. Similar to the method used to identify the priority species listed in the 2005 Wildlife Action Plan (WAP or Plan), recommendations were devel- oped by species experts and research authorities (Taxa Teams) and results were subject to peer-review evaluation. Te taxa evaluation process and a list of participants involved in developing and implementing the taxa evaluation process are described in a white paper found in Appendix F. Te Taxa Teams were tasked with evaluating wildlife in eight taxonomic groups based on the jurisdictional authority outlined in Section 3.1.1 and traditional programmatic bound- aries. Te taxonomic groups are: amphibians, birds, crayfshes, freshwater fshes, freshwa- ter mussels, mammals, reptiles, and snails. Te review process identifed and measured concerns, knowledge, and needs in three evaluation categories (conservation, knowledge, and management) and ranking scores were developed for each species. Each Taxa Team established threshold scores for the three evaluation categories using the Delphi method (Linstone and Turof 2002) and considering statistical quartiles and weighting factors as deemed appropriate for the taxonomic group. Ranking scores were then used to prioritize levels of concern for species within each taxonomic group. Te 2015 evaluation process was designed to be a more objective method of prioritizing species for conservation action, and is intended to be used in future Wildlife Action Plan revisions. Tus, future changes in pri- oritization status will refect changes in conservation status. During their evaluations, the Taxa Teams decided to exclude some species from their evaluations because they may occur at the extreme periphery of their range in the state; occur as accidentals or sporadic migrants that do not normally occur in the state; or have a conservation status or management objectives that have been developed through cooper- ative eforts of specifc conservation partnerships (e.g., North American Bird Conservation Initiative) or are mandated under Federal authorities (e.g., regional Fisheries Management Councils, endangered and threatened species recovery plans). Information was provided for marine species and pelagic birds by conservation partners and can be found in Sections 3.10 and 3.11, respectively. Tis Plan also includes a discussion about several groups of species in the phylum Arthropoda for which there is statewide or national concern regarding conservation status. Not all species in this phylum are true insects, but we use the common term “insects” in this document to collectively refer to these species. Generally, there is a signifcant lack of knowledge about insects in the state (e.g., population size, distribution, life history, and
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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