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availability on species; differences in the dates of assessments processes; the assessors’ attitudes to uncertainty; outdated red lists.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.     

Birds to watch: a Red Data List for East Africa

Bennun, L.A., Njoroge, P. & Pomeroy, D. 2000. Birds to watch: a Red Data List for East Africa. Ostrich 71 (1 & 2): 310–314.

The value of Red Data books and lists is well established; there has been much recent work on improving the criteria for listing species of conservation concern. So far these have been applied mainly at the global level. Regional lists can be useful, however, in improving the resolution of conservation priorities and setting an agenda for research, monitoring and conservation, especially where data are collected by amateur naturalists. A Red Data list for East African birds has been drawn up following an eight-month process that involved wide consultation within the region, defined as Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and Burundi. The criteria for listing were based on those defined by IUCN, and summarised in a single, simple table that could be used for screening large numbers of species. A criterion based on geographic range eliminated from consideration vagrant species or those on the extreme edge of their range. A separate Near Threatened category (Lower Risk but very close to Vulnerable) proved useful. An additional category of Regional Responsibility captured species that are entirely or mainly confiied to East Africa, or to three habitats where the region has special responsibility: coastal forests, Albertine Rift forests, and papyrus swamps. A total of 107 species (about 8% of the regional avifauna) were listed as regionally threatened. This includes four Critical, 18 Endangered and 85 Vulnerable species, proportions very close to those expected from the theoretical probabilities of extinction in each case. One hundred and four species were listed as Near-threatened and 153 as Regional Responsibility, 87 of which are not under threat. Placing a species in a particular category of threat, for explicit reasons, poses an hypothesis about its status that can be tested with additional data. This process is now under way with the compilation of a more detailed, annotated list.     

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.     

Warning times for species extinctions due to climate change

Climate change is likely to become an increasingly major obstacle to slowing the rate of species extinctions. Several new assessment approaches have been proposed for identifying climate‐vulnerable species, based on the assumption that established systems such as the IUCN Red List need revising or replacing because they were not developed to explicitly consider climate change. However, no assessment approach has been tested to determine its ability to provide advanced warning time for conservation action for species that might go extinct due to climate change. To test the performance of the Red List system in this capacity, we used linked niche‐demographic models with habitat dynamics driven by a ‘business‐as‐usual’ climate change scenario. We generated replicate 100‐year trajectories for range‐restricted reptiles and amphibians endemic to the United States. For each replicate, we categorized the simulated species according to IUCN Red List criteria at annual, 5‐year, and 10‐year intervals (the latter representing current practice). For replicates that went extinct, we calculated warning time as the number of years the simulated species was continuously listed in a threatened category prior to extinction. To simulate data limitations, we repeated the analysis using a single criterion at a time (disregarding other listing criteria). Results show that when all criteria can be used, the Red List system would provide several decades of warning time (median = 62 years; >20 years for 99% of replicates), but suggest that conservation actions should begin as soon as a species is listed as Vulnerable, because 50% of replicates went extinct within 20 years of becoming uplisted to Critically Endangered. When only one criterion was used, warning times were substantially shorter, but more frequent assessments increased the warning time by about a decade. Overall, we found that the Red List criteria reliably provide a sensitive and precautionary way to assess extinction risk under climate change.     

Wilderness and future conservation priorities in Australia

Aim Most approaches to conservation prioritization are focused on biodiversity features that are already threatened. While this is necessary in the face of accelerating anthropogenic threats, there have been calls to conserve large intact landscapes, often termed ‘wilderness’, to ensure the long‐term persistence of biodiversity. In this study, we examine the consequences of directing conservation expenditure using a threat‐based framework for wilderness conservation. Location The Australian continent. Methods We measured the degree of congruence between the extent of wilderness and the Australian protected area network in 2000 and 2006, which was established using a threat‐based systematic planning framework. We also assessed priority areas for future reserve acquisitions identified by the Australian government under the current framework. Results In 2000, 14% of Australia’s wilderness was under formal protection, while the protected area network covered only 8.5% of the continent, suggesting a historical bias towards wilderness protection. However, the expansion of the reserve system from 2000 to 2006 was biased towards non‐wilderness areas. Moreover, 90% of the wilderness that was protected over this period comprised areas not primarily designated for biodiversity conservation. We found a significant (P < 0.05) negative relationship between bioregions considered to be a priority for future reserve prioritization and the amount of wilderness they contain. Main conclusions While there is an urgent need to overcome past biases in reserve network design so as to better protect poorly represented species and habitats, prioritization approaches should not become so reactive as to ignore the role that large, intact landscapes play in conserving biodiversity, especially in a time of human‐induced climate change. This can be achieved by using current or future threats rather than past threats to prioritize areas, and by incorporating key ecological processes and costs of acquisition and management within the planning framework.     

Can an acoustic observatory contribute to the conservation of threatened species?

Observatories are designed to collect data for a range of uses. The Australian Acoustic Observatory (A2O) was established to collect environmental sound, including audible species calls, from 344 recorders at 86 sites around Australia. We examine the potential of the A2O to monitor near threatened, threatened, endangered and critically endangered species, based on their vocal behaviour, geographic distributions in relation to the sites of the A2O and on some knowledge of habitat use. Using IUCN and EPBC lists of threatened and endangered species, we extracted species that vocalized in the audible range, and using conservative estimates of their geographic ranges, determined whether there was a possibility of hearing them at these sites. We found that it may be possible to detect up to 171 threatened species at sites established for the A2O, and that individual sites have the potential to detect up to 40 threatened species. All 86 sites occurred in locations where threatened species could possibly be detected, and the list of detectable species included birds, amphibians, and mammals. We have incidentally detected one mammal and four bird species in the data during other work. Threatening processes to which potentially detectable species were exposed included all but two IUCN threat categories. We concluded that with applications of technology to search the audio data from the A2O, it could serve as an important tool for monitoring threatened species.     

Endemic birds of the Atlantic Forest: traits,conservation status,and patterns of biodiversity

The bird fauna of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest is exceptionally diverse and threatened, with high levels of endemism. Available lists of the endemic birds of the Atlantic Forest were generated before recent taxonomic revisions lumped or split species and before the recent increase in species occurrence records. Our objective, therefore, was to compile a new list of the endemic birds of the Atlantic Forest, characterize these species in terms of conservation status and natural history traits, and map remaining vegetation and protected areas. We combined GIS analysis with a literature search to compile a list of endemic species and, based on the phylogeny and distribution of these species, characterized areas in terms of species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and endemism. We identified 223 species of birds endemic to the Atlantic Forest, including 12 species not included in previous lists. In addition, 14 species included in previous lists were not considered endemic, either because they occur outside the Atlantic Forest biome or because they are not considered valid species. The typical Atlantic Forest endemic bird is a small forest‐dependent invertivore. Of the species on our list, 31% are considered threatened or extinct. Only ~ 34% of the spatial analysis units had > 10% forest cover, and protected area coverage was consistently low (< 1%). In addition, we found spatial incongruity among the different measures of biodiversity (species richness, relative phylogenetic diversity, restricted‐range species, and irreplaceability). Each of these measures provides information concerning different aspects of biological diversity. However, regardless of which aspect(s) of biodiversity might be considered most important, preservation of the remaining areas of remnant vegetation and further expansion of protected areas are essential if we are to conserve the many endemic species of birds in the Atlantic Forest.     

Conservation tool or threatening process? management implications of interactions of cattle with vegetation and land at the Vale of Belvoir reserve

A recently purchased private reserve of high conservation value has been grazed in summer by cattle since the early nineteenth century. We ask whether the cattle are causing continuing damage and whether they are necessary to maintain any conservation values. We used five‐year‐old exclosures to determine the effects of cattle on wetland vegetation, mapped damage to soils and landforms and mapped cattle dung deposition in relation to the distributions of rare and threatened plant species. Cattle impacts on wetland plants were minor. Cattle damage to landforms by pugging and bank collapse was frequent near unfenced water bodies. Rare and threatened species were largely on well‐drained ground, while cattle dung was concentrated in wetlands and near water bodies. We conclude that cattle grazing is impacting some conservation values and is not necessary for conservation purposes. Destocking should be accompanied by careful monitoring of threatened plant populations. If necessary, alternative planned disturbances can provide regeneration niches for rare and threatened plants.     

Life-history characters and phylogeny are correlated with extinction risk in the Australian angiosperms

Aim To determine whether life‐history characters that affect population persistence (e.g. habit and life span) and those that influence reproductive success (e.g. sexual system and fruit type) are non‐randomly correlated with extinction risk (i.e. threat category) in the Australian flora (c. 19,000 species, of which c. 14% is threatened). To identify patterns that present useful conservation directions. To understand patterns of extinction risk in the Australian flora at a broad scale. Location Continental Australia. Methods A country‐wide exploration of four life‐history characters in the Australian flora (n = 18,822 species) was undertaken using reference texts, expert opinion, herbarium records and field work. For each character and threat‐category combination, a G‐test (using a log‐linear model) was performed to test the null hypothesis that the two factors were independent in their effects on count. A generalized linear model (GLM) with a logit link and binomial error distribution was constructed with the proportion of taxa in each extinction risk category as the response variable and the habit, sex and fruit‐type characters as explanatory terms. In a separate approach, we investigated patterns across the threat categories of non‐endangered extant, endangered, and extinct using a multinomial model. We examined whether or not species‐poor genera were more likely to contain threatened or extinct species than species‐rich genera. A GLM with a binomial error distribution and logit link function was constructed to obtain a weighted regression on the proportion of species listed as extinct or endangered within a genus versus the log of the size of the genus. We also used a supertree analysis and character tracing to investigate the role of phylogeny on extinction risk. Results We found that the Australian flora is primarily composed of bisexual shrubs with dry‐dehiscent fruits. Dioecious breeding systems (separate female and male flowers on separate plants) in many floras are the predominant unisexual system, but in Australia there are unexpectedly high levels of monoecy (separate female and male flowers on the same plant). Within the extinct data set of 31 species we detected a significant departure from that expected for habit but not for life span, sexual system or fruit type. There are significantly fewer trees on the extinct list than expected. This may reflect the greater resilience of trees than of other growth habits to extinction processes as well as the observation time‐frame. Within the endangered data set of 450 species we found significant differences in the representation of the observed characters from that expected within sex systems and fruit types. We show that, depending on the life form, unisexual breeding systems can be significantly and positively associated with endangered species compared with non‐threatened species. For example, there are more monoecious species than expected by chance among the tree species listed as endangered but fewer among the herbaceous life forms. Threat category was found to be non‐randomly clustered in some clades. Main conclusions Life‐history characters in certain combinations are predictive of extinction risk. Phylogeny is also an important component of extinction risk. We suggest that specific life‐history characters could be used for conservation planning and as an early warning sign for detecting vulnerability in lists of species.     

Protecting a single endangered species and meeting multiple conservation goals: an approach with Guaiacum sanctum in Yucatan Peninsula,Mexico

Aim New protected areas should consider safeguarding high conservation value sites based on multiple criteria and not just the presence of a single endangered or charismatic species. However, the extent to which complementary criteria coincide is usually unknown. We use the case of Guaiacum sanctum (Zygopyllaceae), an endangered timber tree species, to explore whether the protection of forests where this species is most abundant would meet other complementary conservation goals, such as capturing regional plant biodiversity, protecting other threatened/endemic species or safeguarding ecosystem services. Location Yucatan Peninsula, southern Mexico. Methods We conducted an analysis of the structure, composition and diversity of tree communities (including stems ≥5 cm dbh) at eight G. sanctum forest sites. We identified endemic and threatened tree species and quantified above‐ground tree biomass and carbon storage in these G. sanctum forests. Results Guaiacum sanctum forests contain 35–59 tree species on plots as small as 1000 m². The species composition of tree communities changed rapidly (high β‐diversity) across soil boundaries and rainfall regimes. Twenty‐one endemic and eight threatened tree species were recorded in our inventories. Individuals of G. sanctum represented up to 55% of the above‐ground carbon for trees ≥5 cm dbh. The high basal area of G. sanctum forests plus the high wood density, abundance, large size and longevity (more than 500 years) of G. sanctum and other tree species enhance the potential importance of these forests for carbon storage. Main conclusions A conservation strategy focused on protecting important populations of G. sanctum in the Yucatan Peninsula would have significant co‐benefits for conservation of regional tree species biodiversity and provision of critical ecosystem services. Our study illustrates a multiple criteria approach useful for the selection of areas with high conservation value on the basis of endemic, threatened species, species richness and ecosystem services.     

Taxonomy and conservation: a tale of two tinamou species groups (Tinamidae,Crypturellus)

Species delimitation has important consequences for the management of endangered species. Species‐level taxonomy in the genus Crypturellus (Tinamidae) has been based largely on plumage characters and species limits in several groups have been difficult to establish. Because some of the forms of uncertain taxonomic status are currently threatened with extinction, a basic understanding of species limits is crucial not only for taxonomists but also for conservation biologists and managers. We analysed vocal variation to assess species limits in two Crypturellus species‐groups, the red‐legged complex (Crypturellus erythropus and allied forms) and the brown tinamou Crypturellus obsoletus. In the red‐legged complex, where several species‐level taxa have been recognized by some authors, there is no obvious geographic variation in vocalizations and populations appear mostly continuously distributed, with plumage variation largely explicable in terms of environmental conditions. In the brown group, a single species is recognized, but we found marked geographic variation in vocalizations and populations have disjunct distributions; we propose that at least one of the populations in this group likely merits recognition as a separate species. We conclude that incomplete knowledge of patterns of variation in relevant traits in addition to the momentum carried by traditional taxonomy may potentially mislead conservation actions.     

Guiding the prioritization of the most endangered and evolutionary distinct birds for new zoo conservation programs

Zoos have played a pivotal role in the successful reinforcement and reintroduction of species threatened with extinction, but prioritization is required in the face of increasing need and limited capacity. One means of prioritizing between species of equal threat status when establishing new breeding programs is the consideration of evolutionary distinctness (ED). More distinct species have fewer close relatives such that their extinction would result in a greater overall loss to the Tree of Life. Considering global ex situ holdings of birds (a group with a complete and well‐detailed evolutionary tree), we investigate the representation of at‐risk and highly evolutionarily distinct species in global zoo holdings. We identified a total of 2,236 bird species indicated by the Zoological Information Management System as being held in zoological institutions worldwide. As previously reported, imperiled species (defined as those possessing endangered or critically endangered threat status) in this database are less likely to be held in zoos than non‐imperiled species. However, we find that species possessing ED scores within the top 10% of all bird species are more likely to be held in zoos than other species, possibly because they possess unique characteristics that have historically made them popular exhibits. To assist with the selection of high priority ED species for future zoo conservation programs, we provide a list of imperiled species currently not held in zoos, ranked by ED. This list highlights species representing particular priorities for ex situ conservation planners, and represents a practical tool for improving the conservation value of zoological collections.     

A spatial multicriteria decision analysis for selecting priority sites for plant species restoration: a case study from the Chilean biodiversity hotspot

Developing conservation strategies to restore populations of threatened species has been signaled as an important task by the Convention on Biological Diversity 2011–2020 targets. Species are being threatened not only by habitat loss and fragmentation but increasingly by climate change. As resources for conservation are often limited, and restoration is among the most expensive conservation strategies, developing approaches that help in the prioritization of areas for restoration efforts is a critical task. In this study, we propose a spatial multicriteria decision analysis (SMCDA) framework for identifying potential areas for plant species restoration initiatives that can explicitly take into account future climatic change. As a way to show how the framework can be applied, we took advantage of freely available niche modeling software and geospatial information to identify regional‐scale priority areas for restoration of two threatened endemic tree species (i.e. Bielschmiedia miersii and Pouteria splendens) of the “Chilean Winter Rainfall‐Valdivian Forest” Hotspot. The SMCDA framework allowed us not only to identify priority areas for species restoration but also to analyze how different environmental conditions and land‐use types may affect the selection of areas for species restoration. Our analysis suggests that the inclusion of climate change is a key factor to assess the potential areas for species restoration because species may respond differentially to future climatic conditions. This framework is conceived to be used as a complementary approach to available landscape‐scale spatial conservation planning tools.     

Applying complementary species vulnerability assessments to improve conservation strategies in the Galapagos Marine Reserve

Marine biodiversity can be protected by identifying vulnerable species and creating marine protected areas (MPAs) to ensure their survival. A wide variety of methods are employed by environmental managers to determine areas of conservation priority, however which methods should be applied is often a subject of debate for practitioners and scientists. We applied two species vulnerability assessments, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species and FishBase’s intrinsic vulnerability assessment, to fish communities in three coastal habitats (mangrove, rocky and coral) on the island of San Cristobal, Galapagos. When using the IUCN red list of threatened species, rocky reefs hosted the greatest number of vulnerable species, however when applying the FishBase assessment of intrinsic vulnerability mangroves hosted the greatest abundance of ‘very-highly’ vulnerable species and coral ecosystems hosted the greatest abundance of ‘highly’ vulnerable species. The two methods showed little overlap in determining habitat types that host vulnerable species because they rely on different biological and ecological parameters. Since extensive data is required for IUCN red list assessments, we show that the intrinsic vulnerability assessment from FishBase can be used to complement the IUCN red list especially in data-poor areas. Intrinsic vulnerability assessments are based on less data-intensive methods than the IUCN red list, but nonetheless may bridge information gaps that can arise when using the IUCN red list alone. Vulnerability assessments based on intrinsic factors are not widely applied in marine spatial planning, but their inclusion as a tool for forming conservation strategies can be useful in preventing species loss.     

The pitfall-trap of species conservation priority setting

To elucidate the factors underlying species conservation priority setting, we analysed the relationships among species’ structural complexity, scientific attention, threatened species listing, and conservation investments at different organisational levels, including global, European, national, and sub-national. Although the literature often highlights the need to consider criteria other than extinction risk status, our results show that an excessive use of Red lists still persists in the setting of conservation priorities. We found that organismal complexity, available scientific information, and species listing combine together to create a positive feed-back loop, in which more complex organisms have a larger proportion of threatened species in the Red lists and legal lists. This bias promotes research that is devoted to understanding conservation problems as well as more funds invested to solve them. We propose that a sort of pitfall-trap is currently constraining the species conservation priority setting, in which few species, mainly threatened and better-known species, tend to receive most of the funds and policy attention. To counteract this pitfall-trap, we highlight the need to increase scientific effort on lower taxa and expand Red lists to assess lesser-known taxonomic groups as well as the need to use other criteria for species conservation prioritisation.     

Black box and attics: Habitat selection and resource use by large threatened pythons in landscapes with contrasting human modification

Woodland and forest degradation, driven predominately by agricultural and pastoral production, is a crisis facing many species globally, in particular hollow‐dependent fauna. Large predatory species play important roles in both ecosystems and conservation strategies, but few studies have examined habitat selection of such species in intensively human‐modified landscapes. We quantified habitat selection and resource use by a large, top‐order and threatened snake (carpet python, Morelia spilota), between adjacent areas of high and low anthropogenic modification in inland Australia, a region that has undergone considerable alteration since European settlement. At the low‐impact site, snakes preferred tree hollows and a structurally complex understorey, whereas at the high‐impact site, snakes preferred homestead attics. Based on the decline of the species in this region, however, high‐impact landscapes may only support snakes when they are adjacent to low‐impact habitats. Invasive species comprised a large part of snake diets in both landscape types. Carpet pythons, with large home ranges and habitat requirements that overlap with many smaller threatened mammalian and avian fauna, are generally well liked and easily identifiable by rural landholders. Accordingly, they may play a key role in conservation strategies aimed at the protection of woodland and hollow‐dependent fauna in heavily modified landscapes of Australia's inland regions. However, invasive species, which tend to contribute to declines in native species inhabiting arid and semi‐arid Australia, are beneficial and important to pythons. Our study therefore highlights the diversity of effects that two major threats to biodiversity – habitat loss and invasive species – can have on different species within the same ecosystem.     

Global conservation status assessment of the threatened aquatic plant genus Baldellia (Alismataceae): challenges and limitations

In this study, the aquatic monocot Baldellia (Alismataceae) is used as a model for evaluating the general hindrances and shortfalls in the global conservation status assessment of a threatened taxon. Our study clearly shows that Linnean shortfalls (uncertainty in the number of species and taxonomy) and the Wallacean shortfall (fragmentary knowledge regarding distribution) form the basis for all other hindrances. We demonstrate that even in Europe, which has traditionally been very well investigated, between 60 and 75% of regions or countries possess no detailed distribution maps and/or data banks for Baldellia spp. Furthermore, between 50 and 60% of regions do not have any published red list category. Thus, only general conclusions concerning the global conservation status of the three Baldellia taxa are possible—a global assessment of conservation status for B. ranunculoides subsp. repens is nearly impossible. Baldellia ranunculoides s.str. shows a strong decline in practically all regions of its natural range, and thus it is probably the most threatened species in the genus. Baldellia alpestris is the least threatened species in the genus, even though it is a narrow endemic. Our case study clearly shows the need for reinforced coordination of research and conservation activities as well as an urgent need for data accessibility regarding taxonomic, chorological and conservation studies of endangered species. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Population Dynamics and Conservation of Commensal Bonnet Macaques

Whereas much attention is paid to the conservation and management of threatened species of primates, little work is reported on the species that are at lower risk. We report data on demography and population dynamics in commensal bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata radiata) sharing human habitats in Intensive Cultivation, Dry Cultivation and Scrub Forest zones around the city of Mysore, south India. We also compare the data with the previous data collected in 1989 and 1998 on the same groups by our research team. The population has suffered an overall decline of 21.3% (at an intrinsic rate (r) of –0.017) with Dry Cultivation habitat alone recording over 41% decline (r=–0.038) in 14 years. The Dry Cultivation habitat has also shown increased population fragmentation due to increased distance among groups, and decreased numbers of individuals per subpopulation. In Dry Cultivation areas, the number of small groups has been increasing, whereas the number of medium and large groups has been decreasing. We discuss such trends in the context of human-monkey conflict for shared resources. We propose that effective conservation strategies for lower risk species, especially if they are by-and-large commensal, must be planned now before they become threatened. We further propose that Scrub Forests with places of worship, and with the least human-monkey conflict but otherwise close to intensively used human habitats, are the most suitable and stable habitats for conservation of bonnet macaques.     

Investing in evolutionary history: implementing a phylogenetic approach for mammal conservation

Under the impact of human activity, global extinction rates have risen a thousand times higher than shown in the fossil record. The resources available for conservation are insufficient to prevent the loss of much of the world's threatened biodiversity during this crisis. Conservation planners have been forced to prioritize their protective activities, in the context of great uncertainty. This has become known as 'the agony of choice'. A range of methods have been proposed for prioritizing species for conservation attention; one of the most strongly supported is prioritizing those species that maximize phylogenetic distinctiveness (PD). We evaluate how a composite measure of extinction risk and phylogenetic isolation (EDGE) has been used to prioritize species according to their degree of unique evolutionary history (evolutionary distinctiveness, ED) weighted by conservation urgency (global endangerment, GE). We review PD-based approaches and provide an updated list of EDGE mammals using the 2010 IUCN Red List. We evaluate how robust this method is to changes in phylogenetic uncertainty, knowledge of taxonomy and extinction risk, and examine how mammalian species that rank highly in EDGE score are representative of the collective from which they are drawn.     

Assessing conservation priorities of threatened medicinal plants in China: A new comprehensive phylogenetic scoring system

Over-harvesting, habitat loss and fragmentation, and biological invasions have led to a sharp decline in wild medicinal plants population in China, where they are an essential component of traditional medicine and used widely. The current national list of protected medicinal materials, the State Key-protected Wild Medicinal Species List (SKPWMSL), which has not been revised for 30 years, is in urgent need of an update. This study proposes a new scoring system with seven indicators that set the conservation priorities of threatened medicinal plants. The advantages of our approach include: (i) quantitative methods with high repeatability and comparability; and (ii) consideration of the evolutionary history of medicinal species. After assessing 911 threatened medicinal angiosperms in China, we identified 112 species as key medicinal plants for conservation priority (KMPCP). We suggest promoting the SKPWMSL with KMPCP as a supplement and update. Meanwhile, our scoring system will improve the future setting of conservation priority and can be extended to other countries or regions.