Conserving natural diversity includes protecting the “last of the least” and the “best of the rest.” Last of the Least are imperiled species of plants and animals. Best of the Rest are excellent examples of all ecosystems.
Interactive map, use top left arrow to toggle to Imperiled Species layer; then click back and Zoom in to view map. Zoom and click on any spot for score.
Imperiled Species Habitat Richness: Yellow areas are highest richness; 0 is lowest; 30 is high score.
Last Great Places highlights the top 10 places for conserving imperiled species, using minimum thresholds and a weighted ranking of three key factors.
- Imperiled species richness – score of 16 or higher – 50%
- Low human modification – score under .250 – 30%
- Resilience to climate change – score over 0 -20%
The top 10 Last of the Least places are found in three ecoregions with high concentrations of imperiled species “hotspots.” Only 4 of the top 10 places, including TNC’s Apalachicola Bluffs & Ravines Preserve and nearby Torreya State Park in the Florida panhandle, are managed for biodiversity conservation — highlighting a need for potential conservation management attention at other sites.
