Journal Article

Impact of Conservation on the Status of the World's Vertebrates

Diesmos, Arvin C, Smith, Andrew T, Jenkins, Richard K.B, Iskandar, Djoko T, Reid, Gordon McGregor, Polidoro, Beth A, Katariya, Vineet, Channing, Alan, Sanders, Kate L, Samways, Michael J, Brooks, Thomas M, Collett, Leah C, Harrison, Lucy R, Akçakaya, H. Resit, Ishii, Nobuo, Olech, Wanda, Lichtenstein, Gabriela, Alonso, Antonio Muñoz, Paul van Dijk, Peter, McIvor, Anna, Rosenberg, Andrew A, Donaldson, John S, Lamoreux, John F, Baldi, Ricardo, Collar, Nigel J, Crosby, Michael J, Reynolds, Robert P, Racey, Paul A, Dulvy, Nicholas K, Farjon, Aljos, Bennun, Leon, Böhm, Monika, Hero, Jean-Marc, Tognelli, Marcelo F, Orlov, Nikolay L, Short, Frederick T, Molur, Sanjay, Chanson, Janice, Dublin, Holly T, Stuart, Simon N, Musick, John A, Smart, Jane, Castro, Fernando, Lacher, Thomas E. Jr, Richards, Stephen J, Inger, Robert F, Rhodin, Anders G.J, Cuttelod, Annabelle, Bolaños, Federico, Wege, David C, Kuzmin, Sergius L, Ram, Mala, Ubeda, Carmen, Fernandez, Claudia F. Cortez, Hilton-Taylor, Craig, Ananjeva, Natalia B, Chenery, Anna M, Craig, Matthew T, Vié, Jean-Christophe, Veloso, Alberto, Sillero-Zubiri, Claudio, Po

2010

Overview

Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this overall pattern conceals the impact of conservation successes, and we show that the rate of deterioration would have been at least one-fifth again as much in the absence of these. Nonetheless, current conservation efforts remain insufficient to offset the main drivers of biodiversity loss in these groups: agricultural expansion, logging, overexploitation, and invasive alien species.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Agricultural expansion / Amphibians / Animals / Biodiversity / Biodiversity conservation / Biodiversity loss / Birds / Community structure / Conservation of Natural Resources / Conservation status / Data collection / Ecosystem / Endangered & extinct species / Endangered Species - statistics & numerical data / Endangered Species - trends / Extinct species / extinction / Extinction, Biological / Habitat conservation / Habitat loss / Human influences / Introduced Species / Invasive species / logging / Mammals / Nature conservation / Overexploitation / Population Dynamics / RESEARCH ARTICLE / Species extinction / Threatened species / Vertebrates / Wildlife conservation