New listing of threatened status of New Zealand terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates
Consultation closed
Call for submissions about any changes in status of NZ terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate species closed on 30 September 2009. This will inform a revision of the terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate lists in the NZ Threat Classification System.
Simplified version of the current terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate lists (XLS, 347K) giving the status of terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate species as listed by Hitchmough et al. 2007.
Background information
In 2002, the Department of Conservation developed a new system for classifying organisms according to their risk of extinction (Molloy et al. 2002).
This system allows the classification of conservation status/risk of extinction of all organisms known to occur in a wild state in New Zealand. Endemics, non-endemic natives, migrants, vagrants, and introduced and naturalised species are all included, as are taxa which have not been formally described.
This is not a priority-setting system in the way that the listing of Molloy & Davis (1992, 1994) was, so does not include information on taxonomic distinctiveness, or on human values.
It is a resource for priority setting, among other functions, rather than a priority list in itself. Two lists of threatened taxa assessed by these criteria have been published (Hitchmough 2002, Hitchmough et al. 2007).
During the course of these listings, opportunities for improvements to the system itself were identified, and as a result a new manual with changed categories and criteria and more explicit procedures has been published (Townsend et al. 2008).
In order to provide the most accurate information, the list is to be fully reviewed and updated every 3 years. The time has come to undertake this process again for terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates, and we now wish to gather data to begin the reclassification of species under the new criteria. We would be very grateful for any submissions providing information on terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate species, subspecies, etc. that you consider to be threatened.
Expert panels will meet to review the classification of New Zealand terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates, on the basis of information supplied.
Contact
Rod Hitchmough
Scientific Officer (Species)
Terrestrial Conservation Unit
Email: threatstatus@doc.govt.nz
Phone: +64 4 471 3249
Fax: +64 4 381 3057
Department of Conservation
P O Box 10-420
Wellington 6143
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