A 2004 IUCN Red list of threatened species: A Global Species Assessment (Occasional Paper of the Iucn Species Survival Commission)

This analysis of the information contained in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species provides an insight into the status and trends of the world’s species of plants and animals, with a focus on those at greatest risk of extinction. The publication highlights the taxonomic groups and species that are at the greatest risk of extinction; recent documented extinctions; trends in the status of threatened species, including the new Red List Index; regions of the world where threatened species tend to be found; the threats that are driving species towards extinction; the social and economic context in which extinctions are taking place; and the conservation responses that are available. This in depth analysis is the first major publication by the Red List Consortium, a group of organizations comprising IUCN (in particular the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife International, Conservation International (in particular the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science), and NatureServe. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 3 Dedication......Page 7 Donors......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 Foreword......Page 13 Preface......Page 15 Acknowledgements......Page 17 Executive Summary......Page 23 Section 1 - Introduction......Page 27 Section 2 - Globally Threatened Species......Page 31 2.2 How Little is Known: the Number of Described Species and the Number Evaluated......Page 32 2.3 How Many Threatened Animal Species are There?......Page 36 2.4 How Many Threatened Plants are There?......Page 53 Key Findings......Page 57 Section 3 - Extinctions in Recent Time......Page 59 3.2 Current Extinctions......Page 60 3.3 Extinct Species the Survive Ex Situ......Page 66 3.4 What is the Rate of Extinction?......Page 67 3.6 Where have Extinctions Occurred?......Page 68 3.7 What are the Causes of Extinction?......Page 71 3.8 Documented Extinctions over the Past 20 Years......Page 72 Key Findings......Page 76 Section 4 - Trends in the Status of Threatened Species......Page 77 4.2 Red List Indices for Birds 1998-2004......Page 78 4.3 Preliminary Red List Indices for Amphibians 1980-2004 (Retrospectively Assessed)......Page 82 4.4 Comparison of Red List Indices for Birds and Amphibians......Page 85 4.5 Trends for Other Taxonomic Groups......Page 87 Key Findings......Page 88 Section 5 - Geography of the Red List......Page 89 5.2 Mapping Species to Predetermined Geographic Units......Page 90 5.3 Mapping Species' Extent of Occurences......Page 98 5.4 Mapping Species to the Locality Scale......Page 106 Key Findings......Page 110 Section 6 - The Many Causes of Threat......Page 111 6.1 Introduction......Page 112 6.2 Habitat Destruction and Degradation......Page 113 6.3 Over-exploitation......Page 116 6.4 Invasive Alien Species......Page 118 6.5 Disease......Page 120 6.7 Incidental Mortality......Page 122 6.9 Other Threats......Page 123 6.10 Threatening Processes and Patterns of Extinction......Page 126 Key Findings......Page 130 Section 7 - The Social and Economic Context of the Red List......Page 131 7.2 Human Population......Page 132 7.3 Economic Factors......Page 135 Key Findings......Page 136 Section 8 - Conservation Responses......Page 137 8.2 Research Action......Page 138 8.3 Communication and Education......Page 142 8.4 Policy-Based Actions......Page 144 8.5 Habitat and Site-Based Actions......Page 147 8.6 Species-Based Actions......Page 155 Key Findings......Page 160 Section 9 - Conclusions......Page 161 9.2 How is the State of Biodiversity Changing?......Page 162 9.3 Which Species are in Trouble?......Page 163 9.4 Where is the Threat of Extinction Greatest?......Page 164 9.6 What are the Most Pressing Research Needs?......Page 165 9.7 What Responses are in Place?......Page 166 Section 10 - References......Page 167 Appendices......Page 179 Appendix 1. The IUCN Red List Programme......Page 180 Appendix 2. Methodology......Page 186 Appendix 3. Summary Data......Page 196