The conservation status of a
group of organisms (for instance, 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 ...
) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become
extinct in
the near future
"The Near Future" is a song written by Irving Berlin and performed in the '' Ziegfeld Follies of 1919''. It is better known for the small part of its lyric that took on a life of its own: "How Dry I Am". Origins
The origins of the song and its c ...
. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation status: not simply the number of individuals remaining, but the overall increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success rates, and known threats. Various systems of conservation status exist and are in use at international, multi-country, national and local levels as well as for consumer use.
International systems
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the best known worldwide conservation status listing and ranking system. Species are classified by the IUCN Red List into nine groups set through criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation.
Also included are species that have gone extinct since 1500 CE. When discussing the IUCN Red List, the official term "
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 depensa ...
" is a grouping of three categories: critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable.
*
Extinct (EX) – No known living individuals
*
Extinct in the wild
A species that is extinct in the wild (EW) is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as known only by living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range due t ...
(EW) – Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range
*
Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
*
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 ...
(EN) – Higher risk of extinction in the wild
*
Vulnerable
Vulnerable may refer to:
General
* Vulnerability
* Vulnerability (computing)
* Vulnerable adult
* Vulnerable species
Music
Albums
* ''Vulnerable'' (Marvin Gaye album), 1997
* ''Vulnerable'' (Tricky album), 2003
* ''Vulnerable'' (The Used album) ...
(VU) – High risk of extinction in the wild
*
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 ...
(NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future
*
Conservation Dependent
A conservation-dependent species is a species which has been categorised as "Conservation Dependent" ("LR/cd") by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), i.e. as dependent on conservation efforts to prevent it from becoming e ...
(CD) – Low risk; is conserved to prevent being near threatened, certain events may lead it to being a higher risk level
*
Least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. Th ...
(LC) – Very Low risk; does not qualify for a higher risk category and not likely to be threatened in the near future. Widespread and abundant
taxa
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 ...
are included in this category.
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Data deficient
A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessarily ...
(DD) – Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction
*
Not evaluated
A not evaluated (NE) species is one which has been categorized under the IUCN Red List of threatened species as not yet having been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
This conservation category is one of nine IUCN ...
(NE) – Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Many countries require CITES permits when importing plants and animals listed on CITES.
Multi-country systems
In the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
(EU), the Birds and Habitats Directives are the legal instruments that evaluate the conservation status within the EU of species and habitats.
NatureServe conservation status
The NatureServe conservation status system, maintained and presented by NatureServe in cooperation with the Natural Heritage Network, was developed in the United States in the 1980s by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) as a means for ranking or catego ...
focuses on
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived ...
, the United States, Canada, and the
Caribbean. It has been developed by scientists from
NatureServe
NatureServe, Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Arlington County, Virginia, US, that provides proprietary wildlife conservation-related data, tools, and services to private and government clients, partner organizations, and the public. Nat ...
,
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US.
Founded in 1951, The Natu ...
, and a network of natural heritage programs and data centers. It is increasingly integrated with the IUCN Red List system. Its categories for species include: ''presumed extinct'' (GX), ''possibly extinct'' (GH), ''critically imperiled'' (G1), ''imperiled'' (G2), ''vulnerable'' (G3), ''apparently secure'' (G4), and ''secure'' (G5). The system also allows ambiguous or uncertain ranks including ''inexact numeric ranks'' (e.g. G2?), and ''range ranks'' (e.g. G2G3) for when the exact rank is uncertain. NatureServe adds a qualifier for ''captive or cultivated only'' (C), which has a similar meaning to the IUCN Red List ''extinct in the wild'' (EW) status.
The
Red Data Book of the Russian Federation
''Red Data Book of the Russian Federation'' (''RDBRF''), also known as ''Red Book'' (russian: Красная книга) or ''Russian Red Data Book'', is a state document established for documenting rare and endangered species of animals, plants ...
is used within the Russian Federation, and also accepted in parts of Africa.
National systems
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 ...
'' (EPBC Act) describes lists of threatened species, ecological communities and threatening processes. The categories resemble those of the 1994
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 ...
Categories & Criteria (version 2.3). Prior to the EPBC Act, a simpler classification system was used by the ''Endangered Species Protection Act 1992''. Some state and territory governments also have their own systems for conservation status. The codes for the Western Australian conservation system are given at
Declared Rare and Priority Flora List
The Declared Rare and Priority Flora List is the system by which Western Australia's conservation flora are given a priority. Developed by the Government of Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation, it was used extensively w ...
(abbreviated to DECF when using in a taxobox).
In Belgium, the Flemish
Research Institute for Nature and Forest
Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness t ...
publishes an online set of more than 150 nature indicators in Dutch.
In Canada, the
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC, French: Comité sur la situation des espèces en péril au Canada, COSEPAC) is an independent committee of wildlife experts and scientists whose "raison d'être is to identify s ...
(COSEWIC) is a group of experts that assesses and designates which wild species are in some danger of disappearing from Canada. Under the
Species at Risk Act
The ''Species at Risk Act'' (SARA) (the ''Act'') is a piece of Canadian federal legislation which became law in Canada on December 12, 2002. It is designed to meet one of Canada's key commitments under the International Convention on Biological D ...
(SARA), it is up to the federal government, which is politically accountable, to legally protect species assessed by COSEWIC.
In China, the State, provinces and some counties have determined their key protected wildlife species. There is the China red data book.
In
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...
, many species are protected under the Nature Conservation Act, and through the
EU Habitats Directive
The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) is a directive adopted by the European Community in 1992 as a response to the Berne Convention. The E ...
and EU Birds Directive.
In Germany, the
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (german: Bundesamt für Naturschutz, ''BfN'') is the German government's scientific authority with responsibility for national and international nature conservation. BfN is one of the government' ...
publishes "red lists of endangered species".
India has the
Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, Amended 2003 and the
Biological Diversity Act, 2002
The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 is an Act enacted by the Parliament of India for the preservation of biological diversity in India, and provides mechanism for equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of traditional biological res ...
.
In Japan, the
Ministry of Environment
An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...
publishes a Threatened Wildlife of Japan Red Data Book.
In the
Netherlands
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, the Dutch
Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
, type = Department
, logo = Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit Logo.png
, logo_width = 250x250px
, logo_caption = Logo of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
, image = ...
publishes a list of threatened species, and conservation is enforced by the Nature Conservation Act 1998. Species are also protected through the Wild Birds and Habitats Directives.
In New Zealand, the
Department of Conservation
An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...
publishes the
New Zealand Threat Classification System
The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand.
The system was developed because the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation status system, had some ...
lists. threatened species or subspecies are assigned one of seven categories: Nationally Critical, Nationally Endangered, Nationally Vulnerable, Declining, Recovering, Relict, or Naturally Uncommon.
While the classification looks only at a national level, many species are unique to New Zealand, and species which are secure overseas are noted as such.
In Russia, the Red Book of Russian Federation came out in 2001, it contains categories defining preservation status for different species. In it there are 8 taxa of amphibians, 21 taxa of reptiles, 128 taxa of birds, and 74 taxa of mammals, in total 231. There are also more than 30 regional red books, for example the red book of the Altaic region which came out in 1994.
In
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...
, the
South African National Biodiversity Institute
The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is an organisation established in 2004 in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, No 10 of 2004, under the South African Department of Environmental Affairs ...
, established under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004, is responsible for drawing up lists of affected species, and monitoring compliance with CITES decisions. It is envisaged that previously diverse Red lists would be more easily kept current, both technically and financially.
In
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act of BE 2535 defines fifteen
reserved animal species and two classes of protected species, of which hunting, breeding, possession, and trade are prohibited or restricted by law. The National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department of the
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is responsible for the regulation of these activities.
In
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...
, the Ministry of Environment Protection maintains list of endangered species (divided into seven categories from "0" - extinct to "VI" - rehabilitated) and publishes it in the Red Book of Ukraine.
In the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...
, the
Endangered Species Act of 1973
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...
created the
Endangered Species List
On 29 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 5220 (2754 animals, 1 fungus, 2464 plant, 1 protist) endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.
For IUCN lists of endangered species by kin ...
.
Consumer guides
Some consumer guides for
seafood
Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus a ...
, such as
Seafood Watch __NOTOC__
Seafood Watch is a sustainable seafood advisory list, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is best known for developing science-based seafood recommendations that consumers, chefs, and business professionals use to i ...
, divide fish and other sea creatures into three categories, analogous to conservation status categories:
* Red ("''say no''" or "''avoid''")
* Yellow or orange ("''think twice''", "''good alternatives''" or "''some concerns''")
* Green ("''best seafood choices''")
The categories do not simply reflect the imperilment of individual species, but also consider the environmental impacts of how and where they are fished, such as through
bycatch
Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juven ...
or
ocean bottom trawlers. Often groups of species are assessed rather than individual species (e.g.
squid
True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting ...
,
prawn
Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton and ten legs (which is a member of the order decapoda), some of which can be eaten.
The term "prawn"Mortenson, Philip B (2010''This is not a weasel: a close look at nature ...
s).
The
Marine Conservation Society
The Marine Conservation Society is a UK based not-for-profit organization working with businesses, governments and communities to clean and protect the oceans. Founded in 1983, the group claims to be working towards "cleaner, better-protected, h ...
has five levels of ratings for seafood species, as displayed on their ''FishOnline'' website.
See also
*
Conservation status of wolves in Europe
The favourable conservation status of wolves is the definition of a wolf population that is no longer threatened with extinction, that is capable of long-term survival. In Europe the favourable conservation status is defined by the Guidelines for ...
*
*
Lazarus taxon
In paleontology, a Lazarus taxon (plural ''taxa'') is a taxon that disappears for one or more periods from the fossil record, only to appear again later. Likewise in conservation biology and ecology, it can refer to species or populations tha ...
*
List of endangered species in North America
As of November 1, 2009, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed approximately 1,200 animals and 750 plants as endangered or threatened in North America.
NOTE: This list is intended only for species listed as Federally Endangered under ...
*
Listing priority number A listing priority number is a United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) way of designating the relative priority of candidate species that the FWS believes should be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act
The E ...
*
Lists of extinct animals
This page features lists of extinct species, organisms that have become extinct, either in the wild or completely disappeared from Earth.
In actual theoretical practice, a species not definitely located in the wild in the last fifty years of cu ...
*
Lists of organisms by population
This is a collection of lists of organisms by their population. While most of the numbers are estimates, they have been made by the experts in their fields. Species population is a science falling under the purview of population ecology and bio ...
*
Living Planet Index
*
Red List Index
Summary of 2006 IUCN Red List categories.
The ''Red List Index (RLI)'', based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, is an indicator of the changing state of global biodiversity. It defines the conservation status of major species groups, ...
*
Regional Red List
A Regional Red List is a report of the threatened status of species within a certain country or region. It is based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, an inventory of the conservation status of species on a global scale. Regional Red ...
*
Reintroduction
Species reintroduction is the deliberate release of a species into the wild, from captivity or other areas where the organism is capable of survival. The goal of species reintroduction is to establish a healthy, genetically diverse, self-sustainin ...
References
External links
Search the IUCN Red ListIUCN Red List Categories and Criteria Version 3.1*
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Biology terminology
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