There are many designations people give to species in the context of conservation, some ecological (e.g., umbrella, keystone) and some cultural (e.g., flagship). However, “iconic” is a term with uses in conservation discourse scholars have yet to examine. Environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) can shape public opinion on conservation issues; hence, understanding their use of the term “iconic species” could help conservation managers assess and respond to stakeholder’s attitudes regarding proposed conservation policies or efforts. This content analysis covered four years’ worth of press releases (n = 203) containing “iconic species” (or an equivalent phrase; e.g., “iconic wildlife”) from six large ENGOs. We examined the species referenced, affiliated terms (including referenced places), press release objectives, and conservation topics. Results indicate that within ENGO communications, the term iconic species is rarely explicitly defined but is generally used to describe species that share taxonomic similarities with the charismatic megafauna of flagship species. However, iconic species appear to represent specific geographic places and are referenced in relation to diverse conservation topics. Thus, iconic species may serve as conduits for communicating regional issues, such as development and species management policies.

人们在保护的背景下给物种指定了很多名称，有些是生态的（例如，雨伞，基石），有些是文化的（例如，旗舰）。但是，“标志性”这个术语在保护性话语中的用途尚待学者研究。环保非政府组织（ENGOs）可以就保护问题形成公众意见；因此，了解他们对“标志性物种”一词的使用将有助于保护管理者评估和响应利益相关者对拟议的保护政策或努力的态度。内容分析涵盖了来自六个大型ENGO的四年的新闻发布（n = 203），其中包含“标志性物种”（或同义词；例如“标志性野生动植物”）。我们检查了所引用的物种，附属术语（包括所引用的地点），新闻发布目标和保护主题。结果表明，在ENGO交流中，标志性物种一词很少得到明确定义，但通常用于描述与旗舰物种的超凡魅力大型动物具有分类相似性的物种。但是，标志性物种似乎代表了特定的地理位置，并涉及到各种保护主题。因此，标志性物种可以充当传达区域问题（例如发展和物种管理政策）的渠道。标志性物种似乎代表了特定的地理位置，并涉及到各种保护主题。因此，标志性物种可以充当传达区域问题（例如发展和物种管理政策）的渠道。标志性物种似乎代表了特定的地理位置，并涉及到各种保护主题。因此，标志性物种可以充当传达区域问题（例如发展和物种管理政策）的渠道。