A MULTIVARIATE APPROACH TO ASSESSING THREAT AND FOR PRIORITY SETTING IN THREATENED SPECIES CONSERVATION

The use of multivariate techniques for assessing the threats facing sp ecies and for determining priority groupings in threatened species con servation is evaluated Scores based on different criteria provide spec ies profiles that allow species to be placed in multidimensional space . Species thal group together are likely to be threatened for similar reasons. Multivariate techniques identify the main factors threatening species and highlight problems with linear ranking schemes, especiall y where species can have the same total score for very different reaso ns Multi-variate techniques also allow identification of redundant cri teria used in deriving species scores, and are free of problems associ ated with interdependence between criteria. Multivariate techniques pr ovide a powerful additional tool for determining management priorities and for assessing threat and can also be used for assessing changes i n species status with time and for modelling potential management acti ons for improving the security of a species However, in using these te chniques it is essential to make a clear distinction between threat an d priority.