Evaluating the conservation status of epiphytic lichens of Italy: A red list

Despite the fact that Italy is among the lichenologically best known areas worldwide, a national red list of lichens is still lacking. The aim of this work was to provide a red list of the epiphytic lichens of Italy which could facilitate the inclusion of lichens in national conservation plans. The evaluation of the species against International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria was based on data from multiple sources which represent the best available information on the epiphytic lichens of Italy. The species were assigned to the IUCN categories mainly using criteria D and B. A total of 368 species were evaluated: for 23 species, information is missing from more than 50 years and they were listed as regionally extinct, 64 as critically endangered, 75 as endangered, 74 as vulnerable, 58 as near threatened, 20 as least concern and 54 species as data deficient. Our results indicate that more than one-fourth of the epiphytic lichens of Italy are likely to be threatened, so that further research and effort are needed to include lichens in the main national conservation plans. Our results also highlight the lack of information that still hampers the rigorous evaluation of Italian lichens against IUCN criteria.     

中国裸子植物红色名录评估(2021版)

定期开展物种红色名录评估, 了解植物濒危状态、致危因素变化, 对于物种保育有重要意义。本文报道了国产裸子植物的最新评估结果, 并与2013版红色名录进行了比较。本次评估了国产裸子植物274个种和种下分类群(隶属于8科37属)。与2013版红色名录相比, 本次评估减少了2科, 增加了3属和40个种和种下分类群。分类群变化是由于上次评估遗漏属种、新类群、新分布记录以及分类群名称和等级变化所致。本次评估有139个种和种下分类群被列入受威胁等级(包括极危、濒危和易危), 占总评估种类的50.7%, 与2013版的51.0%相比, 受威胁程度基本不变。物种自身进化属性、资源过度利用、生境丧失和全球变暖是国产裸子植物的主要致危因素。此外, 还有27种列为数据缺乏(DD), 占总种数的9.9%, 较2013版略有增加, 表明我国裸子植物需开展针对性野外调查和相关研究, 以摸清物种的野外生存现状, 为深入认识我国裸子植物濒危程度奠定数据基础。新的红色名录评估对濒危物种保育实践也有重要意义。     

Assessment of Hebei flora against the IUCN Red List Criteria in China

Some plants of Hebei Province in China are under threat from human activities, such as over-herding and over-exploitation of wild medicinal plants and industrial plants, etc. To identify the plants in danger in the province and to inspect the quality of the environment encompassing Beijing and Tianjin, a red list of the threatened flora of Hebei Province was produced by using the IUCN Red List Criteria (version 3.1) and its guidelines (version 6.2). Some 262 species were assessed and the results were as follows: (1) the threatened flora include 211 species, accounting for 7.95% of the total native vascular plants. Among them, 44 are Critically Endangered, 80 Endangered and 87 Vulnerable; (2) the destruction of the habitat caused by human activities and the actual or potential exploitation of the plants themselves were the main threat factors of Hebei flora; (3) most of the threatened plants are located in the western, northern and northeastern mountainous regions, namely the key regions of Hebei plant diversity; the endemic and regionally endemic species are severely threatened. Consequently, the assessment not only presented the threatened status of Hebei flora but also indicated the relatively fragile health status of the environment of Beijing and Tianjin. Thus, it is suggested that the application of the IUCN Red List Criteria at the regional level, as an index, could reflect the health status of the local ecosystem. In addition, more concrete measures are needed to conserve the plant diversity and the natural ecosystem of Hebei Province and even the whole region encompassing Beijing and Tianjin.     

Molineria jashpurica sp. nov. (Hypoxidaceae) from Central India

Molineria jashpurica A.P. Tiwari, Mujaffar & A.N. Shukla (Hypoxidaceae), a new species from the Jashpur district of Chhattisgrah, India is described and illustrated. It is closely similar to M. gracilis and M. trichocarpa, but differs by shorter pseudopetiole, broad and glabrous leaf blade, delicate scape, fewer flowers and clavate stigma. A key for identification of all Molineria species is also provided. The conservation status of the new species is assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR) according to IUCN red list category and criteria.     

Assessment of Hebei flora against the IUCN Red List Criteria in China

Some plants of Hebei Province in China are under threat from human activities,such as over-herding and over-exploitation of wild medicinal plants and industrial plants,etc.To identify the plants in danger in the province and to inspect the quality of the environment encompassing Beijing and Tianjin,a red list of the threatened flora of Hebei Province was produced by using the IUCN Red List Criteria (version 3.1) and its guidelines (version 6.2).Some 262 species were assessed and the results were as follows:(1) the threatened flora include 211 species,accounting for 7.95% of the total native vascular plants.Among them,44 are Critically Endangered,80 Endangered and 87 Vulnerable;(2) the destruction of the habitat caused by human activities and the actual or potential exploitation of the plants themselves were the main threat factors of Hebei flora;(3) most of the threatened plants are located in the western,northern and northeastern mountainous regions,namely the key regions of Hebei plant diversity;the endemic and regionally endemic species are severely threatened.Consequently,the assessment not only presented the threatened status of Hebei flora but also indicated the relatively fragile health status of the environment of Beijing and Tianjin.Thus,it is suggested that the application of the IUCN Red List Criteria at the regional level,as an index,could reflect the health status of the local ecosystem,In addition,more concrete measures are needed to conserve the plant diversity and the natural ecosystem of Hebei Province and even the whole region encompassing Beijing and Tianjin.     

中国鸟类红色名录评估

中国有1,372种鸟类, 其中77种为中国特有。由于资源过度利用、栖息地丧失和片断化、环境污染等原因, 中国的鸟类多样性保护面临严峻的挑战。为了全面评估当前中国野生鸟类的濒危状况, 国家环境保护部支持启动了“中国脊椎动物红色名录”的编制工作。依照IUCN的标准, 对中国鸟类的受胁状况进行了一次全面评估。通过确定评估对象、数据收集、初评、初核、复审、定稿等步骤, 集国内27位鸟类学家的力量, 完成了本次评估。结果表明: 区域灭绝(RE)3种, 分别是白鹳(Ciconia ciconia)、镰翅鸡(Falcipennis falcipennis)和赤颈鹤(Grus antigone), 极危(CR)15种, 濒危(EN)51种, 易危(VU)80种, 近危(NT)190种; 无危(LC)876种, 数据缺乏(DD)157种。列为极危、濒危和易危等级的受胁鸟类合计146种, 占中国鸟类种数的10.6%。受威胁程度最高的科是鹈鹕科和犀鸟科, 这两个科100%的物种都属于受胁种。。77种特有鸟类中有29种(37.7%)属于受胁种。陆禽和猛禽是受胁最严重的生态类群, 分别有25.2%和23.2%的种类处于受胁状态。不同行政区域受胁鸟类差异较大。本工作对于我国鸟类保护和履行国际公约等工作均有重要意义。     

Factors influencing IUCN threat levels to orchids across Europe on the basis of national red lists

The red list has become a ubiquitous tool in the conservation of species. We analyzed contemporary trends in the threat levels of European orchids, in total 166 species characterized in 27 national red lists, in relation to their reproductive biology and growth form, distribution area, and land cover where they occur. We found that species in central Europe are more threatened than those in the northern, southern, or Atlantic parts of Europe, while species were least threatened in southern Europe. Nectarless and tuberous species are significantly more threatened than nectariferous and rhizomatous taxa. Land cover (ratios of artificial land cover, area of pastures and grasslands, forests and inland wetlands) also significantly impacted the threat level. A bigger share of artificial land cover increases threat, and a bigger share of pasture and grassland lowers it. Unexpectedly, a bigger share of inland wetland area in a country increased threat level, which we believe may be due to the threatened nature of wetlands themselves relative to other natural land cover types. Finally, species occurring in multiple countries are on average less threatened. We believe that large‐scale analysis of current IUCN national red lists as based on their specific categories and criteria may particularly inform the development of coordinated regional or larger‐scale management strategies. In this case, we advocate for a coordinated EU protection and restoration strategy particularly aimed at central European orchids and those occurring in wetland area.     

Primulina lutescens sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from southern Guangxi,China

Primulina lutescens B. Pan & H. S. Ma, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region, China, is illustrated and described. The new species morphologically resembles Primulina carinata Y. G. Wei, F. Wen & H. Z. Lü, but it differs in leaf, floral characteristics and flowering time. The conservation status of P. lutescens is asessed as ‘Endangered’ (EN) according to the IUCN red list categories and criteria.     

The use of Senate inquiries for threatened species conservation

Global biodiversity continues to decline at a steady rate, especially in Australia where 10% of the land mammal population has become extinct since European settlement. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) list of threatened species is Australia's version of the IUCN red‐list; however, not all species fit easily within the EPBC guidelines and criteria for listing. Recently, a high‐profile Senate inquiry was used to bring about the listing of the koala, Phascolarctos cinereus, although it had previously been deemed ineligible for threatened species status. We are concerned that the use of Senate Inquiries will become more frequent now that a precedent has been set. We suggest they are not an appropriate means of threatened species conservation because they are politically topical, not necessarily based on expert opinion and do not carry any need for legislative response. Successful species conservation should be based on sound ecological knowledge embedded within a transparent and logical decision framework.     

A comparative analysis of global, national, and state red lists for threatened amphibians in Brazil

The knowledge about the conservation status of species is an important data for conservation biology. Therefore, threatened species lists are a powerful tool for conservation planning and prioritization. Our objective is to compare the global, the national and state red lists of amphibians in Brazil. Threatened species were categorized according to their listing in one or several of these lists. We analyzed for true inconsistencies across lists in order to evaluate practical consequences of such incongruences on amphibian conservation in Brazil. We recorded a total of 61 threatened amphibian species in Brazil (across all red lists). Only one species, Phrynomedusa fimbriata, was listed as Extinct (both in IUCN, Brazil and S?o Paulo lists). A total of eleven endemic species are listed as threatened by the global red list, but do not appear in Brazil’s national red list, which represent an inconsistence among these lists. Besides that, the threat category of Thoropa lutzi and Thoropa petropolitana, two endemic species, differ among both lists, which also represents a problem between both lists. These mismatches may be due to several reasons such as different interpretation of the criteria; different methodologies used; different data availability on species; differences in the dates of assessments processes; the assessors’ attitudes to uncertainty; outdated red lists. Harmonization among red lists permits a better picture of threatened amphibian diversity across scales and to develop global, national and state plans to complement conservation actions in order to maximize the chance of success of these initiatives.     

IUCN Red List assessment of the Cape Verde endemic flora: towards a global strategy for plant conservation in Macaronesia

We review the conservation status and threats to the endemic vascular flora of the Cape Verde islands, mostly based on the past two decades of collecting, literature review and herbarium specimens. The application of IUCN Red List criteria and categories using RAMAS software reveals that 78% of the endemic plants are threatened (29.3% Critically Endangered, 41.3% Endangered, 7.6% Vulnerable). Most of these endemics have a limited geographical range, and half of them have Areas of Occupancy and Extents of Occurrence of < 20 and 200 km², respectively. Our data show that, over the last two decades, the Cape Verde vascular plants have become more threatened and their conservation status has declined, mostly as a consequence of the increase in exotic species, habitat degradation and human disturbance. This paper presents the first comprehensive IUCN Red List data review for the plants endemic to Cape Verde, thus providing an important step towards the recognition and conservation of its threatened endemic flora at the national and global level. It also fills a knowledge gap, as it represents the first thorough assessment of the conservation status of the entire endemic flora of a Macaronesian archipelago.     

中国大型担子菌受威胁现状评估

基于文献和标本信息以及专家提供的数据, 依据中国大型真菌评估的标准和程序, 对中国范围内已知大型担子菌进行了受威胁状态评估。结果显示, 在评估的6,268种担子菌中, 受威胁(疑似灭绝、极危、濒危、易危)的物种有45种, 受威胁比例为0.72%。受威胁的大型担子菌物种中食药用菌比例达1/3以上, 且大部分物种仍无法人工栽培, 主要依赖野生资源。我国受威胁担子菌主要集中分布在西南和东北地区。人类活动导致的物种栖息地萎缩和破坏是我国大型担子菌受威胁的首要因子, 过度采挖是食药用菌受威胁的重要原因。此外, 数据不足的大型担子菌共4,251种, 占被评估大型担子菌总数的67.82%, 表明我国大型担子菌物种多样性及相关研究还存在不足。     

IUCN受威胁物种红色名录进展及应用

IUCN受威胁物种红色名录已经成为世界上最全面的关于全球动物、真菌和植物物种灭绝风险状况的信息来源, 是生物多样性健康的关键指标, 是促进生物多样性保护和决策的有力工具。本文全面介绍IUCN受威胁物种红色名录(简称IUCN红色名录)的发展以及应用状况, 积极推动其在中国的物种评估和广泛应用。总结了IUCN红色名录从依赖于评估专家的主观意志决定物种濒危等级的濒危物种红皮书(Red Data Book)到IUCN受威胁物种等级和标准(3.1版)的客观量化和所有门类使用统一标准的过程。该等级体系可囊括全球所有物种, 其中“受威胁”的3个等级——极危(CR)、濒危(EN)或易危(VU)需使用5个标准进行量化评估, 对评估规范有非常严格的要求。该等级和标准体系不仅适用于全球层面, 同样也适用于地区层面物种评估, 只是在具体物种种群如果和周边其他地区(国家)存在种群交流情况时, 评估结果要进行调整。迄今为止, 全球层面使用该等级体系和标准评估了14万多种(其中在中国有分布的物种10,846种), 100多个国家和地方制定了地区/国家层面的红色名录, 中国红色名录评估了5.5万多种。IUCN红色名录已广泛应用于评估生物多样性变化速度; 为保护规划提供决策信息; 支持履行国际公约、修订国家/地区重点保护物种名录和自然保护地管理等; 指导资源有效合理分配和宣传教育等。广泛应用过程中, 讨论主要集中在获取数据的方法改进上; 另外, 一方面有专家认为标准存在缺陷需要完善, 另一方面有呼吁维持标准的长期相对稳定, 以便进行跨时间、跨区域、跨物种门类的比较。本文提出来了中国红色名录的持续机制和应用建议, 包括建立中国红色名录委员会、建立中国红色名录专业网站、发展评估专家队伍、建立中国红色名录评估更新机制, 以及加强国际协作、促进全球和中国红色名录的应用和发展。     

Tourism and recreation: a common threat to IUCN red-listed vascular plants in Europe

Tourism and recreation are large industries employing millions of people and contribute over US$2.01 trillion to the global economy. Unfortunately they also have diverse and sometimes severe environmental impacts affecting many species, including those that are rare and threatened. To assess the extent to which these industries threaten vascular plants, we reviewed data in the IUCN Red List for 462 Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable European species. Tourism and recreation were listed as threatening 42 % (194 species) of these species from across 50 families, mostly herbs (70 %). They were listed as threatening plants in 9 of the 10 bioregions in Europe and in 25 of the 40 countries assessed. Popular tourism destinations such as the Canary Islands (41 species) and mainland Spain (40 species) had the greatest diversity of species listed as threatened by tourism and recreation. The most common of these threats were trampling (61 species), plant collection (59), the maintenance/construction of tourist infrastructure (43) and habitat degradation due to the urbanisation of tourist sites (13). Additional species assessments and more research on the impacts of tourism and recreation may add to these values. It is clear that these industries pose an important threatening process on plants in Europe based on the IUCN Red List data and hence deserve greater recognition in terms of research, conservation and management.     

Comprehensive Red List Assessment Reveals Exceptionally High Extinction Risk to Madagascar Palms

The establishment of baseline IUCN Red List assessments for plants is a crucial step in conservation planning. Nowhere is this more important than in biodiversity hotspots that are subject to significant anthropogenic pressures, such as Madagascar. Here, all Madagascar palm species are assessed using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, version 3.1. Our results indicate that 83% of the 192 endemic species are threatened, nearly four times the proportion estimated for plants globally and exceeding estimates for all other comprehensively evaluated plant groups in Madagascar. Compared with a previous assessment in 1995, the number of Endangered and Critically Endangered species has substantially increased, due to the discovery of 28 new species since 1995, most of which are highly threatened. The conservation status of most species included in both the 1995 and the current assessments has not changed. Where change occurred, more species have moved to lower threat categories than to higher categories, because of improved knowledge of species and their distributions, rather than a decrease in extinction risk. However, some cases of genuine deterioration in conservation status were also identified. Palms in Madagascar are primarily threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture and biological resource use through direct exploitation or collateral damage. The recent extension of Madagascar’s protected area network is highly beneficial for palms, substantially increasing the number of threatened species populations included within reserves. Notably, three of the eight most important protected areas for palms are newly designated. However, 28 threatened and data deficient species are not protected by the expanded network, including some Critically Endangered species. Moreover, many species occurring in protected areas are still threatened, indicating that threatening processes persist even in reserves. Definitive implementation of the new protected areas combined with local community engagement are essential for the survival of Madagascar’s palms.     

Primulina rubella sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone area in Guangdong,China

A new species of Primulina (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone area in southern China, P. rubella L.H. Yang & M. Kang, is described and illustrated. The new species has purple‐red flowers and is thus similar to P. lijiangensis, but differs by its petiole, leaf blade, cyme, filament, stigma and ovary. In adition, a molecular phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that P. rubella and P. lijiangensis belong to quite different clades. Instead, P. rubella appears to be closely related to the sympatric P. qingyuanensis, although these two species are obviously differentiated both in terms of flower color and other vegetative and floral characters. The conservation status of P. rubella is assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR) according to the IUCN red list categories and criteria.     

Geographic distribution patterns and status assessment of threatened plants in China

Large scale heterogeneous distribution of biodiversity has become a hot topic for ecologists and conservationists. A threat status assessment combined with geographic distribution patterns of threatened plants in China has been conducted at a national scale in this study based upon a distribution database that refers to both specimen records and published references. Currently, 302 threatened plant species are cataloged in the “National Protected Key Wild Plants” in China belonging to 92 families and 194 genera. Results of the assessment according to the Categories and Criteria system of The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List indicate that three species have been assessed as Extinct in Wild (EW) while a further 79, 99 and 112 species have been assessed as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), and Vulnerable (VU), respectively. Distribution patterns of threatened plants were analyzed with GIS to identify areas of high species diversity. It was found that threatened plant species occur unevenly within counties and are concentrated in the following eight hotspots: the central and southern Hengduanshan mountain area; the southeast regions of Yunnan as well as Xishuangbanna and southwestern Guangxi; the southern Hainan island; the border mountainous regions of Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces; the mountainous regions of southwestern Hubei and northern Hunan; southwestern Zhejiang and western Fujian; central Sichuan and southern Gansu; and the western mountains of Guangdong. Moreover, the 12 counties with the greatest number of threatened plant species represent cumulatively more than 50% of the total listed species and, therefore, are the regions in China that should be prioritized for conservation efforts. By overlapping the map of threatened plant species with the distribution of national nature reserves, a gap was identified in protected areas. This research will ultimately provide insights for prioritizing biodiversity conservation as well as processing the mechanisms of distribution patterns.     

Application to the terrestrial vertebrates of Italy of a system proposed by IUCN for a new classification of national Red List categories

The criteria for classification set down in the new system of the IUCN Red List categories were applied to national distribution areas. Application of the new criteria to national distribution areas calls for an estimate of the rate of immigration. Classification was applied to the Italian autochthonous terrestrial vertebrate species that reproduce in Italy (Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves and Mammalia). Species with both marine and land habitats were included, but Cetaceans were excluded. Eighty-eight species of the autochthonous species that reproduce in Italy were classified in the threatened categories at the national level. One of the main purposes of the present classification of the risk of extinction in national distribution areas is to provide the information needed to define global conservation priorities of species present on national territory. The species nationally and/or globally endangered or at lower risk were grouped into four priority classes, on the basis of their reproductive phenology on national territory and the size of temporarily present contingents. Of the 551 species present regularly or seasonally on Italian territory, 149 (27.0%) are in the initial indicative list of conservation priorities.