Nature Serve

Nature Serve

NatureServe is a non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to provide the scientific basis for conservation action.

NatureServe is an international network of biological inventories operating in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. NatureServe collects and manages local information on plants, animals, and ecosystems, and develops related information products, data management tools, and conservation services. Information developed by NatureServe is used by many sectors, such as conservation groups, government agencies, corporations, academia, and the public, to make decisions about managing natural resources.

NatureServe is an IUCN Red List partner and assesses the conservation status of plant, animal, and fungal species, as well as ecological communities and systems. These assessments lead to the designation of a NatureServe conservation status rank.

NatureServe Explorer is an online database of information on the plants, animals, and ecosystems of the United States and Canada.

NatureServe maintains the National Vegetation Classification Standard for the United States as well as the International Classification of Ecological Communities, currently focused on the Western Hemisphere.