*****
“
Human beings are stewards of the earth and
we are responsible for protecting the species that share our environment,” says
Simon Stuart, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission
.
*****
The last
update
(November, 2011) of the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) ‘Red List of Threatened Species’
illustrates the efforts undertaken by IUCN and
its partners to cover greater
number and diversity of species
along with improved quality of information,
thus leading to a better
picture of the state of biodiversity.
With over 61,900 species reviewed
the “update offers both good and bad
news on the status of many species around the world,” said Jane Smart, Director, IUCN Global Species Program.
“We have the knowledge that conservation works if executed in a timely manner,
yet, without strong political will in combination with targeted efforts and
resources, the wonders of nature and the services it provides can be lost forever.”
Despite the
action of conservation programs, 25% of mammals are at risk of extinction. For
example, the reassessments of several Rhinoceros species show that the subspecies
of the Black Rhino in western Africa, the Western Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis longipes) has
officially been declared Extinct.
The
subspecies of the White Rhino in central Africa, the Northern White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) is
currently teetering on the brink of extinction and has been listed as Possibly
Extinct in the Wild.
The Javan
Rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus)
is also making its last stand, as the subspecies Rhinoceros
sondaicus annamiticus is probably extinct, following the poaching
of what is thought to be the last animal in Viet Nam in 2010. Although this is
not the end of the Javan Rhino, it does reduce the species to a single, tiny,
declining population on Java.
A lack of
political support and will power for conservation efforts in many rhino
habitats, international organized crime groups targeting rhinos and increasing
illegal demand for rhino horns and commercial poaching are the main threats
faced by rhinos.
“Human
beings are stewards of the earth and we are responsible for protecting the
species that share our environment,” says Simon
Stuart, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. “In the
case of both the Western Black Rhino and the Northern White Rhino the situation
could have had very different results if the suggested conservation measures
had been implemented. These measures must be strengthened now, specifically
managing habitats in order to improve breeding performance, preventing other
rhinos from fading into extinction.”
Several
conservation successes have already been achieved including the Southern White
Rhino subspecies (Ceratotherium simum simum),
which has increased from a population of less than 100 at the end of the 19th
century, to an estimated wild population of over 20,000.
The
Przewalski’s Horse (Equus ferus) is
another success story, improving its status from Critically Endangered to
Endangered. Originally, it was listed as Extinct in the Wild in 1996, but
thanks to a captive breeding program and a successful reintroduction program,
the population is now estimated at more than 300.
Reptiles
make up a significant component of biodiversity, particularly in dryland
habitats and on islands around the world. In recent years, many more reptile
species have been assessed including most of those found in Madagascar. The
current Red List reveals that an alarming 40% of Madagascar’s terrestrial
reptiles are threatened. The 22 Madagascan species currently identified as
Critically Endangered, which include chameleons, geckoes, skinks and snakes,
are now a conservation challenge.
The new
information helps informed biodiversity planning and allows for an evaluation
of the protection that protected areas offer to reptiles in Madagascar.
Encouragingly, there are new conservation areas being designated in Madagascar
that will help conserve a significant proportion of Critically Endangered
species, such as Tarzan’s Chameleon (Calumma
tarzan), the Bizarre-nosed Chameleon (Calumma
hafahafa) and the Limbless Skink (Paracontias
fasika).
Because of
their IUCN Red List status, those species which have traditionally been
overlooked in conservation efforts, such as the Endangered geckos Paroedura masobe and Uroplatus pietschmanni will now
be featured more prominently in future plans.
Plants are
an essential resource for human well-being and are a critical component for
wildlife habitats, yet they are still underrepresented on the IUCN Red List.
Current work underway to increase knowledge includes a review of all Conifers.
The results so far uncover some disturbing trends. The Chinese Water Fir (Glyptostrobus pensilis), for
example, which was formerly widespread throughout China and Viet Nam has moved
from Endangered to Critically Endangered.
The main
cause of decline is the loss of habitat to expanding intensive agriculture and
in China there appear to be no wild plants remaining. The largest group of
recently discovered Chinese Water Fir in LAO PDR was killed through flooding
for a newly constructed hydro scheme and very few, if any, of the trees in Viet
Nam produce viable seeds, meaning that this species is rapidly moving towards
becoming Extinct in the Wild.
Another
example, Taxus contorta,
which is used to produce Taxol, a chemotherapy drug, has moved from Vulnerable to
Endangered due to over-exploitation for medicinal use and over-collection for
fuel wood and fodder. Many other tropical plant species are also at risk. The
majority of endemic flowering plants in the granitic Seychelles islands have
been assessed and current studies show that of the 79 endemic species, 77% are
at risk of extinction.
Most of
these are new assessments but one species, the infamous Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica) has been
uplisted from Vulnerable to Endangered. Known for its supposed aphrodisiac
properties, the Coco de Mer faces threats from fires and illegal harvesting of
its kernels. Presently, all collection and sale of its seed is highly
regulated, but there is thought to be a significant black market trade in the
kernels.
The IUCN Red
List keeps apace with scientific discoveries—for example, until recently only
one species of Manta Ray was known, but new comparisons of field observations
now reveal that there are actually two species of ‘manta’: the Reef Manta Ray (Manta alfredi) and the Giant
Manta Ray (Manta birostris),
both of which are now classified as Vulnerable.
The GiantManta Ray is the largest living ray, which can grow to more than seven meters
across. Manta Ray products have a high value in international trade markets and
targeted fisheries hunt them for their valuable gill rakers used in traditional
Chinese medicine. Monitoring and regulation of the exploitation and trade of
both manta ray species is urgently needed, as well as protection of key
habitats.
The results
of the assessments of all species of scombrids (tunas, bonitos, mackerels and
Spanish mackerels) and billfishes (swordfish and marlins) were published
recently in the magazine Science.
The detailed
results now on the IUCN Red List show that the situation is particularly
serious for tunas. Five of the eight species of tuna are in the threatened or
Near Threatened categories. These include: Southern Bluefin (Thunnus maccoyii), Critically
Endangered; Atlantic Bluefin (T. thynnus),
Endangered; Bigeye (T. obesus),
Vulnerable; Yellowfin (T. albacares),
Near Threatened; and Albacore (T. alalunga),
Near Threatened. This information will be invaluable in helping governments
make decisions which will safeguard the future of these species, many of which
are of extremely high economic value.
The
assessment for the Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus
nerka), an iconic salmon species found in the North Pacific, was
recently reviewed. Whilst the species’ global status remains the same, Least
Concern, the assessment at the subpopulation scale shows elevated threats to
the species in its North America habitats, with 31% of the assessed
subpopulations threatened, underscoring the need for continued conservation
action.
Amphibians
form a vital role in ecosystems, are indicators of environmental health, and
are literally ‘hopping pharmacies’ being used in the search for new medicines.
As one of the most threatened groups, amphibians are closely monitored by IUCN
and 26 recently discovered Amphibians have been added to the IUCN Red List.
The Blessed
Poison Frog (Ranitomeya benedicta)
is currently listed as Vulnerable and the Summers’ Poison Frog (Ranitomeya summersi) is endangered.
Both are threatened by habitat loss and harvesting for the international pet
trade.
“The IUCN
Red List is critical as an indicator of the health of biodiversity, in
identifying conservation needs and informing necessary changes in policy and
legislation to drive conservation forward,” says Jean-Christophe Vie, Deputy Director of IUCN’s Global Species
Program. “The world is full of marvelous species that are
rapidly moving towards becoming things of myth and legend if conservation
efforts are not more successfully implemented—if we do not act now, future
generations may not know what a Chinese Water Fir or a Bizarre-nosed Chameleon
look like”, says Jean-Christophe Vie.
IUCN 'Red List' constantly reminds us of the need and urgency to safeguard the species under threat; in a way, the List ensures a hope that must be translated into action, and action into conservation to change the threatened status of the species.
Quotes from
IUCN Red List Partner Organizations
“Red list
assessments are essential for guiding conservation action. Botanic gardens
around the world use the IUCN Red List to prioritize which species to study,
grow, conserve and restore in the wild,” says Dry Sara Oldfield, Secretary General of Botanic
Gardens Conservation International. “The latest update shows
that we need to act urgently.”
“Protected areas are essential for conservation of Madagascar’s many reptiles
and other threatened endemic species,” says Russell
Mittermeier, Conservation International President and Vice President of IUCN.
“Indeed without them, few of these unique creatures would survive. We are still
far from understanding the full diversity of Madagascar’s fauna and flora since
species new to science are being discovered every year.”
"There
are 380,000 species of plants named and described, with about 2,000 being added
to the list every year. At Kew we estimate one in five of these are likely to
be under threat of extinction right now, before we even factor in the impacts
of climate change,” says Dr Tim
Entwisle, Director, Conservation, Living Collections and Estates, the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew. “The Red Listing process highlights the
state of knowledge for some of the critical groups like conifers and is the
first step towards understanding and dealing with one of the biggest problems
we have to face in the 21st Century - species extinction. For plants we are
calibrating the Barometer of Life; for their relatives, the fungi and algae, we
still have little sense of what is out there and what we are losing."
“Each update
of the IUCN Red List brings both encouraging and discouraging news. First it
demonstrates that concentrated conservation actions, backed by solid natural
and social science and local engagement, will result in successful efforts to
conserve threatened species,” says Thomas E.
Lacher, Jr., Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M
University. “However it also demonstrates that there is much
still to accomplish, with worsening conditions for many species, including
those only recently described.”
“It is clear
to me that society now has the capability to reverse species declines,” says Prof Jonathan Baillie, Director of
Conservation Programs at ZSL. “Fundamentally, it
is our values that need to change if we are to avert the looming extinction
crisis.”
“Expanding
both the number and diversity of species assessed on the IUCN Red List is
imperative if we are to conserve the natural world.” says Richard Edwards, Chief Executive of
Wildscreen, who are working with the IUCN to help raise the
public profile of the world’s threatened species, through the power of wildlife
and environmental imagery. “We need to address our disconnection from the
natural world, and will only succeed in rescuing species from the brink of
extinction, if we successfully communicate their plight, significance, value
and importance.” (Source: IUCN media release)
