Prioritizing nationally endemic species for conservation

Kraus, Daniel; Enns, Amie; Hebb, Andrea; Murphy, Stephen D.; Drake, D. Andrew R.; Bennett, Bruce

doi:10.1111/csp2.12845

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…We show that there is no association between the proportion of assessed endemic species in a country and the total number of endemics it contains. Our endemism estimates align with other more localised counts of endemic plant species in some countries, including Australia (Chapman, 2009) and China (Feng et al, 2016) but may differ from others which are based on local taxonomic treatments, such as Italy (Orsenigo et al, 2018) or Canada (Kraus et al, 2023). Differences in endemism estimates highlight that the WCVP, while global in scope and carefully curated (see Govaerts et al, 2021), constitutes only one view of global plant taxonomy and distribution.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Global shortfalls in threat assessments for endemic flora by country

Gallagher

Allen

Govaerts

et al. 2023

Plants People Planet

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Societal Impact StatementPlants are fundamental to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and are key to human livelihoods. To protect plant diversity, systematic approaches to conservation assessment are needed. Many nations have legislation or other policy instruments that seek to protect biodiversity (including plants), and species‐level assessments are essential for identifying the most threatened species that require special and immediate protection measures. Some plants occur in only one place (for instance, a single country) and here we have estimated how many of these ‘endemic’ species have had their threats assessed in each country or close country‐equivalent worldwide. We show that the level of assessment completion is only weakly related to the income of countries or the likely level of threat that species face.Summary The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation ambitiously called for an assessment of the conservation status of all recognised plant taxa by 2020. This target was not met in the short term. Nevertheless, the need for conservation assessments remains urgent as plants go extinct and face increasing threats from human impacts on the biosphere. Here, the completeness of threat assessments for endemic flora in 179 countries or their close equivalents was assessed. To do so, distribution information from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants was combined with assessments collated in the ThreatSearch database. The completeness of assessments was expected to be associated with the objective affluence of countries (measured using inequality‐adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI)) and/or the exposure of their plant species to threats associated with human impacts (measured using Global Human Modification index (GHM)). The number of endemic species per country was also hypothesised to influence the completion of assessments. Overall, 58% of all country‐based endemic species examined have no conservation assessment (127,643 species). Countries' progress toward the completion of threat assessments for endemic plants could not be confidently predicted by IHDI, GHM or the richness of endemic plant flora. The shortfall in threat assessments identified here restricts national regulation of actions which imperil plant species, with particular consequences for endemic plant species subject to local laws. Some nations with high IHDI scores (i.e. wealthier nations) are not systematically assessing extinction risk in their endemic species. Scarce funding should be directed to global hotspots of endemism with few available resources for assessment.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Global shortfalls in threat assessments for endemic flora by country

Gallagher

Allen

Govaerts

et al. 2023

Plants People Planet

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“…Thus, the influence of the Red List on the global agenda precludes alternative viewpoints, cultures, regional intricacies, and human communities that will ultimately achieve on-the-ground species protection. Moreover, even if the Red List can be applied at national and regional scales (Brito et al 2010), it risks limiting conservation effectiveness if adopted uncritically, for example, by overlooking nationally endemic species (Kraus et al 2023) categorized as Least Concern (LC).…”

Section: Broadening Species Conservation Effortsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The global influence of the IUCN Red List can hinder species conservation efforts

Palacio,

Abarca,

Armenteras

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is an extinction risk assessment tool that has guided species conservation over the last five decades. However, as wildlife scientists and conservationists, we argue that its influence on the global conservation agenda can hinder effective species conservation efforts. Here, we review the limitations of the Red List and its misuse in priority setting, which can overlook local and regional contexts. This can result in improper allocation of conservation resources, especially in the Global South, where financial resources are limited. In particular, funds directed towards red-listed species may fail to address a broader range of conservation priorities. We also contend that extinction risk is insufficient for guiding conservation efforts and recommend broadening conservation planning and decision-making beyond reliance on the Red List. Thus, for a more inclusive and decentralized approach, we summarize guidelines for guiding species conservation at appropriate ecological, spatial, and taxonomic scales. Finally, we encourage more collaborative efforts and stakeholder engagement for the setting of conservation priorities and efficient funding allocation.

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“…It is estimated that, at least, 25% of the world's plant species are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss (Holtz et al 2022). Endemic species have the highest rates of global extinctions, as they usually have a limited geographical distribution, small population sizes and low adaptive capacity (Kraus et al 2022). Moreover, these species are also being gradually more affected by climate change, at both species and community levels, which will eventually result in a modified plant distribution (Román-Palacios and Wiens 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How different reproduction protocols can affect the germination of seeds: The case of three stenoendemic species on Mt. Olympus (NC Greece)

Varsamis

Merou

Tseniklidou

et al. 2023

European Journal of Environmental Sciences

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Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, is a biosphere reserve and a magnet for countless visitors. In the wider area of Olympus, at least 1,700 species and subspecies of plants are recorded, 26 of which are endemic. Most of the endemics only occur in the high or subalpine zone, which is expected to be strongly affected by climate change or in specific microsites that might be affected by several other factors. Thus, the unique flora of the mountain will probably become extinct. Ex situ conservation can be utilized to prevent and even reverse this trend and preserve plant diversity for future generations. The aim of the present study was to develop reproduction protocols for the endemic species on Mt. Olympus, Centaurea incompleta, Centaurea litochorea and Viola striis-notata, to facilitate their mass production, either for ex situ conservation or reintroduction into their natural habitats, if necessary. Seeds of the target species were collected in summer 2021. In a sample of the collected seeds, the embryo viability was checked using sequentially 1% w/v tetrazolium solution and Evans blue solution concentration of 0.25% w/v. As for the germination tests, two treatments were used to terminate seed dormancy: (a) cold stratification at } 2 °C, and (b) imbibition in gibberellic acid (250 ppm) for 48 hours. The results showed that more than 75% of the embryos in the fertile seeds were viable. In the seed germination tests, treatment with gibberellic acid resulted in germination percentages for Centaurea incompleta and Viola striis-notata are equal to or very close to the seed viability percentage. In contrast, no treatment was successful for Centaurea litochorea, as the control germination percentage was higher.

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Prioritizing nationally endemic species for conservation

Cited by 13 publications

References 49 publications

Global shortfalls in threat assessments for endemic flora by country

Global shortfalls in threat assessments for endemic flora by country

The global influence of the IUCN Red List can hinder species conservation efforts

How different reproduction protocols can affect the germination of seeds: The case of three stenoendemic species on Mt. Olympus (NC Greece)

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