Appendix 3
Reference Document 3-1
2. Knowledge Gap Category (Metrics 10 through 14) One of the obstacles to wildlife conservation and management is often a lack of scientific information about a species or taxa group. A lack of information inhibits the ability to assess a species’ risk of extinction based on its distribution, population status, or other metric (IUCN 2012) . Changes that occur over long time periods may be hard to detect or the reasons for a species’ decline may be difficult to discern when data are insufficient. The lack of long-term data coupled with a need to develop policies that are often short-term responses can contribute to inefficient and ineffective conservation measures (Mace and Purvis 2008) . Identifying where information is lacking or where uncertainty exists about the information available will improve decisions made about conservation needs and actions. The Knowledge Gap category is similar in scope to the ‘Research Needed’ classification scheme outlined in the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN 2001) . This category was developed to identify and prioritize survey, monitoring, and research needs of species in North Carolina. While it could be justified to rank every species at the highest priority there are not sufficient resources to implement and achieve this level of effort. Reviewers should evaluate the needs of each species based on what can be achieved under existing programs or given available resources to develop new programs over the next 10 years. Survey, monitoring, and research data are needed before we can develop conservation actions that benefit species and preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services (Arponen 2012) . Conversely, a lack of data can also preclude preventative measures that protect a species or result in failure to restrict actions that will have a negative consequence for a species. Metric 10. Statewide Distribution (survey priorities). This metric is an assessment of the knowledge base of a species’ distribution in North Carolina and represents new and continuing survey needs. As noted in Metric 6 (Range Size in NC), suitable habitat may be available for a species but surveys have not been conducted to determine their presence. The lack of information, both current and historic, about many species affects our ability to design or implement proactive or responsive conservation or management programs. The lack of knowledge about distribution can prevent development of monitoring programs and future conservation recommendations. Scores are assigned based on the availability of data or knowledge about a species’ distribution in North Carolina.
What is the level of knowledge about statewide distribution?
(a) Distribution is uncertain, has been extrapolated from a few locations, or knowledge about distribution is limited to general range maps. (b) Broad range limits or habitat associations are known but local occurrence cannot be predicted accurately. (c) Distribution can be easily predicted based on known locations or known habitat associations that have been documented throughout the state.
2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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