Species dying off at unprecedented rate, researchers say

<body leftmargin="0" bgcolor="#000060" text="#FFFFFF" link="#FFFF00" vlink="#FF9900"> <b> <p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="4">Species dying off at unprecedented rate, researchers say</font></p> </b> <p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="1">Posted Nov. 18, 2004<br> Courtesy World Conservation Union<br> and World Science staff</font> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="2" face="Arial">From the mighty shark to the humble frog, the world’s biodiversity is declining at unprecedented rates, say scientists, based on what they say is the most comprehensive evaluation ever conducted of the world's biodiversity.</font></b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="2" face="Arial">The announcement was made at the World Conservation Union's World Conservation Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, this week. The findings are based on a report called the Global Species Assessment, released by a consortium of conservation groups in conjunction with the union's annual "Red List" of threatened species. </font></b> </p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">"There is some good news," said a statement released by the World Conservation Union (WCU), an environmental organization, this week regarding the findings. "Conservation measures are already making a difference – a quarter of the world’s threatened birds have benefited from such measures. What is needed is more of them, and to focus them better."</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">The Global Species Assessment shows trends in biodiversity over four years since the last major analysis in 2000, and it includes, for the first time, complete assessments of amphibians, cycads (an ancient group of plants) and conifers, as well as regional case studies. It also highlights which species are at greatest risk of extinction, where they occur, and the many threats facing them.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">“Governments are starting to realise the value of biodiversity and the critical role it plays in their peoples’ well-being. Species provide food, medicine, fuel, and building materials. They help filter water, decompose waste, generate soil and pollinate crops. Recognition of this is growing but governments need to mobilize far more resources,” said David Brackett, Chairman of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">In 1996 it was revealed that one in eight birds (12%) and one in four mammals (23%) were threatened with extinction (falling into the Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable categories). This infamous line-up has now been joined by one in three amphibians (32%) and almost half (42%) of turtles and tortoises, according to the World Conservation Union.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">With amphibians relying on freshwater, their catastrophic decline is a warning about the state of the planet’s water resources, the report said. Even though the situation in freshwater habitats is less well known than for terrestrial, early signs show it is equally serious. More than half (53%) of Madagascar’s freshwater fish are threatened with extinction.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">The vast ocean depths are providing little refuge to many marine species which are being over-exploited to the point of extinction. Nearly one in five (18%) of assessed sharks and rays are threatened.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Many plants have also been assessed, but only conifers and cycads have been completely evaluated with 25% and 52% threatened respectively.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">For the first time, the assessment includes the Red List Index, a new tool for measuring trends in extinction risk. This shows overall changes in threat status (projected risk of extinction) over time for a particular group. It will be important for measuring changes in biodiversity. Red List Indices are currently available for birds and amphibians, and show that their status has declined steadily since the 1980s.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">“Although 15,589 species are known to be threatened with extinction, this greatly underestimates the true number as only a fraction of known species have been assessed. There is still much to be discovered about key species-rich habitats, such as tropical forests, marine and freshwater systems or particular groups, such as invertebrates, plants and fungi, which make up the majority of biodiversity,” says Craig Hilton-Taylor, the World Conservation Union’s Red List Programme Officer.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">People, either directly or indirectly, are the main reason for most species’ declines. Habitat destruction and degradation are the leading threats but other significant pressures include over-exploitation for food, pets, and medicine, introduced species, pollution and disease. Climate change is increasingly recognised as a serious threat.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">“It is clear that the situation facing our species is serious and getting worse. We can continue to assess and bemoan the loss of the world’s biodiversity or we can act! We must refocus and rethink the way in which society must respond to this global threat,” says Achim Steiner, the World Conservation Union's Director General.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">“While most threats to biodiversity are human-driven, human actions alone can prevent many species from becoming extinct. There are many examples of species being brought back from the brink including the southern white rhino and black-footed ferret, and thousands of dedicated people around the world are doing their utmost to reverse the extinction rate,” he added. “But this cannot continue to be the task of the environmental community alone. Governments and business must commit to these efforts as well”.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Since the release of the 2003 Red List, more than 15,633 new entries have been added and 3,579 species reassessed. There are now 7,266 threatened animal species and 8,323 threatened plant and lichen species. A total of 784 plant and animal species are now recorded as Extinct with a further 60 known only in cultivation or captivity.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Since 2003, there have been some notable changes to the list, including some marked deteriorations, like the St Helena olive (from Extinct in the Wild to Extinct), the Hawaiian crow (from Critically Endangered to Extinct in the Wild), the Balearic shearwater (From Near Threatened to Critically Endangered), the giant Hispaniolan galliwasp lizard (from Near Threatened to Critically Endangered), and an African begonia, Begonia oxyanthera (from Near Threatened to Vulnerable).</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">But there have also been some improvements, such as the European otter (from Vulnerable to Near Threatened) and the Christmas Island Imperial pigeon (from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable).</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">The 2004 assessment shows that threatened species are often concentrated in densely populated areas, particularly in much of Asia and parts of Africa. A major conservation challenge will therefore be to reconcile the demands of large numbers of people on the environment, whilst protecting the biodiversity upon which so many people’s livelihoods depend.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">The importance of international support in safeguarding biodiversity is critical says the assessment. Many countries with a high concentration of threatened species have a low Gross National Income (GNI) per capita and are unable to implement the required conservation measures without international assistance.</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Some key findings from the Global Species Assessment</font></b></p> <ul> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Numbers of threatened species are increasing across almost all the major taxonomic groups.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">The marine environment is not as well known as the terrestrial environment but initial findings show that marine species are just as vulnerable to extinction as their terrestrial counterparts.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Freshwater habitats are also poorly known, but recent surveys reveal that many aquatic species are threatened with extinction.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Most threatened birds, mammals, and amphibians are located on the tropical continents - Central and South America, Africa south of the Sahara, and tropical South and Southeast Asia. These regions contain the tropical broadleaf forests which are believed to harbour the majority of the earth’s living terrestrial and freshwater species.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Australia , Brazil, China, Indonesia and Mexico hold particularly large numbers of threatened species.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Countries with high numbers of threatened species and relatively low GNI include Brazil, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Peru and the Philippines.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">The world’s list of extinctions increases – from 766 in 2000 to 784 documented extinctions since 1500 AD.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Although estimates vary greatly, current extinction rates are at least one hundred to a thousand times higher than background, or "natural" rates.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Over the past 20 years, 27 documented extinctions or extinctions in the wild have occurred but this underestimates the true number that have taken place.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">While the vast majority of extinctions since 1500 AD have occurred on oceanic islands, over the last 20 years, continental extinctions have become as common as island extinctions.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Humans have been the main cause of extinction and continue to be the principle threat to species at risk of extinction.</font></b> <li><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Habitat loss, introduced species, and over-exploitation are the main threats, with human-induced climate change becoming an increasingly significant problem.</font></b></li> </ul> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">A comprehensive information kit including profiles, case studies, photos, and graphics is available on the IUCN website: <a href="http://www.iucn.org/">www.iucn.org</a></font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">The Global Species Assessment is available from the IUCN Bookstore <a href="http://www.iucn.org/bookstore/">http://www.iucn.org/bookstore/</a> or can be downloaded from the IUCN website: www.iucn.org</font></b></p> <p><b><font size="2" face="Arial">The IUCN Red List is available as a searchable database online at <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/">www.iucnredlist.org</a></font></b></p> <p> <b> <font size="2" face="Arial"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/world-science">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/world-science</a></font> </b> </p> </body>