Authors: | Mooers, AO; Faith, DP; Maddison, WP |
Year: | 2008 |
Journal: | PLOS One 3: e700. Website Article Link (DOI) |
Title: | Converting Endangered Species Categories to Probabilities of Extinction for Phylogenetic Conservation Prioritization |
Abstract: | Background: Categories of imperilment like the global IUCN Red List have been transformed to probabilities of extinction and used to rank species by the amount of imperiled evolutionary history they represent ( e. g. by the Edge of Existence programme). We investigate the stability of such lists when ranks are converted to probabilities of extinction under different scenarios. Methodology and Principal Findings: Using a simple example and computer simulation, we show that preserving the categories when converting such list designations to probabilities of extinction does not guarantee the stability of the resulting lists. Significance: Care must be taken when choosing a suitable transformation, especially if conservation dollars are allocated to species in a ranked fashion. We advocate routine sensitivity analyses. |
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