Globally Rare and May Be At Risk Plants
The definition of a globally rare or may be at risk plant can depend on the geographic area being considered. Maps of globally rare plants (i.e., found only in the NWT or else in very limited other areas world-wide) can be viewed here. May be at risk plants are extremely rare, at least regionally, but have not yet been assessed by COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada).
Species are generally globally rare or may be at risk because of very specific habitat requirements. For example, some plants have adapted to the high levels of mineral salts found in the water and soils of hot or cold springs, and therefore would normally only occur in those specific circumstances. However, low sampling effort throughout the territory may lead to some plant species being misclassified as globally rare or may be at risk, simply because there are very few records.
As part of the NWT General Status Ranking Program, the GNWT maintains a list of plant species recorded within the NWT. This database includes occurrences of globally rare and may be at risk plants in the NWT and is available on the Species at Risk website. To date, the database includes plants records from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, University of Alberta (partly), and the Canadian Museum of Nature (one family) herbariums. The map showing this information can be used to assess how well existing and proposed protected areas protect globally rare and may be at risk plants, a first step in discussions to determine if additional protection is needed for some globally rare and may be at risk plants.
For more information on globally rare and may be at risk plants contact ENR at nwtsoer@gov.nt.ca. Researchers and residents are encouraged to send their records to the same address.
