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Endemic, Native, Introduced Species

Mainly to clean up my imprecise use of "endemic", "indigenous", "native", "introduced" species within my publications.

Last changed on 2024-03-07

Endemic Species

A species unique to a defined geographic location such as an island, a swamp, a section along a river, or other geographically defined zone or habitat. In many cases, endemic species are sub-species, geographically isolated population of a species with a different phenotype.

Indigenous Species

The term "indigenous" is often used as synonym to "native" although these terms have slightly different nuances in meaning. An indigenous species refers to a plant, animal, or other organism that is native to a particular region or ecosystem and has naturally evolved or arrived there over time. These species are considered to be part of the natural heritage of the area and have adapted to the local environmental conditions.

Native Species

Plants or animals live in a defined area without any human intervention but may have arrived through natural means like migration, dispersal or other ecologial processes. Native species can be considered native in multiple locations throughout the year due to migration.

Introduced Species

A species living outside its native distributional range having arrived there by human activity, either deliberate or accidental.

Featured Photo Insight

The photo shows a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) chanting while perched.

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) is considered an native species in North America. It's a migratory bird and the wide range covered during summer and winter doesn't allow to classify this species as endemic. Endemic species are found only in a small region.