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Rarity Codes
General
Federal
State
The Nature Conservancy Natural Heritage Program
General rarity status explanations
While all native orchids are considered rare, some are more common than others.
The following generalized ranking system, developed by Brown (1997) for the orchids of the northeastern US, rates the rarity of native species against one another:
Rare: Usually fewer than five known sites in the state, only a few individuals present
Local: Few known sites, but these often have substantial populations
Occasional: Scattered throughout the region with populations of varying size
Frequent: Found, in suitable habitat, most of the time and in good numbers
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Federal rarity status
If a plant has federal rarity status, it is protected by the 1974 Endangered Species Act.
Only two orchids in NY are listed federally, the small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides) and the eastern prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea).
Federal codes are as follows:
E: Species listed as endangered
T: Species listed as threatened
C: Candidate species with sufficient information to list as endangered or threatened BACK
New York State legal status
The New York State Environmental Conservation Law (Section 9-1503) also assigns a legal status to plant species based on their abundance. According to this law, “it is a violation for any person, anywhere in the state to pick, pluck, sever, remove, damage by the application of herbicides or defoliants, or carry away, without the consent of the owner, any protected plant.”
NY State Legal Status codes are as follows:
E: Endangered species, listed species are those with
5 or fewer extant sites, or fewer than 1,000 individuals, or restricted to fewer
than 4 USGS 7.5 minute topographic maps, or species listed as endangered by the federal government.
T: Threatened species, listed species are those with 6 to fewer than 20 extant sites, or 1,000 to fewer than 3,000 individuals, or restricted to not less than 4 or more than 7 USGS 7.5 minute topographic maps, or species listed as threatened by the federal government.
R: Rare species, listed species are those with 20 to 35 extant sites, or 3,000 to 5,000 individuals statewide.
V: Exploitatively vulnerable Listed species are likely to become threatened in the near future throughout all or a significant portion of their range within the state if causal factors continue unchecked.
ALL NATIVE ORCHIDS IN NEW YORK ARE CONSIDERED EXPLOITABLY VULNERABLE BACK
The Nature Conservancy (Natural Heritage Program) Rarity Status
The Nature Conservancy (TNC), through the NY Natural Heritage Program, assigns global and state ranks for individual species based on their abundance on both a global and state scale.
Global Rank
G1: Critically imperiled throughout its range due to extreme rarity (five or fewer sties or very few remaining individuals) or extremely vulnerable to extinction due to biological factors
G2: Imperiled throughout its range due to rarity (6-20 sites or few remaining individuals) or highly vulnerable to extinction due to biological factors.
G3: Either very rare and local through its range (21 - 100 sites), with a restricted range (but possibly locally abundant), or vulnerable to extinction due to biological factors.
G4: Apparently secure throughout its range (but possibly rare in parts).
G5: Demonstrably secure throughout its range (but possibly rare in parts).
GH: No extant sites known but it may be rediscovered.
GX: Species believed to be extinct.
New York State Rank:
S1: Critically imperiled in New York State due to extreme rarity (five or fewer sties or very few remaining individuals) or extremely vulnerable to extinction due to biological factors
S2: Imperiled in New York State due to rarity (6-20 sites or few remaining individuals) or highly vulnerable to extirpation from New York State due to biological factors.
S3: Rare in New York State (usually 21 - 100 extant sites).
S4: Apparently secure in New York State.
S5: Demonstrably secure in New York State.
SH: Historical. No extant sites known in New York State but it may be rediscovered.
SX: Apparently extirpated from New York State, very low probability of rediscovery. BACK
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