Integrating species pools and abundance distribution in habitat conservation status assessment: A new index

Habitat degradation and fragmentation are recognized as major causes of biodiversity loss, effective management to conserve habitats is highly dependent on our ability assess their conservation status. In this study we introduce a new index (VCS, for vegetation status) the status plant communities, which reflect identity habitat types. The VCS based same probabilistic approach than classical Simpson’s diversity index, but uses concept species pools integrate influence ‘typical’ ‘non-typical’ addition effect identity, also allows detection change in because variation species-abundance distribution. As an example applied two heathland French Brittany compared values provided by qualitative assessments experts. We performance against three other indices: richness, more recent ‘favourable status’. Among four indices tested, was most assessing when assessment Moreover coupled with variance partitioning methods, allowed quantify contribution expected degradation. This demonstrates that use habitat-specific distinguish between typical non-typical species, well consideration abundances, critical accurate should therefore be valuable tool both managers researchers involved conservation.