scholarly journals The Current Status of the World’s Primates: Mapping Threats to Understand Priorities for Primate Conservation

Author(s):  
David Fernández ◽  
Daphne Kerhoas ◽  
Andrea Dempsey ◽  
Josephine Billany ◽  
Gráinne McCabe ◽  
...  

AbstractOver the past decades, primate populations have been declining. Four years ago, >60% of species were listed as threatened. As the rate of loss accelerates and new IUCN assessments are being published, we used IUCN Red List assessments and peer-reviewed literature published within the last 5 yr to evaluate the status of primates globally, by region and by taxonomic group. We also examined the main factors affecting a species’ conservation status to determine if we could predict the status of understudied species. We found that 65% of species are in the top three IUCN Red List categories (Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered). Globally, the main threats to primates are Biological Resource Use, including Hunting & Logging, and Agriculture. The impact of these threats varied by region and taxon. Our model showed that Malagasy and Asian primates, and those affected by Agriculture, Human Disturbance, and Climate Change were more likely to be considered at risk of extinction. The model’s predictive probability, however, was low. Our literature analysis showed that some threats, especially climate change and disease, affected more species than indicated by the IUCN Red List. As we move into the next decade, we must continue tackling hunting and agricultural expansion but also be vigilant about emerging threats. We must also aim to regularly test the effectiveness of mitigation strategies, evaluating their long-term adoption and their impact on primates; as well as to increase communication between researchers and applied conservationists to ensure IUCN assessments include current and emerging threats.

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Jennifer R. Gant ◽  
Louise Mair ◽  
Philip J. K. McGowan

Abstract Conserving species and achieving the Convention on Biological Diversity's international conservation targets necessitates stopping extinctions, recovering depleted populations and maintaining viable populations. The contribution of ex situ management to species conservation has long been debated, and there is limited information on ex situ management activities available in a format that allows success to be assessed. We therefore gathered information from three sources to explore cases in which ex situ management was considered to have had a positive conservation impact for terrestrial vertebrate species. We (1) reviewed the published literature, (2) examined for which taxa ex situ management had contributed to the downlisting of species on the IUCN Red List and (3) surveyed a global network of ex situ management practitioners. We found that ex situ management has contributed to improvements in conservation status for a range of vertebrate species. Ex situ management was reported as contributing to the downlisting of 18 species on the IUCN Red List over a 10-year period. Across sources, the most common role of ex situ management was the provision of individuals to increase population numbers in situ. The strength of evidence for the impact of ex situ management varied within and among sources. Therefore, for the role of ex situ activities in conservation to be understood fully, and for such interventions to reach their potential, documentation of intended and actual benefits needs to be improved. Better reporting of ex situ activities would enable improved learning, facilitating better targeting of ex situ activities to global species conservation goals.


Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Germán Garrote ◽  
Beyker Castañeda ◽  
Jose Manuel Escobar ◽  
Laura Pérez ◽  
Brayan Marín ◽  
...  

Abstract The giant otter Pteronura brasiliensis, categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, was once widely distributed throughout South America. By the middle of the 20th century the giant otter had become locally extinct along the main rivers of the Orinoco basin. Although some populations seem to have recovered, the paucity of information available does not permit a full evaluation of the species' conservation status. The objective of this study was to estimate the abundance and density of the giant otter population along the Orinoco river in the municipality of Puerto Carreño, Vichada, Colombia, where there is important commercial and recreational fishing. Thirty-nine linear km were surveyed, repeatedly, with a total of 315 km of surveys. Population size was estimated by direct counts of individuals. All individuals detected were photographed and identified individually from their throat pelage patterns. In total, 30 otters were identified, giving a minimum density of 0.77 individuals per km, one of the highest reported for the species in Colombia. Given the high density in this well-developed area, our results highlight the importance of this population for the conservation of the species.


Fishes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Imanol Miqueleiz ◽  
Rafael Miranda ◽  
Arturo Hugo Ariño ◽  
Elena Ojea

Biodiversity loss is a global problem, accelerated by human-induced pressures. In the marine realm, one of the major threats to species conservation, together with climate change, is overfishing. In this context, having information on the conservation status of target commercial marine fish species becomes crucial for assuring safe standards. We put together fisheries statistics from the FAO, the IUCN Red List, FishBase, and RAM Legacy databases to understand to what extent top commercial species’ conservation status has been assessed. Levels of assessment for top-fished species were higher than those for general commercial or highly commercial species, but almost half of the species have outdated assessments. We found no relation between IUCN Red List traits and FishBase Vulnerability Index, depreciating the latter value as a guidance for extinction threat. The RAM database suggests good management of more-threatened species in recent decades, but more data are required to assess whether the trend has reverted in recent years. Outdated IUCN Red List assessments can benefit from reputed stock assessments for new reassessments. The future of IUCN Red List evaluations for commercial fish species relies on integrating new parameters from fisheries sources and improved collaboration with fisheries stakeholders and managers.


2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1578) ◽  
pp. 2598-2610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hoffmann ◽  
Jerrold L. Belant ◽  
Janice S. Chanson ◽  
Neil A. Cox ◽  
John Lamoreux ◽  
...  

A recent complete assessment of the conservation status of 5487 mammal species demonstrated that at least one-fifth are at risk of extinction in the wild. We retrospectively identified genuine changes in extinction risk for mammals between 1996 and 2008 to calculate changes in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Index (RLI). Species-level trends in the conservation status of mammalian diversity reveal that extinction risk in large-bodied species is increasing, and that the rate of deterioration has been most accelerated in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms. Expanding agriculture and hunting have been the main drivers of increased extinction risk in mammals. Site-based protection and management, legislation, and captive-breeding and reintroduction programmes have led to improvements in 24 species. We contextualize these changes, and explain why both deteriorations and improvements may be under-reported. Although this study highlights where conservation actions are leading to improvements, it fails to account for instances where conservation has prevented further deteriorations in the status of the world's mammals. The continued utility of the RLI is dependent on sustained investment to ensure repeated assessments of mammals over time and to facilitate future calculations of the RLI and measurement against global targets.


Author(s):  
Abdul Wali Al-Khulaidi

Assessment of plant species in particular rare and endemic is essential for monitoring and conservation planning. I aimed to support conservation activities by addressing knowledge of the status of Aloe dhufarensis Lavranos, one of the endemic plants in the Arabian Peninsula. Information on the status and distribution range of A. dhufarensis in the Arabian Peninsula is almost absent. To Assess A. dhufarensis according to IUCN categories, Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy (AOO) were created and measured using ArcMap 10.8. The species is described and illustrated; the distribution of the species was mapped. The evaluation and the conservation status of this plant species are reported according to the context of IUCN Red List guidelines and criteria.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Vandra Kurniawan ◽  
Dwinda Mariska Putri ◽  
Muhammad Imam Surya

One of the main task of Cibodas Botanical Garden (CBG) is to conserve the Indonesian plants species. Moreover, the preservation and enrichment of threatened plant collections based on IUCN red list categories became an important programme for plants conservation in CBG. The aims of this study are to inventory threatened plant collections and to review the status of CBG threatened plant collections. List of threatened plant collections was gathered from SINDATA, a system developed by CBG. The collection, was reviewed by inspecting current collections in CBG. Literature study was done to review the conservation status of the threatened plant collections. The conservation status was checked in IUCN red list website. The results shown that CBG had collected 86 species of threatened plants, which is 13 Critically Endangered (CR) species, 39 Endangered (EN) species, and 34 Vulnerable (VU) species. Critically endangered category consists of 13 species belong to 8 families and 10 genus. Endangered category consists of 39 species belong to 17 families and 34 genus. Vulnerable category consists of 34 species belong to 27 families and 28 genus. The largest collections of threatened species was genus Nepenthes, which is 16% (14 species) from the total threatened species in CBG. Furthermore, CBG had succeeded in collecting 40 species of Indonesian native plants in which Dipterocarpaceae species were dominate the collection with 7 species. These species are listed as critically endangered (3 species) and endangered (4 species).


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Sri Turni Hartati ◽  
Wudianto Wudianto ◽  
Lilis Sadiyah

<p>Ikan banggai cardinal atau disingkat BCF adalah jenis ikan hias tropis endemik yang hanya hidup secara alami di perairan sekitar Kepulauan Banggai. Dampak tekanan penangkapan terhadap populasi BCF dewasa ini cukup signifikan, yaitu terjadinya gejala overfishing telah nampak pada hampir semua lokasi penangkapan. Status BCF pada saat ini dalam Red List IUCN tergolong Threatened Species. Tulisan ini menyajikan pengelolaan sumber daya BCF dengan mengkaji status pemanfaatan, dinamika populasi, biologi dan habitatnya. Data yang digunakan adalah hasil penelitian pada tahun 2011, melalui validasi data di lapangan dan telaah dari hasil-hasil penelitian sebelumnya. Hasil tangkapan BCF relatif tinggi pada kisaran tahun 1999 – 2007, mencapai 1,4 juta ekor pada tahun 2000, kemudian menurun drastis pada tahun 2008 – 2010, hanya berkisar 250.000 – 350.000 ekor/tahun. Upaya pengelolaan BCF telah dilakukan sejak tahun 2005, baik oleh pemerintah pusat, pemerintah daerah, maupun melalui kearifan lokal yang ada. Implementasi kebijakan pengelolaan BCF di perairan Kepulauan Banggai berdasarkan kajian hasil penelitian adalah jumlah kuota BCF yang boleh ditangkap sebanyak 220.615 ekor/tahun dengan ukuran minimal 4,8 cm (FL) dan tidak dalam kondisi mengerami telurnya. Mengingat umur dari BCF berkisar antara 2-4 tahun, maka kuota dapat diberlakukan selama jangka waktu 3 tahun. Monitoring data hasil tangkapan BCF melalui kegiatan enumerasi harus tetap dilanjutkan sebagai bahan evalusi status stok sumberdaya tersebut.</p><p>Banggai cardinal fish (BCF) is an endemic tropical ornamental fish that only inhabits naturally in the Banggai Islands. The impact of fishing pressure on the BCF population is quite significant, i.e. overfishing is occurring in almost all fishing areas. BCF is listed in the IUCN Red List as Threatened Species group. This paper presents the fisheries management for BCF by assessing the status of its utilization, population dynamic, biology and habitat. The data analyzed in this paper were conducted in 2011, through data validation in the field and review on some previous studies. The catch production of BCF was relatively high between 1999 and 2007, reached 1.4 million fish in 2000, followed by a significant decrease from 250.000 in 2008 to 350.000 in 2010. Fisheries management measures for BCF have been initiated since 2005, either by central or local governments, or the available local wisdom. The results of study recommend catch quota for BCF, that maintain the sustainability of the fish stock, is 220.615 fish/year, with the minimum size is 4.8 cm FL and not in the condition of incubating eggs. Since the age of BCF is between 2-4 years old, the recommendation could be implemented for 3 years, and data monitoring through enumeration could be continued for evaluation of its stock status.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-91
Author(s):  
Gouri Mondal ◽  
Samapti Saha ◽  
Md Monirul Islam ◽  
Goutam Kumar Kundu ◽  
Bijoya Paul ◽  
...  

The Indian river shad, Gudusia chapra, locally known as chapila fish is rich in nutritive values and important to artisanal and subsistence fisheries in Bangladesh. The conservation status of this species is of particular interest due to its recent decline in rivers. To assess the current status of this species in Bangladesh, we recorded its abundance at seven sites in the Padma, the Meghna and the Tetulia rivers during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. In this study, G. chapra was consistently recorded in the study area and there was no significant temporal or spatial variation in its abundance. The observed mean length and weight of the species were similar to those recorded in earlier studies. Currently, G. chapra is listed as vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in Bangladesh. Although the primary known habitat of this species is river, IUCN assessment was based on production from beel and Kaptai Lake habitats. In this study, consistent occurrence and availability of the species across spatial and temporal scales in rivers suggest the necessity to reassess the conservation status of G. chapra in the country. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 28(1): 83-91, 2019 (January)


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-119
Author(s):  
Bijoya Paul ◽  
Md Foijul Hasan ◽  
Md Monirul Islam ◽  
Goutam Kumar Kundu ◽  
Gouri Mondal ◽  
...  

Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton, 1822), a freshwater catfish species, is important as food and game fish in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal. In Bangladesh, it is known as Baghair and has been enlisted as critically endangered (CR) species in the IUCN Red List of Bangladesh 2000 and 2015, under the criteria A2cd version 3.1 mentioning declining trend in its population around 80% during the last 25 years (3 generation time). We studied the abundance of B. bagarius at 8 sites in three riverine habitats. We identified 8 individuals of B. bagarius from the Meghna river only (Shibpur site, Bhola Sadar). However, focus group discussion with fishers revealed that the species was frequently present in the catch from the river, although the abundance reduced considerably over the decade. We also found several other studies which reported the abundance of B. bagarius in different natural habitats. The findings from this study in combination with other published literature in the last 5 years indicated that the current status of B. bagarius in natural waters in Bangladesh do not fall below the threshold limits of CR species. Therefore, B. bagarius should be reclassified into a lower threatened status (but not Least Concern) than the current CR. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 28(1): 111-119, 2019 (January)


Author(s):  
Stella Piipponen-Doyle ◽  
Friederike C. Bolam ◽  
Louise Mair

AbstractThe Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) Aichi Target 12 aimed to prevent species extinctions and improve the conservation status of known threatened species by 2020 but has not been met. As the post-2020 global biodiversity framework is negotiated, it is essential that we learn lessons from past failures. Here, we investigate whether a reduction in extinction risk could realistically be achieved within the ten-year timeframe of the Aichi Targets. We identified threatened bird and mammal species for which a population increase could lead to down-listing on the IUCN Red List and created population models that assumed exponential population growth to predict how long it would take to reach the population size threshold required for down-listing. We found that in the best-case scenario, 39/42 birds (93%) and 12/15 mammals (80%) could be expected to show the population increase required to achieve down-listing by one Red List category within a ten-year timeframe. In contrast, under the worst-case scenario, 67% birds and 40% mammals were predicted to take > 10 years to reach the population threshold. These results indicate a disparity between the ecological timeframes required for species to show a reduction in extinction risk, and the political timeframes over which such ecological change is expected to be achieved and detected. We suggest that quantitative analyses should be used to set realistic milestone targets in the post-2020 framework, and that global indicators should be supplemented with temporally sensitive measures of conservation progress in order to maintain political and societal motivation for species conservation.


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