The application of IUCN Red List criteria to assess the conservation status of moths at the regional level: a case of provisional Red List of Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) in Serbia

Using a network of c.200 sample sites during the period 2000–2011, together with data from earlier sporadic studies and museum records, the status of noctuid moths in Serbia was assessed according to IUCN criteria. The noctuid Red List of Serbia comprises 223 species, of which almost 40 % are under threat. Two species (Acontia titania and Helivictoria victorina) are considered regionally extinct (RE), 28 are critically endangered (CR), 49 are endangered (EN), and 58 are vulnerable (VU). Additionally, 64 species are considered to be near threatened (NT), i.e., close to qualifying as threatened species in the near future, and 22 fall under the data deficient category (DD; inadequate information), with the likelihood of being included in one of the threatened Red List categories in the future. Apart from the threatened species, 342 species of noctuids are widespread and abundant in the area and belong to the category of least concern (LC). The geographical position and climate of Serbia facilitates high noctuid richness but the existence of a great number of threatened species indicates the need for further conservation of the group.     

Applying the IUCN Red List criteria to small-sized plants on oceanic islands: conservation implications for threatened bryophytes in the Canary Islands

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categories and criteria were applied to small-sized spore-producing plants with high dispersal capacities (bryophytes). The application of some of the IUCN criteria to bryophytes in small and highly environmental diverse islands implies several problems. The criteria applicability increases when the occupancy area is reduced. However, for common species restricted to a single type of vegetation belt, the use of the IUCN criteria is problematic because of inapplicable and/or misleading thresholds. We adapted the IUCN criteria by modifying the occupancy and occurrence area sizes and by specifying the location. This approach allowed us to establish the first Red List for the bryophyte species in the Canaries, which comprises 105 species (67 mosses and 38 liverworts); among them, 7 are critically endangered, 20 are endangered and 78 are vulnerable. Twenty-six species were classified as near-threatened, 245 were considered to be at low risk and 125 were data deficient (DD). Among the DD ones, 19 corresponded to newly reported species (DD-n) and 40 had no records during the last 30?years (DD-va). Our findings show that the freshwater habitats as well as the habitats in the most restricted cloud forests (with Erica platycodon) contain the majority of the threatened species, followed by other types of laurel forests and high mountain habitats.     

长白山高山苔原带植物濒危现状及保护级别评估

通过野外调查、文献查阅、专家咨询及市场调查等手段获得长白山高山苔原带植物生存状况、分布数量的基本数据。在查阅文献的基础上,借助专家咨询构建了长白山高山苔原带植物受危等级、优先保护定量评估体系。该体系包含3个子系统,每个子系统下设不同指标共计12个。通过专家咨询法和层次分析法相结合的方法确定各子系统及各指标的权重。共评估植物94种,其中极危种3种,濒危种6种,易危种22种,近危种42种,无危种21种;在保护的缓急程度上,属于特级保护的有5种,一级保护的有6种,二级保护的有34种,三级保护的有30种,暂缓保护的有19种。评估结果与以往的红色名录进行了比较,一些从未列入红色目录的种类在本研究结果中有所体现。相反,有些曾被列入红色名录的物种在本次评估中被列为"无危"。对评估结果与以往红色名录之间产生差异种类及原因进行了讨论。     

本底资源不清严重制约我国杜鹃花属植物的生物多样性保护

中国杜鹃花属植物已超过600种,是世界杜鹃花属的现代分布中心和分化中心之一。本文以杜鹃花红色名录、中国高等植物红色名录以及中国高等植物受威胁物种名录为基础,对我国杜鹃花的濒危现状进行分析,并根据极度濒危杜鹃花的最新调查结果,结合IUCN红色名录和极小种群野生植物标准对它们进行重新评估。评估结果认为,杜鹃花属12个极度濒危物种中,有4个物种降低了极度濒危的等级,1个物种数据缺乏,1个物种灭绝。我国杜鹃花属植物濒危种类近20%,数据缺乏的种类近1/3,资源本底不清,严重威胁我国杜鹃花的生物多样性保护。未来应加强对杜鹃花本底资源的普查,开展极度濒危物种和极小种群物种的“抢救性保护”、加强园林应用与基础研究。     

Assessing the Threatened Status of Bumble Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Hungary,Central Europe

Decline in the populations of bumble bees and other pollinators stress the need for more knowledge about their conservation status. Only one of the 25 bumble bee species present in Hungary is included in the Hungarian Red List. We estimated the endangerment of the Hungarian bumble bee (Bombus Latr.) species using the available occurrence data from the last 50 years of the 20th century. Four of the 25 species were data deficient or extinct from Hungary. About 60% of species were considered rare or moderately rare. Changes in distribution and occurrence frequency indicated that 10 of the 21 native species showed a declining trend, while only three species increased in frequency of occurrence. According to the IUCN Red List categories, seven species (33% of the native fauna) should be labelled as critically endangered (CR) and 3 (14%) as endangered (EN). Our results stress an urgent need of protection plans for bumble bees in Hungary, and further underlines the validity of concern over bumble bees all over Europe.     

内蒙古珍稀濒危植物濒危现状及优先保护评估

以《中国珍稀濒危保护植物名录》、《中国植物红皮书》、《国家重点保护野生植物名录(第一批)》、《中国物种红色名录》、《中国生物多样性红色名录(高等植物卷)》、《内蒙古珍稀濒危保护植物名录》和《内蒙古珍稀濒危植物图谱》中127种内蒙古珍稀濒危植物为研究对象,通过资料收集及专家咨询,构建了内蒙古珍稀濒危植物受威胁等级、优先保护评估体系.建立了濒危系数、遗传价值系数、利用价值系数、生境系数、繁殖系数5项准则,准则下共设17个指标;运用层次分析法确定指标体系权重,计算出珍稀濒危植物濒危等级及优先保护级别.结果表明: 极危种2种、濒危种13种、易危种37种、近危种44种、无危种31种,分别占总数的1.6%、10.2%、29.1%、34.7%、24.4%.其中,受威胁种(极危、濒危和易危种)共52种,占总种数的40.9%.一级保护植物35种、二级保护植物72种、三级保护植物20种,分别占总数的27.6%、56.7%、15.8%.本评估结果与《中国生物多样性红色名录(高等植物卷)》、《内蒙古珍稀濒危保护植物名录》相比,有75种植物的濒危等级和62种植物的保护级别发生了变化.其中新增了9种植物的濒危等级评估和32种植物的保护级别.     

Trends in the captive breeding of threatened and endangered birds in British zoos, 1988–1997

The aim of this study was to assess trends in captive breeding of threatened and endangered bird species in British zoos. The measures we recorded were: 1) the total number of species held, 2) the percentage of species held that are listed in the IUCN Red List, 3) the percentage of endangered species breeding, and 4) the number of species in managed breeding programs. These data were gathered from the bird inventories of 10 representative British zoos for the years 1988 and 1997. The data for measures 1–3 were compared between the 2 years using a Wilcoxon matched‐pairs test. We found that the zoos maintained the same number of species (W=10.5; n=10; P=0.093; median=87.5 and 78 for 1988 and 1997, respectively). However, there was a significant increase in the number of birds held that fit each of the IUCN's conservation categories (Endangered: W=43.0; n=10; P<0.05, median=1.48 and 6.64 for 1988 and 1997, respectively; Vulnerable: W=53.0; n=10; P<0.05, median=3.33 and 10.05 for 1988 and 1997, respectively; and Rare: W=55.0; n=10; P<0.01, median=0.00 and 8.33 for 1988 and 1997, respectively). Overall, the percentage of threatened species kept in zoos increased from a median of 4.81 in 1988 to 25.02 in 1997. During this period there was an increase in the number of species in each category of the IUCN Red List. No difference was found in the number of threatened species breeding between 1988 and 1997. Zoo Biol 23:85–89, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Saving Europe’s threatened flora: progress towards GSPC Target 8 in Europe

The European flora is of global significance but many species are facing an ever increasing range of threats, especially the growing impacts of climate change. While various estimates have been made for the number of threatened plant species in Europe, an up-to-date European plant Red List does not presently exist. Target 8 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) calls for 60% of threatened plant species to be conserved in ex situ collections by 2010. In the absence of a European plant Red List, it is difficult to monitor progress at the regional level towards this target. To address this gap Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) has developed a consolidated list of European threatened species as a step towards a formal Red List. The database consists of national Red List data from 28 European countries and includes records for over 11,000 taxa. National Red List data were supplemented by information on the critically endangered plants of Europe provided by the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle/European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity and the Conservatoire Botanique National de Brest. A list of regionally threatened species was extracted from the database and screened against BGCI’s database of plants in cultivation in botanic gardens (PlantSearch) and ENSCONET’s (European Native Seed Conservation Network) database of plants conserved in European seed banks. This analysis revealed that 42% of European threatened species are currently included in ex situ conservation programmes in Europe.     

Bryophyte conservation on a North Atlantic hotspot: threatened bryophytes in Madeira and Selvagens Archipelagos (Portugal)

On oceanic islands, the evolution of plants and animals with particular characteristics is favoured due to their isolation, populations normally comprising a large number of unique, endemic species. The Madeira and Selvagens archipelagos are considered biodiversity hotspots, containing an especially rich bryoflora. Due to its characteristically small size, this taxonomic group does not get much attention in conservation programmes. However, these plants are an important component of terrestrial ecosystems, representing a major part of biodiversity and playing a vital role in the ecosystem's functioning. As such, the development of the first Red List for Madeira and Selvagens Archipelagos has the potential to guide conservation efforts focused on taxa and habitats where threatened species and endemics are better represented. By applying the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) criteria, recently revised to apply to small islands, it was possible to obtain the percentage of threatened taxa present in the archipelagos (23.6%), and for each habitat type. It was verified that high mountain habitats and the Laurel forest represent areas that host higher percentages of threatened taxa (29.5% and 22.2%). An important result of the present Red List is the identification of hotspots for bryophyte diversity, supporting the definition of reserves/microreserves. The information obtained can also be linked up with the Red Lists of other taxonomic groups to work towards the definition of a more holistic conservation strategy.     

Where are threatened ferns found? Global conservation priorities for pteridophytes

Recent efforts to improve the representation of plant species included on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species through the IUCN Sampled Red List Index (SRLI) for Plants have led to the assessment of almost 1000 additional species of pteridophytes and lycophytes under IUCN Red List criteria. Species were selected at random from all lineages of pteridophytes and lycophytes and are taxonomically as well as ecologically representative of pteridophyte and lycophyte diversity. 16% of pteridophyte and lycophyte species are globally threatened with extinction and 22% are of elevated conservation concern (threatened or Near Threatened); of species of pteridophytes and lycophytes previously included on the Red List, 54% were considered threatened. Over half of pteridophyte and lycophyte species assessed for the SRLI use estimates of range size; therefore the method used to measure range may affect the Red List category assigned. We evaluated this using two alternative metrics for estimating range, species distribution modelling (SDM) and ecologically suitable habitat (ESH), for 227 species endemic to the Neotropical biogeographic realm. Differences between range estimates were small when ranges were small but increased with increasing range size. For 58 (25.6%) species alternative modelling techniques result in the species meeting the threshold for a different IUCN Red List category from using extent of occurrence. Modelling threatened species distributions also highlights priority areas for conservation in tropical and subtropical montane forests that are the most species-rich habitat for small-range pteridophyte and lycophyte species, but which are now increasingly subject to rapid conversion to agriculture.     

中国植物受威胁等级评估系统概述

濒危物种保护是生物多样性保护工作的重要组成部分, 而物种受威胁等级评估则是濒危物种保护的方向指引。经过多年的发展, 物种受威胁等级的评估由定性评估逐渐向定量评估为主、定性评估为辅的方向发展。本文综述了国内植物受威胁等级定量评估系统的研究进展, 同时介绍了国外较为成熟的IUCN红色名录评估系统、CITES评估系统、美国自然保育协会评估系统, 提出未来制定受威胁物种定量评估标准时要兼顾以下方面: (1)等级设置定义要明确、统一且合理; (2)评估标准应该定量化、客观且不冗余; (3)评估系统应该适应不同地理范围, 最好能同时表达出各范围的受威胁等级; (4)评估指标要包含物种动态信息, 能定量分析物种在过去或者未来的变化。此外, 本文认为国内的物种受威胁等级定量评估系统应该形成规范化的大纲, 加大宣传力度, 尽量将理论研究与具体的保护行动结合起来; 同时, 我国还应该采用全球广泛应用的受威胁等级评估系统获取物种受威胁等级, 将国内生物多样性保护工作纳入到全球范围中去。     

Assessment of endangered synanthropic plants of Hungary with special attention to arable weeds

Abstract

In the present study, species were selected from the new Red List of the vascular flora of Hungary which can be regarded as a weed. For each species, current conservation status and the most important traits were assessed. Altogether 149 weed species were found to be at risk according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories: 11 species are extinct, 11 are critically endangered, 27 are endangered, 26 are vulnerable, 62 are near threatened and 12 are data deficient. These species belong to 37 plant families, from which the most important are Caryophyllaceae, Brassicaceae, Asteraceae, Scrophulariaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Poaceae and Fabaceae. The most significant chorological elements are Mediterranean (28%) and Eurasian (27%); endemic (Pannonian) taxa constitute only 5.4%. Over 90% of these species are of native or archaeophyte origin, according to their residence time. Considering the main habitat types, 46% of the species are originated from dry habitats, 23% from arable lands, 17.5% from wet habitats and 13.5% from ruderal habitats. In the life form spectra, a pronounced dominance of therophytes (81%) is represented. The factor that currently offers the greatest conflict to the conservation of endangered weed species in Hungary are side effects of strong eradication campaigns against the invasive Ambrosia artemisiifolia.     

Conus: First Comprehensive Conservation Red List Assessment of a Marine Gastropod Mollusc Genus

Marine molluscs represent an estimated 23% of all extant marine taxa, but research into their conservation status has so far failed to reflect this importance, with minimal inclusion on the authoritative Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We assessed the status of all 632 valid species of the tropical marine gastropod mollusc, Conus (cone snails), using Red List standards and procedures to lay the groundwork for future decadal monitoring, one of the first fully comprehensive global assessments of a marine taxon. Three-quarters (75.6%) of species were not currently considered at risk of extinction owing to their wide distribution and perceived abundance. However, 6.5% were considered threatened with extinction with a further 4.1% near threatened. Data deficiency prevented 13.8% of species from being categorised although they also possess characteristics that signal concern. Where hotspots of endemism occur, most notably in the Eastern Atlantic, 42.9% of the 98 species from that biogeographical region were classified as threatened or near threatened with extinction. All 14 species included in the highest categories of Critically Endangered and Endangered are endemic to either Cape Verde or Senegal, with each of the three Critically Endangered species restricted to single islands in Cape Verde. Threats to all these species are driven by habitat loss and anthropogenic disturbance, in particular from urban pollution, tourism and coastal development. Our findings show that levels of extinction risk to which cone snails are exposed are of a similar magnitude to those seen in many fully assessed terrestrial taxa. The widely held view that marine species are less at risk is not upheld.     

Diversity of saproxylic bryophytes in old‐growth and managed beech forests in the central Balkans

Abstract

The diversity of saproxylic bryophyte species in beech forest stands from the wide region of the central Balkans (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro) was studied, and this study is the first of such a type in SE Europe. Comparison of preserved old‐growth and managed forests were made. Bryophyte species diversity is higher in primeval forest stands where the spectra of dead wood in various decaying stages of its dynamics are present. The ecological group of epixylic specialists is predominant among the bryophytes recorded. Threatened bryophyte species occur in old‐growth beech stands. The dead wood as habitat together with some other factors are extremely important for the surviving of epixylic bryophyte; so these species can be used as bioindicator bryophyte species of old‐growth or managed and structured forest ecosystems.     

中国大型真菌红色名录评估研究进展

大型真菌具有重要的生态价值和经济价值, 但由于环境污染、气候变化、生境丧失与破碎化, 以及资源过度利用等因素, 其生物多样性受到严重威胁。为了全面评估中国大型真菌的生存状况, 国家生态环境部(原环境保护部)联合中国科学院于2016年启动了《中国生物多样性红色名录——大型真菌卷》的编制工作。经广泛和全面收集文献资料, 依据IUCN物种红色名录等级与标准, 结合大型真菌特点和国内研究现状, 制定了中国大型真菌红色名录评估方法和流程, 动员和组织了全国相关研究力量, 对9,302种大型真菌的受威胁状况进行了评估。结果显示, 中国大型真菌受威胁物种(包括疑似灭绝、极危、濒危、易危)共97个, 占被评估物种总数的1.04%; 近危101种, 占总数的1.09%; 无危2,764种, 占总数的29.71%; 数据不足6,340种, 占总数的68.16%。此次评估工作汇集了全国140多位专家的智慧, 是国内外迄今为止涉及物种数量最大、类群范围最宽、覆盖地域最广、参与人员最多的一次大型真菌生存状况评估, 对我国大型真菌多样性保护与管理具有重要意义。     

中国两栖动物受威胁现状评估

为了了解我国两栖动物受威胁现状和致危因素, 进而制定相关的保护措施和开展国际合作, 本文依据中国两栖动物野生种群与生境现状, 利用《IUCN物种红色名录濒危等级和标准》(3.1版)和《IUCN物种红色名录标准在国家或地区的应用指南》(4.0版), 对中国已知的408种两栖动物的濒危状况进行了评估, 并编制了《中国两栖动物红色名录》。评估结果表明: 中国两栖动物有1种灭绝, 1种区域灭绝, 受威胁的两栖动物共计176种, 占评估物种总数的43.1%, 明显高于《IUCN濒危物种红色名录》(2015)的物种受威胁率(30.8%)。中国两栖动物特有种272种, 其中48.9%属于受威胁物种。中国两栖动物受威胁比例最高的目是有尾目(63.4%), 明显高于无尾目(39.0%); 受威胁比例最高的科是隐鳃鲵科(Cryptobranchidae) (仅有1种, 100%受威胁), 小鲵科(Hynobiidae) (86.7%)和叉舌蛙科(Dicroglossidae) (78.1%)。有11个省区的受威胁物种数占本省区两栖动物物种总数的30%及以上, 前3位分别是四川(40.8%)、广西(39.2%)和云南(37%)。中国大多数两栖动物物种分布在西南山地和华南地区, 以海拔2,000 m以下区域为主。栖息地退化或丧失、捕捉、环境污染列受威胁两栖动物致危因子的前3位。鉴于中国两栖动物区系的复杂性和独特性, 进一步加强两栖动物资源调查、种群和生境监测及相关科学研究, 仍是今后一段时期开展两栖动物多样性保护和濒危物种拯救行动的关键性基础工作。     

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。     

The use of specimen information influences the outcomes of Red List assessments: the case of southern African plant specimens

Information contained on specimen labels of natural history collections is often the most reliable and available source of information to guide conservation decisions. When used for making IUCN Red List assessments, the inherent limitations associated with specimen information affect the assignment of Red List categories, and the case of the southern African plant Red Lists reflects this. Red List assessments that are based on specimen information can result in predictable outcomes, namely the tendency to assign the following categories: Data Deficient, Lower Risk-least concern, Vulnerable D2 or a threatened category using Criterion B. The reason for this is that specimen information satisfies distribution parameters of the IUCN system more readily than demographic parameters.     

中国松杉类植物濒危等级划分的比较

本文根据世界保护监测中心(WCMC)和国际松杉类植物专家(CSG)编制的濒危植物名录,以及中国植物红皮书(第1卷)列出中国受威胁松杉类植物共141种及变种。通过对上述三者濒危等级的比较表明,它们在中国松杉类植物濒危等级的划分上并不完全一致,主要原因是划分物种濒危等级的标准不同或资料依据不完全等。最后,作者根据1994年IUCN提出的物种受威胁等级划分标准草案(2.3版本),对中国松杉类一些濒危种类的等级划分作了初步分析和讨论。