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A vulnerable species is a
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...
which has been categorized by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
as being
threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of '' critical depe ...
with
extinction Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the Endling, last individual of the species, although the Functional ext ...
unless the circumstances that are
threatening A threat is a communication of intent to inflict harm or loss on another person. Intimidation is a tactic used between conflicting parties to make the other timid or psychologically insecure for coercion or control. The act of intimidation for co ...
its survival and reproduction improve. Vulnerability is mainly caused by
habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
or destruction of the species' home. Vulnerable habitat or species are monitored and can become increasingly threatened. Some species listed as "vulnerable" may be common in
captivity Captivity, or being held captive, is a state wherein humans or other animals are confined to a particular space and prevented from leaving or moving freely. An example in humans is imprisonment. Prisoners of war are usually held in captivity by a ...
, an example being the
military macaw The military macaw (''Ara militaris'') is a large parrot and a medium-sized macaw that gets its name from its predominantly green plumage resembling a military parade uniform. It is native to forests of Mexico and South America and though conside ...
. There are currently 5196
animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage ...
s and 6789
plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae excl ...
s classified as Vulnerable, compared with 1998 levels of 2815 and 3222, respectively. Practices such as cryoconservation of animal genetic resources have been enforced in efforts to conserve vulnerable breeds of livestock specifically.


Criteria

The
International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
uses several criteria to enter species in this category. A
taxon In biology, a taxon ( back-formation from '' taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular n ...
is Vulnerable when it is not critically endangered or Endangered but is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future, as defined by any of the following criteria (A to E): A) Population reduction in the form of either of the following: #An observed, estimated, inferred or suspected population size reduction of ≥ 50% over the last 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer, provided the causes of the reduction are clearly reversible AND understood AND ceased. This measurement is based on (and specifying) any of the following: ##direct observation ##an index of abundance appropriate for the taxon ##a decline in area of occupancy, extent of occurrence or quality of habitat ##actual or potential levels of exploitation ##the effects of introduced taxa, hybridisation, pathogens, pollutants, competitors or parasites. #A reduction of at least 20%, projected or suspected to be met within the next ten years or three generations, whichever is the longer, based on (and specifying) any of (2), (3), (4) or (5) above. B) Extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 20,000 km2 or area of occupancy estimated to be less than 2000 km2, and estimates indicating any two of the following: #Severely fragmented or known to exist at no more than ten locations. #Continuing decline, inferred, observed or projected, in any of the following: ##extent of occurrence ##area of occupancy ##area, extent or quality of habitat ##number of locations or subpopulations ##number of mature individuals #Extreme fluctuations in any of the following: ##extent of occurrence ##area of occupancy ##number of locations or subpopulations ##number of mature individuals C) Population estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and either: #An estimated continuing decline of at least 10% within 10 years or three generations, whichever is longer, or #A continuing decline, observed, projected, or inferred, in numbers of mature individuals and population structure in the form of either: ##severely fragmented (i.e. no subpopulation estimated to contain more than 1000 mature individuals) ##all mature individuals are in a single subpopulation D) Population very small or restricted in the form of either of the following: #Population estimated to number less than 1000 mature individuals. #Population is characterised by an acute restriction in its area of occupancy (typically less than 20 km2) or in the number of locations (typically less than five). Such a taxon would thus be prone to the effects of human activities (or stochastic events whose impact is increased by human activities) within a very short period of time in an unforeseeable future, and is thus capable of becoming Critically Endangered or even Extinct in a very short period. E) Quantitative analysis showing the probability of extinction in the wild is at least 10% within 100 years. The examples of vulnerable animal species are hyacinth macaw,
mountain zebra The mountain zebra (''Equus zebra'') is a zebra species in the family Equidae, native to southwestern Africa. There are two subspecies, the Cape mountain zebra (''E. z. zebra'') found in South Africa and Hartmann's mountain zebra (''E. z. hartman ...
, gaur, black crowned crane and blue crane


See also

* :IUCN Red List vulnerable species for an alphabetical list * Cryoconservation of animal genetic resources * List of vulnerable amphibians * List of vulnerable arthropods * List of vulnerable birds * List of vulnerable fishes * List of vulnerable insects *
List of vulnerable invertebrates A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
* List of vulnerable mammals *
List of vulnerable molluscs As of September 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 879 vulnerable mollusc species. 12% of all evaluated mollusc species are listed as vulnerable. The IUCN also lists 18 mollusc subspecies as vulnerable. No ...
* List of vulnerable reptiles


Notes and references


External links


List of Vulnerable species
as identified by the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...
{{Portal bar, Ecology, Biology Biota by conservation status IUCN Red List Environmental conservation