| |
|
|
| |
An estimation of the rarity of
a species of
flora and
fauna. The smaller the
population, the rarer the
species is, and the more
critical the conservation status |
|
| |
|
|
The conservation status of a
species is an
indicator that tells us
of the possibility of the species to continue to survive. The
conservation status designates an estimate of
extinction risk.
Determining which plants and
animals are thriving and
which are rare or declining is crucial for targeting
conservation towards
those species and
habitats in greatest need.
Many factors are taken into account when assessing the
conservation status of a species: not simply the number
remaining, but the overall increase or decrease in the
population over time,
breeding success rates,
known threats, and so on.
The best-known worldwide conservation status listings are the
Red List of IUCN (International Union for the Conservation
of Nature) and the appendixes of
CITES
(Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species) but many more
specialised lists exist.
All these organizations conduct field studies and
population
surveys and gather information on animal and plant populations from local
sources. By coordinating with many other groups, they determine
how many individual animals or plants of a certain
species there
are in the world. This is usually an approximation, not an exact
number, because it would be hard to be absolutely sure that
every single individual was counted.
Once the number of the population has been determined, then that
species is given a term to describe its status, such as "endangered”
or "threatened,”
although the different agencies may use different terms.
IUCN Red List
It identifies and documents those species most in need of
conservation, according to internationally accepted criteria. The
primary categories, with an indication of the qualifying
criteria, are:
| |
Extinct |
No reasonable
doubt that the last individual has died. |
| |
Extinct in the wild |
Survives only in
captivity |
| |
Critically endangered |
Facing an
extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.. |
| |
Endangered |
A species facing
a very high risk of extinction that is likely to become
extinct in the near future |
| |
Threatened |
Facing a high
but not imminent risk of extinction in the wild |
| |
Near threatened |
likely to qualify as threatened in the near
future |
| |
Common: |
widespread and
abundant. |
| |
Unknown |
need more data
to be able to evaluate, or still needs to be evaluated |
CITES appendixes
| |
CITES Appendix I |
Species
threatened with extinction that are or may be affected by
trade. |
| |
CITES Appendix II |
Species that are
not necessarily now threatened with extinction, but may
become so unless trade is strictly controlled. |
| |
CITES Appendix III |
Species that a
country feels needs protection, regulating, and controlling
trade to prevent exploitation. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
