For effective conservation and habitat management of biodiversity, it is not enough to know a species is present or that it is declining. We must know why it is in trouble. The detailed knowledge to answer the “why” relies on in-depth studies that are unavailable for most species. One way to deal with this problem is to use a few well-studied species as stand-ins or surrogates for the species in trouble. What are the qualifications for these surrogates, and what are the advantages and limitations of this policy? Is it reliable, and is it accurate?

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