1 Example Invasive Species Ranking: Pennsylvania Terrestrial Species

This example is supplied to illustrate how to use the invasive species and species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) tables to produce a ranking for the invasive species posing the greatest threat to SGCNs in Pennsylvania. This stepwise process can be used for any subset of the data provided.

We will draw upon the information provided in the final report and tables accompanying this exercise. The terms and background used in this example are explained in detail in the final report, and we will assume users are familiar with this document before using this example. If terms or processes are unclear, please refer back to the final report.

All operations used will be completed using Microsoft Excel and the tools and functions included in it with the exception of one custom macro contained in the file supplied (Note: in order to use this macro, macros must be enabled upon opening the file when prompted) entitled “Appendix C – Interaction Tables.xls”. Wherever possible, specific formulas and steps will be provided in detail. Some functions such as “Copy/Paste Special” will not be explained in detail. These are simple functions to master in Excel.

In all cases, we recommend making changes to copies of the original data when completing custom analyses. This is good practice and will ensure the integrity of the original dataset for subsequent analyses.