Biological Significance and The 3 Rs

We evaluate biological significance based on the principles of

conservation biology using the concepts of redundancy,

resiliency, and representation (Schaffer and Stein 2000).

These concepts also can be expressed in terms of the four

viability characteristics used more commonly by NMFS:

1. Abundance

2. Spatial distribution

3. Productivity (trends)

4. Diversity of the species (connectivity, life history, genetics)

Redundancy, resiliency, and representation are not independent

of each other, and some characteristic of a species or area may

contribute to all three