
A conservation-dependent species is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...
which has been
categorised as "Conservation Dependent" ("LR/cd") 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 natur ...
(IUCN), i.e. as dependent on conservation efforts to prevent it from becoming
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
. Such species must be the focus of a continuing species-specific and/or habitat-specific conservation programme, the cessation of which would result in the species qualifying for one of the threatened categories within a period of five years.
The category is part of the IUCN 1994 Categories & Criteria (version 2.3), which is no longer used in evaluation of taxa, but persists in the
IUCN Red List
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 biol ...
for taxa evaluated prior to 2001, when version 3.1 was first used. Using the 2001 (v3.1) system these taxa are classed as
near threatened
A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...
, but those that have not been re-evaluated remain with the "Conservation Dependent" category.
, there remains 209 conservation-dependent plant species and 29 conservation-dependent animal species.
Examples of conservation-dependent species include the
black caiman
The black caiman (''Melanosuchus niger'') is a species of large crocodilian and is the largest species of the family Alligatoridae. It is a carnivorous reptile that lives along slow-moving rivers, lakes, seasonally flooded savannas of the Amaz ...
(''Melanosuchus niger''), the
sinarapan, the
California ground cricket, and the flowering plant ''
Garcinia hermonii
''Garcinia hermonii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Clusiaceae. It is found only in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, tra ...
''.
Conservation-dependent animals
, the IUCN still lists 20 conservation-dependent animal species, and one conservation-dependent subpopulations or stocks.
Mollusks
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...
Arthropods
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and cuticle made of chitin, oft ...
Reptiles
Mammals
Subpopulations and stocks
*
Bowhead whale
The bowhead whale (''Balaena mysticetus'') is a species of baleen whale belonging to the family Balaenidae and the only living representative of the genus '' Balaena''. They are the only baleen whale endemic to the Arctic and subarctic waters, ...
(1 subpopulation/stock)
EPBC Act
In Australia, the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cult ...
still uses a "Conservation Dependent" category for classifying fauna and flora species. Species recognised as "Conservation Dependent" do not receive special protection, as they are not considere
"matters of national environmental significance under the EPBC Act"
The legislation uses categories similar to those of the ''IUCN 1994 Categories & Criteria''. It does not, however, have a
near threatened
A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...
category or any other "lower risk" categories.
, only two species have received the status under the act:
*
Orange roughy
The orange roughy (''Hoplostethus atlanticus''), also known as the red roughy, slimehead and deep sea perch, is a relatively large deep-sea fish belonging to the slimehead family (Trachichthyidae). The UK Marine Conservation Society has categori ...
(''Hoplostethus atlanticus'')
*
Southern bent-wing bat (''Miniopterus schreibersii bassanii'')
No flora has been given the category under the EPBC Act.
See also
*
Conservation-reliant species
*
IUCN Red List conservation dependent species
As of July 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 238 Conservation-dependent species, conservation dependent species. 0.29% of all evaluated species are listed as conservation dependent.
The IUCN also lists seven s ...
, ordered by
taxonomic rank
In biological classification, taxonomic rank is the relative level of a group of organisms (a taxon) in an ancestral or hereditary hierarchy. A common system consists of species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, domain. While ol ...
.
*
:IUCN Red List conservation dependent species, ordered alphabetically.
References
{{Conservation of species
01
IUCN Red List