Species of Greatest Conversation Need
Indiana is home to a diverse range of plant, wildlife, fish, and invertebrate species that rely on access to abundant, high-quality habitats. However, these habitats are continuously impacted by human activity and changing environmental conditions. While some species benefit from these changes, others are unable to adapt in time to survive. The species facing threats, or already declining, require monitoring and management to recover.
- What is a Species of Greatest Conservation Need?
Species whose populations are declining, have limited abundance or distribution, or have reduced access to habitat needed for survival. Indiana’s SGCN list includes over 1,100 species of plants, fish, wildlife, insects and arachnids. While the Division of Fish, Wildlife & Nature Preserves does not have regulatory authority over insects and arachnids, the importance of these species is recognized and their inclusion aims to advocate for the conservation and recovery of all flora and fauna.
In Indiana, SGCN species are those listed as Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concern by the state. Any federally listed species in Indiana will also be state listed.
- State Endangered: A species or subspecies of wildlife whose prospects for recruitment or survival are in jeopardy, and the species is in danger of disappearing from the state (§ 14-22-34-1). A plant species believed to be native to Indiana with five or fewer occurrences in Indiana or that is otherwise currently at the brink of extinction (§ 14-9-2-5).
- State Threatened: A plant, insect, and arachnid species believed to be native to Indiana with six to 20 occurrences in the state, or that is of conservation concern, or that is otherwise likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.
- State Special Concern: Any animal species requiring monitoring because of known or suspected limited abundance or distribution, or because of a recent change in legal status or required habitat. Special concern species do not receive legal protection under the Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act.
- Federally Threatened or Endangered: A species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
- How are Species of Greatest Conservation Need decided?
The list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need is reviewed and updated periodically by expert scientists at DNR and technical advisory committees. Some of the criteria considered for each species include: if the species is native to Indiana, what portion of the species’ life history occurs in the state, if the species’ abundance or distribution has changed, if necessary habitat has changed, or if threats to the species are increasing pressure on their ability to recruit and survive. The considerations given to each criteria will vary by species and taxa.
SGCN designation is used by DNR to prioritize and direct research, monitoring, and management actions within the agency and the state. Additionally, these SGCN are included in Indiana’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) to help guide conservation actions by any agency, organization, or individual Hoosier.
- State Wildlife Action Plan & SGCN
State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP) serve as blueprints to guide management and conservation efforts. Any person, group, or agency can use a SWAP to find habitats or species they are interested in conserving, identify threats impacting species and their habitats, or connect with regional partners to work toward shared goals.
By identifying SGCN in the SWAP, partners have the option to build plans around benefiting species or their habitats. Well-built plans will include metrics and milestones to gauge success of the plan and adapt accordingly.
- Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need
In 2020, the Midwest Landscape Initiative facilitated conversations between biological experts across various taxa. This project pulled together the SGCN lists from 13 Midwest states, allowing taxa specialists to discuss status, trends, threats, and regional effective responsibility for species. The result was the development of a Regional SGCN list (RSGCN) that agencies, NGOs, and others can use to strategically deploy limited resources to more effectively manage and recover species.
- Submit Data to Indiana Heritage Data Center
We are constantly striving to improve our data sets and to incorporate all information available on threatened and endangered species of Indiana. We incorporate survey information from a variety of sources including state and federal agencies, non-profit conservation groups, independent contractors, and private organizations.
If you have information on any of these species (see species explorer above) and would like to submit a sighting report contact us (tdavis@dnr.IN.gov). If you have existing photos with a GPS location to upload or would like to map locations online, you can add observations to our iNaturalist Rare Species of Indiana project.
We also accept digital datasets (databases, spreadsheets, GIS files, etc). If you notice any errors or have any questions regarding the Rare Species of Indiana lists or this web site, please contact us.
For more information, contact us:
SWAP@dnr.IN.gov
317-234-8440