Threatened Species: An Alert of Red List from IUCN

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) organization was established in 1964 to safeguard our natural species information details. This organization helps to identify the species when these are diminished due to abnormal issues in environmental forces or evolutionary changes in their population numbers. IUCN was recommended the information on the global risk status of plants, fungus, and animal species [1].

Overall world, the term “Biodiversity” and their conservation progress is an attentive one. As per IUCN, the announced Red List shows a critical condition of the world’s natural biodiversity. The major part of assessments representing on the Red List (in IUCN) are accounted out by following government/non-government members: 

• Species Survival Commission (SSC). 
• Red List Partners. 
• Red List Authorities (RLAs). 
• Other specialists (who working on assessment projects). 

It gives information about the probable range, habitat, population size, ecology, threats, and conservation issue, which help to make policy decisions. In specifically, IUCN Red list details are used by government organizations, wildlife, and forest department. At the same time non-governmental organizations (NGOs) took part in educational organizations, natural resource planners, and the business community [1,2]. The unexcepted information provides that biodiversity is declining. At present, there are more than 1,20,000 identified species on the Red List (in IUCN). Here, more than 32,000 selected species threatened with extinction, including 41% of amphibians, 34% of conifers, 33% of reef-building corals, 26% of mammals, and 14% of birds. 

The threatened species, we are under the progress to reverse it, or to halt, the decline in the supportive world natural biodiversity. In assessments, increased trends will guide to build the Red List into an enhanced more complete in ‘Barometer of Life’. Hopeful results are excepted to increasing the trend in the number of species assessed to around 1,60,000 by the end of 2020, which will enhance the global taxonomic system. The exposure of the Red List is a bit crucial not only for supporting finding those species requiring specified recovery effects but also for the attention in the conservation agenda that need to be for pre-cautionary activities. IUCN Red listed species provides future conservation goals and funding priorities [2].

Based on Malin Rivers et al. an European researcher (view of the red listed species as per the project) entitled on “Establishing a European Red List of Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Saproxylic Beetles, Terrestrial Molluscs and Vascular Plants”, was conducted duration from (May 2015 to September 2019) with project costs of 1,166,667 EUR [3, 4]. 

Major Objectives of the European Trees project report:

• To enrich the regional conservation process planning through the possibilities of a baseline dataset.
• To find out the major role of threats to species (trees).
• To find out the suitable geographical areas and habitats, which needs to be conserved to protect and prevent tree extinction.
• To inform and catalyze conservation process and their action, to prevent and ensure the extinction of tree species.

The two main outputs that provide from the European Red List of trees are: 

1. This research report on the present status and the overall distribution of the natural tree species, they are the main threats and suggestions for conservation measures are from proper native to the region of European countries.
2. The Red List assessments of threatened species (trees) and their distribution maps are freely available via portals, (i) www.iucnredlist.org, and (ii) http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/species/redlist.

The methodology of this project gives information about the geographic scope, global and regional assessments, taxonomic scope, assessment methods, and process, spatial distribution maps, and research review of assessments [4].

Main outcomes of the project and their suggestions:

• Among 454 number of species (trees) are properly native to the European countries. In that, 168 numbers of species are finalized as a threatened one in Europe section with 57 species (trees) considered as data deficient. 
• In account, the number of data deficient species, and the proportion of threatened species in the average percentage value (42.3%) gives a good estimate of the proportion of threatened tree species in Europe. 
• All the threatened species are announced as an endemic to the European countries; only 13 threatened trees are declared as non-European endemics. In conclusion, threatened trees presented in all endemic European areas is at least 58% (155 species). 

As per the update of the European Red List (at least every decade), various recommendations, research monitoring and policy recommendations were insisted to conclude the present details about taxes with their nature of threat status of species, that helpful to develop our biodiversity. Repeated Red List assessments must be allowed for European regional species. Finally, we should promote and provide awareness to various audiences, stakeholders, and researchers to enrich the knowledge of the facts of the present threat by European trees [4].

In the Southeast Asia region:

In southeast Asia, approximately about 50,000 plant species are available in the world. Among the 35 biodiversity hotspots in the world, South East Asia has the main four hotspots namely Himalaya, Western Ghats, Indo-Burma, and Sundaland (Nicobar group of islands). But in recent times, around 20 percent of the plant species that grow here have been either classified as endangered or threatened. The number of Indian plants (as per the IUCN Red list) List is steadily raising much to the dismay of conservationists. In 2018, nearly 4537 endangered species globally while in 2019-20, this number went up to 4,993. In 2019, around 176 endangered species were recorded from India. 

Here, we had given some species with their present Conservation status (* - Endangered, # - Vulnerable):

1. Amentotaxus assamica* 

2. Actinodaphne lawsonii^#

3. Kingiodendron pinnatum* 

4. Ilex khasianab*

5. Pterospermum reticulatum^#

6. Commiphora wightii*

7. Cayratiapedata var. glabra*

8. Cycas beddomei*

9. Santalum album^#

10. Decalepis hamiltonii*.

Our SNB team recommended this research article to enrich our viewer’s knowledge to understand about the IUCN Red List species and their present status in the global environment. In European Red list species, they insisted on objects, the methodology suggested outcomes and prevention activities. In southeast Asia, about ten specific important threatening species are associated with plants and utilized in the medicinal field. Anthropogenic disturbances such unsustainable harvesting, cultivation practices and over exploitation are the leading threat to such potential genetic resource. Such anthropogenic pressure leads medicinal plants to decline drastically in its natural condition. The major threat noted were habitat destruction due to increased pollution, over-utilization of chemical fertilizers and plastics, urbanization, and global warming. This scientific work emphasizes the feasible medicinal plants conservation and sustenance for future generation.

References:

1. https://www.iucnredlist.org/about/background-history

2. https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/process.

3. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49838650

4. Malin Rivers et al. IUCN, Cambridge, UK and Brussels, Belgium, 2019.

Blog Written By

Dr. K. Rajkumar 

Central University of Tamil Nadu

Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India

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