Reference Document 3-2
Appendix 3
(Standards and Petitions Working Group 2006). The data on rarity, threats, and trends are based on data from NHP as well as expertise from more than two dozen botanists and biologists who participated in the 2008 2009 review. NHP began collecting data in 1975 and has more than 12,911 records of rare plant occurrences (NC NHP 2021) . In special cases, taxa specialists were contacted directly for their input into the evaluation process. Rarity Measures of rarity consider the number of occurrences in the state and the viability of each occurrence (population size, habitat condition, and landscape context). NHP data are used to determine occurrence viability according to Element Occurrence Ranking Specifications developed by the NatureServe network (NatureServe 2002) . The number of occurrences was determined using the NatureServe Element Occurrence Data Standard (NatureServe 2002). For the assessment, taxa were categorized according to the number of populations ranked as having good to excellent estimated viability (A ranked or excellent viability, B ranked or good viability, or E ranked or verified extant) as defined by NatureServe (2002). Trends Each taxon was evaluated for short term trends (including extent of occurrences, number of occurrences, and/or condition of occurrences). Short term trends refer to fluctuations in the size and viability of an occurrence over the past 10 20 years. The number of populations known or believed to be recently extirpated was determined by NHP data and observations from experts who attended assessment meetings. Each taxon was assigned an alphabetical value based on its ranked trend assessment following the NatureServe Conservation Status Assessment Criteria (Master et al. 2003) (Table 1).
Table 1. Ranked trend categories Rank Change
Description
A
> 70% decline
Severely declining (decline in population, range, area occupied, and/or number or condition of occurrences)
B C D
50 – 70% decline 30 – 50% decline 10 – 30% decline +/ 10% fluctuation
Very rapidly declining
Rapidly declining
Declining
E F
Stable
> 10% increase
Increasing Unknown
U
Unknown
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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