Conservation status
Encyclopedia
The conservation status of a group of organisms
(for instance, a species
) indicates whether the group is still extant (that is, members of it are still alive) and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. 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, known threats, and so on.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
is the best-known worldwide conservation status listing and ranking system. The system divides threatened species into three categories: Critically Endangered
(CR), Endangered
(EN), and Vulnerable
(VU). Also listed are the documented extinctions that have occurred since AD 1500 and taxa that are extinct in the wild. Lower risk taxa are also divided into categories. The scale of measure has been criticized because, with the lowest rating being "Least Concern", it fails to have a 'nil' measure. Therefore it fails to reflect the scenario where a species is plentiful and thriving.
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.
, the EU Wildlife Trade Regulation is legislation to provide for the implementation of CITES within the EU, and additional measures. NatureServe conservation status focuses on Latin America
, USA, Canada
and the Caribbean
, It has been developed over the past three decades by scientists from NatureServe
, The Nature Conservancy
, and the network of natural heritage programs and data centers. It is increasingly integrated with the IUCN Red List system. Categories for species including: 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 (eg 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
is used within the Russian Federation.
, such as Seafood Watch
, generally divide fish and other sea creatures into three categories, analogous to conservation status categories:
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
or ocean bottom trawlers. Often groups of species are assessed rather than individual species (e.g. Bluefin tuna or squid
).
The Marine Conservation Society
has 5 levels of ratings for seafood species, as displayed on their Fishonline website.
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
(for instance, a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
) indicates whether the group is still extant (that is, members of it are still alive) and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. 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, known threats, and so on.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
is the best-known worldwide conservation status listing and ranking system. The system divides threatened species into three categories: Critically Endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
(CR), Endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
(EN), and Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
(VU). Also listed are the documented extinctions that have occurred since AD 1500 and taxa that are extinct in the wild. Lower risk taxa are also divided into categories. The scale of measure has been criticized because, with the lowest rating being "Least Concern", it fails to have a 'nil' measure. Therefore it fails to reflect the scenario where a species is plentiful and thriving.
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.
Multi-country systems
In the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, the EU Wildlife Trade Regulation is legislation to provide for the implementation of CITES within the EU, and additional measures. NatureServe conservation status focuses on Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, It has been developed over the past three decades by scientists from NatureServe
NatureServe
NatureServe is a non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to provide the scientific basis for effective conservation action. NatureServe and its network of natural heritage programs are the leading source for information about rare and endangered species and threatened ecosystems in...
, The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
, and the network of natural heritage programs and data centers. It is increasingly integrated with the IUCN Red List system. Categories for species including: 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 (eg 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
Red Data Book of the Russian Federation , also known as Red Book or Russian Red Data Book is a state document established for documenting rare and endangered species of animals, plants and fungi, as well as some local subspecies that exist within the territory of the Russian Federation and its...
is used within the Russian Federation.
National systems
- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 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 culturally significant places...
(EPBC Act) describes lists of threatened species, ecological communities and threatening processes. The categories resemble those of the 1994 IUCN Red ListIUCN Red ListThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
Categories & Criteria (version 2.3). Prior to the EPBC Act, a simpler classification system was used by the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992. State governments also have differing systems. - BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The Flemish Research Institute for Nature and ForestResearch Institute for Nature and ForestThe Research Institute for Nature and Forest is a scientific institute in Belgium. It was established from the merger of the Institute for Forestry and Game Management and the Institute of Nature Conservation on January 1, 2006....
publishes an online set of more than 150 nature indicators in Dutch. - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. COSEWICCommittee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in CanadaThe Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada ; French: Le Comité sur la situation des espèces en péril au Canada, is an independent committee of wildlife experts and scientists whose "raison d’être is to identify species at risk" in Canada...
(The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) is a committee of experts that assesses and designates which wild species are in some danger of disappearing from Canada Under the Species at Risk ActSpecies at Risk ActThe Species at Risk 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 Diversity. The goal of the Act is to protect endangered or threatened...
(SARA), it is up to the federal government, which is politically accountable, to legally protect species assessed by COSEWIC. See also: British Columbia Red List. - ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The State, provinces and some counties have determined their key protected wildlife species. There is the China red data book. - FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. A large number of species are protected under the Nature Conservation Act, and through the EU Habitats Directive and EU Birds Directive. - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The Federal Agency for Nature ConservationFederal Agency for Nature ConservationThe German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation is the German government’s scientific authority with responsibility for national and international nature conservation...
publishes "red lists of endangered species". - IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, Amended 2003Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, Amended 2003Government of India enacted a comprehensive legislation Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 with the objective of effectively controlling poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives...
Biological Diversity Act, 2002 - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The Ministry of EnvironmentMinistry of the Environment (Japan)The ' of Japan was formed in 2001 from the sub-cabinet level Environmental Agency established in 1971. The minister is a member of the Cabinet and is chosen by the Prime Minister, usually from the Diet., the current is Goshi Hosono...
publishes a Threatened Wildlife of Japan Red Data Book. - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality 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 - New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The Department of ConservationNew Zealand Department of ConservationThe Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...
publishes the New Zealand Threat Classification SystemNew Zealand Threat Classification SystemThe New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand....
lists. Under this system threatened species or subspecies are assigned one of seven categories: Nationally Critical, Nationally Endangered, Nationally Vulnerable, Serious Decline, Gradual Decline, Sparse, or Range Restricted. 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. - South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The South African National Biodiversity Institute, 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 (e.g. for mammals, birds, and plants) would be more easily kept current, both technically and financially. - ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act of BE 2535 defines fifteen reserved animalReserved animals of ThailandThailand has fifteen designated reserved animal species, which are defined by the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act of BE 2535. It is prohibited by law to hunt, breed, possess or trade any of such species, except when done for scientific research with permission from the Permanent...
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 EnvironmentMinistry of Natural Resources and Environment (Thailand)The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Kingdom of Thailand is a Cabinet ministry in the Government of Thailand. The Ministry was founded in 2002. It has a wide variety of responsibilities, this include the protection of the nation’s natural resources: water, oceans, minerals,...
is responsible for the regulation of these activities. - UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. The Ministry of Environment Protection maintains list of endangered species (divided into 7 categories from "0" - extinct to "VI" - rehabilitated) and publishes it in the Red Book of Ukraine. - United States of America. The Endangered Species ActEndangered Species ActThe Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
created the Endangered Species ListUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered speciesThis list contains only the bird and mammal species described as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It contains species not only in the U.S. and its territories, but also species only found abroad. It does not contain fish, amphibians, reptiles, plants, or invertebrates,...
.
Consumer guides
Consumer guides for seafoodSeafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
, such as Seafood Watch
Seafood Watch
Seafood Watch is one of the best known sustainable seafood advisory lists, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources...
, generally 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
The term “bycatch” is usually used for fish caught unintentionally in a fishery while intending to catch other fish. It may however also indicate untargeted catch in other forms of animal harvesting or collecting...
or ocean bottom trawlers. Often groups of species are assessed rather than individual species (e.g. Bluefin tuna or squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
).
The Marine Conservation Society
Marine Conservation Society
The Marine Conservation Society a UK charity for the protection of the seas around the United Kingdom, and for the protection of their shores and wildlife.According to their website MCS's Vision is:Their website also states:...
has 5 levels of ratings for seafood species, as displayed on their Fishonline website.
See also
- Biodiversity Action PlanBiodiversity Action PlanA Biodiversity Action Plan is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats and is designed to protect and restore biological systems. The original impetus for these plans derives from the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity...
- Bonn ConventionBonn ConventionThe Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range...
- NatureServe conservation status
- Endangered speciesEndangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
- Ecoregion conservation statusEcoregion conservation statusConservation status of the Global 200 ecoregions is used to classify ecoregions into one of three broad categories: "critical/endangered","vulnerable", or "relatively stable/relatively intact"....
- Lazarus taxonLazarus taxonIn paleontology, a Lazarus taxon is a taxon that disappears from one or more periods of the fossil record, only to appear again later. The term refers to the account in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead...
- List of endangered species in North America
- List of extinct animals
- Listing priority number
- Living Planet IndexLiving Planet IndexThe Living Planet Index is an indicator of the state of global biological diversity, based on trends in vertebrate populations of species from around the world....
- Red List IndexRed List IndexThe Red List Index , 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, and measures trends in extinction risk over time...
- Regional Red ListRegional Red ListA 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...