In August 2022, researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences published in Proceedings of the Royal Society Open Science that dugongs in China are functionally extinct. They are currently classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but researchers are recommending that the species be uplisted to endangered. These friendly-looking sea creatures were once mistakenly known as "mermaids" by sailors. The downlist takes place after an observation period of at least five years to ensure that the recovery progress is genuine.ĭugongs are large sea mammals that move slowly in shallow waters and graze on seaweed. The Brazilian Guarajuba tree (Terminalia acuminata) has been listed as extinct in the wild since 1998 but was re-listed as endangered in 2021 after several specimens were discovered unexpectedly at the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden in 2015.Ĭhanges in category are decided very carefully. Source: Global Trees Campaign Terminalia_acuminata - Global Trees The species' status is reassessed periodically and may be uplisted or downlisted. The IUCN then evaluates the submission and, if certain criteria are met, adds the species to the Red list. Anyone with sufficient knowledge of the species can submit information about an endangered species to the IUCN after completing a free training program. How do species get on the IUCN Red List? And can species change categories?Ī. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species categorizes species as Data Deficient when there is insufficient data to decide, such as the killer whale and the armored armadillo. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™: July 2022 Update – YouTubeĪnother group of species that we should pay particular attention to are those under the Data Deficient category. In particular, three categories are categorized as threatened: ▲critically endangered (CR), ▲endangered (EN) and ▲vulnerable (VU).Ĭurrently 42,108 species (28% of the Red List) are categorized as "threatened," meaning they need more attention and management to avoid extinction. The higher in the category, higher the likelihood of extinction from Earth. ㆍNot evaluated (NE) : No assessment has been made ㆍData deficient (DD) : Not enough information on abundance or distribution to estimate its risk of extinction (approx. ㆍLeast concern (LC) : Population is stable enough that it is unlikely to face extinction in the near future (77,491 species) ㆍNear Threatened (NT) : Close to qualifying, or likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future (8,816 species) ㆍVulnerable (VU) : Facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. ㆍEndangered (EN) : Facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild ㆍCritically endangered (CE) : Facing extremely high risk of extinction in the wild ㆍExtinct in the wild (EW) : Known only to survive in captivity, cultivation or well outside its natural range The IUCN distinguishes between current extinctions and past extinctions based on the year 1500 ㆍExtinct (EX) : There is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. The 150,388 animal and plant species are categorized into nine categories based on their extinction risk, which is assessed by the following: geographic range, population size and speed of population decline or increase. Visit the IUCN website for a list of threatened species IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The global "Criteria for Assessing the Conservation Status of Animal and Plant Species" published in 1994 introduced a nine-category system that is still in use today. The first comprehensive list of the conservation status of Earth’s animal and plant species was created in 1963, and it has since been continually updated and refined. The World Wide Fund for Nature has reported that 69% of vertebrates on Earth have declined in the last 50 years, so the actual number of endangered species is probably much higher. While 150,388 may seem like a large number, it represents only 7% of the number of plant and animal species on Earth. The IUCN Red list is a report on biodiversity published every two to five years by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which organizes 150,388 plant and animal species into nine groups according to their level of threatened extinction. It categorizes each species into one of nine levels of threatened status.Ī. The IUCN Red List is a compilation of around 150,388 species of plants and animals that have been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
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