Wildlife in a Changing World: An Analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

182 Pages·2009·14.654 MB·English

by  Vie, Jean-Christophe(Editor);Hilton-Taylor, Craig(Editor);Stuart, Simon N(Editor)

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Wildlife in a changing world
An analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species™

Wildlife in a changing world
An analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species™
Edited by Jean-Christophe Vié, Craig Hilton-Taylor, and Simon N. Stuart
The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN
concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily refl ect those of IUCN.
This publication has been made possible in part by funding from the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland
Red List logo: © 2008
Copyright: © 2009 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder
provided the source is fully acknowledged.
Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Citation: Vié, J.-C., Hilton-Taylor, C. and Stuart, S.N. (eds.) (2009). Wildlife in a Changing World – An Analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 180 pp.
ISBN: 978-84-96553-63-7
Editors: Chief Editor: Jean-Christophe Vié
Editors: Craig Hilton-Taylor and Simon N. Stuart
Cover design: Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain
Cover photo: Iberian Lynx Lynx pardinus. © Joe Zammit-Lucia
Layout by: Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain
Produced by: Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain
Printed by: Ingoprint, S.A., Barcelona, Spain
Available from: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
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Contents
Foreword – Holly T. Dublin ..........................................................................................................................................................VII
Preface – Julia Marton Lefèvre and Jane Smart ............................................................................................................................IX
Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................................................XI
1. The IUCN Red List: a key conservation tool ........................................................................................................1
Jean-Christophe Vié, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Caroline Pollock, James Ragle, Jane Smart, Simon Stuart and Rashila Tong
2. State of the world’s species ......................................................................................................................................15
Craig Hilton-Taylor, Caroline M. Pollock, Janice S. Chanson, Stuart H.M. Butchart, Thomasina E.E. Oldfi eld and Vineet Katariya
3. Freshwater biodiversity: a hidden resource under threat ............................................................................43
William Darwall, Kevin Smith, David Allen, Mary Seddon, Gordon McGregor Reid, Viola Clausnitzer and Vincent Kalkman
4. Status of the world’s marine species ....................................................................................................................55
Beth A. Polidoro, Suzanne R. Livingstone, Kent E. Carpenter, Brian Hutchinson, Roderic B. Mast, Nicolas Pilcher,
Yvonne Sadovy de Mitcheson, Sarah Valenti
5. Broadening the coverage of biodiversity assessments ...............................................................................67
Ben Collen, Mala Ram, Nadia Dewhurst, Viola Clausnitzer, Vincent Kalkman, Neil Cumberlidge, Jonathan E.M. Baillie
6. Species susceptibility to climate change impacts .........................................................................................77
Wendy Foden, Georgina M. Mace, Jean-Christophe Vié, Ariadne Angulo, Stuart H.M. Butchart, Lyndon DeVantier, Holly Dublin,
Alexander Gutsche, Simon Stuart and Emre Turak
7. The Mediterranean: a biodiversity hotspot under threat .............................................................................89
Annabelle Cuttelod, Nieves García, Dania Abdul Malak, Helen Temple and Vineet Katariya
Appendices
1. Summary of the fi ve criteria used to evaluate if a taxon belongs in a threatened category ......................................................103
2. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ threat categories scale .....................................................................................104
3. Sources for numbers of described species used in Table 1 of the chapter State of the World’s Species ...............................105
4. Summary of number of animal species in each Red List Category in each taxonomic class .................................................106
5. Summary of number of plant species in each Red List Category in each taxonomic class ....................................................107
6. Number of species in each Red List Category in each major animal taxonomic group (Class, Order) .....................................108
7. Number of species in each Red List Category in each major plant taxonomic group (Class, Family) ......................................114
8. Number of threatened species in each major group of organisms in each country ................................................................123
9. Number of extinct, threatened and other species of animals in each Red List Category in each country ................................130
10. Number of extinct, threatened and other species of plants in each Red List Category in each country ..................................137
11. Number of endemic and threatened endemic species per country for completely assessed taxonomic groups
(mammals, birds, amphibians, freshwater crabs, reef-forming corals, conifers, cycads) ........................................................143
12. Species changing IUCN Red List Category for genuine reasons ..........................................................................................150
VI
Foreword
People all over the world are becoming contribution to Red List assessments – a for reporting through the United Nations
increasingly aware of the growing tangible and enduring demonstration Framework Convention on Climate Change
challenges facing our future and of the vital of their passion and commitment to or towards refi ning our knowledge of
links between the natural world and human conserving the world’s species. migratory species apropos the Convention
wellbeing. For generations, views on the on Migratory Species.
status of the world’s species remained The process of conducting Red List
largely speculative and highly focused on assessments is extremely labour The Red List has grown continuously
large, charismatic mammals but in recent intensive; historically a labour of love in terms of its technical strength and
times we are beginning to understand the delivered through close cooperation breadth, providing a particularly unique and
overall situation of biodiversity far better - and collaboration amongst members important tool for decision makers. With all
from the smallest invertebrates and fungi of the SSC, staff of the IUCN Species species of amphibians, birds, mammals,
to the great trees of our forests and the Programme, and other contributing reef-building corals, freshwater crabs,
whales of our oceans. individuals and institutions around the conifers, cycads and subsets of other
world. The production of this Analysis of taxonomic groups now assessed, the
One of the tools that has helped us to The 2008 Red List has been no exception Red List provides an important foundation
“connect-the-dots” is The IUCN Red and continues in our longstanding tradition. piece for conservationists by describing
List of Threatened SpeciesTM – the most the patterns of species conservation status
comprehensive information source on In this volume, you will fi nd the most up- across landscapes and seascapes. The
the global conservation status of the to-date information on the patterns of reader will fi nd that in some areas of the
world’s plant and animal species. For species facing extinction in some of the world, for example the Mediterranean, our
decades, IUCN has brought together the most important ecosystems in the world knowledge on the extent, magnitude and
knowledge of thousands of the world’s and the reasons behind their declining causes of threat is even greater for a wider
leading authorities on species conservation status. For managers this information spectrum of species; especially highly
through its expert network known as the will assist in designing and delivering threatened endemics. Such information
Species Survival Commission (SSC). targeted action to mitigate these threats. is crucial for conservation planning at the
Comprised of over 100 taxonomic and From a policy perspective, the Red List national, regional and global level.
thematic Specialist Groups as well offers a progressively more valuable tool.
as targeted, time-bound Task Forces Increasingly it provides the fundamental As a result of its continual updating,
to tackle contemporary challenges, information needed to deliver indicators expansion and deepening of content, we
the SSC continues to keep pace with for tracking: progress against national now know better than ever before that the
the emerging issues confronting the obligations under the Convention on prognosis for species across the Planet is
conservation of species across the planet. Biological Diversity; the conservation dire. This volume reports new information on
Formed six decades ago, the SSC now status of those species in international freshwater and marine species, which deliver
comprises almost 8,000 members - their trade under Convention on International important ecosystem services, including
tireless, voluntary efforts help to expand Trade in Endangered Species; the extent the provisioning of protein to some of the
the frontiers of science through their and magnitude of climate change impacts world’s poorest communities. These species
VII
are now known to be facing extreme threat will provide predictive abilities to long-range authoritative global standards supporting
from overexploitation and habitat loss. The planning and policy development as the policy and action to conserve species
new insights presented here also help us to effects of climate change are increasingly felt around the world. We hope this Analysis
better understand the most likely differential across the globe. of The 2008 Red List will provide you with
responses and geographical patterns new information and insights, which will
expected when the effects of global climate Through the dedicated efforts of thousands motivate you to actions of unprecedented
change begin to impact the world’s most of scientists and practitioners, The IUCN intensity and commitment on behalf of these
susceptible species. This cutting-edge work Red List has become one of the most fundamental building blocks of life on Earth.
Holly T. Dublin, Chair (2004-08), IUCN Species Survival Commission
VIII