资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

The commonness-rarity continuum in species conservation is fraught with challenges because of the complex factors inherent in a population's persistence and because of the challenges in identifying the level of commonness or rarity. I explored the challenges inherent in determining where a species lies along the continuum by comparing two species of voles. Forsman et al. (2019) challenged my assessment of red tree voles (Arborimus longicaudus) as qualitatively similar in their relative commonness/rarity to the western red-backed vole (Myodes californicus) over a portion of their range. In this reply, I address their main concerns, and emphasize that the much better understanding of the tree vole's ecology since the listing of the red tree vole as a "survey and manage" species over two decades ago under the Northwest Forest Plan supports the need for a species review under the adaptive management policy of the Plan.