Identifying the species most in need of rescue is key to Amphibian Ark’s mission.
AArk's Conservation Needs Assessments
These are species that are threatened with extinction and where efforts to mitigate these threats are unlikely to happen in time to prevent their extinction. AArk’s Conservation Needs Assessments identify such species—and what actions will give them the best chance for survival.
AArk’s Conservation Needs Assessment process is an objective and consistent way to identify priority species and their immediate conservation needs. In particular, the process enables us to diagnose those species in urgent need of rescue.
How it works
AArk's Conservation Needs Assessments are workshop-based. Local experts drive the process, providing the most up-to-date information on the circumstances of threats for a species, along with evaluations of the extent of biological knowledge, habitat availability, recovery potential, and any scientific and regulatory barriers to recovery.
This information is used to generate recommendations for the types of conservation response a species may require. It is used specifically to identify the species that would most benefit from ex situ species rescue, but CNA recommendations have also been used to provide base information to develop National Conservation Action Plans.
To date, over 3,500 species have been assessed through AArk Conservation Needs Assessment workshops. This includes 60% of all threatened amphibian species.
Amphibian Ark CNA’s & IUCN Assessments
Conservation Needs Assessments (CNAs) and IUCN Red List Assessments serve complementary roles in amphibian conservation. The IUCN Red List evaluates species globally based on extinction risk, using standardized criteria to categorize species into threat levels such as Endangered or Vulnerable. CNAs, managed by Amphibian Ark in collaboration with the IUCN Amphibian Red List Authority (ARLA), focus on identifying immediate conservation actions for amphibians at national and regional levels.
While the Red List highlights which species are at risk, CNAs provide specific recommendations for in situ (wild) and ex situ (captive) conservation efforts, ensuring that resources are directed toward the most effective interventions.
Both assessments are essential because a species’ threat status does not always dictate the best conservation strategy. For example, a species listed as Least Concern by the IUCN might still require urgent habitat protection or monitoring due to localized threats. Conversely, a Critically Endangered species may not be a priority for ex situ conservation if no captive breeding program is feasible. CNAs bridge this gap by translating Red List data into actionable conservation plans, helping practitioners prioritize species and allocate limited resources effectively.
A brief history
The Conservation Needs Assessment (CNA) process was initially developed in 2006 during an Amphibian Ex Situ Conservation Planning workshop in El Valle de Antón, Panama. A taxon selection and prioritization working group developed a decision tree for the selection and prioritization of species that are most in need of ex situ (captive) assistance. The decision tree has subsequently been reviewed and refined. Today, the Amphibian Ark Conservation Needs Assessment process generates prioritized recommendations for both in situ (in the wild) and ex situ conservation actions. The assessment process has proven to be a logical, transparent, and repeatable procedure for guiding amphibian conservation activities within a country or region.
CNA process: an evolving protocol
The criteria and their rankings have been adjusted as needed as we have learned from experience. We continue to work with the broader conservation community to identify goals, threats, and conservation options. We review and update the assessments and prioritization of individual species as we gain knowledge and as the threats to each species change. Thus, there will be a need to constantly assess species status and monitor threats, so that emerging critical situations are responded to sufficiently quickly.
