BIO516 Conservation Biology - Species Diversity

These flashcards cover the key vocabulary, statistics, and categorization criteria from the lecture on species diversity and the IUCN Red List system.

Described Species

The number of species officially recorded worldwide, totaling approximately $1,800,000$.

Annual Description Rate

The rate at which scientists describe new species, estimated at $16,000$ to $20,000$ each year.

Vertebrates

The group of animals that is most thoroughly described because they are larger and humans are more closely related to them.

Taxonomist

A professional responsible for describing species, often working for museums or universities, whose role is crucial for identifying biodiversity before it is lost.

Extinction Rate Scenarios

Predictions for species description completion: by the year $2225$ if the rate is $0.1\%$ per decade, or by the year $2100$ if the rate is $5\%$ per decade.

Historic Extinctions

Approximately $900$ species are known to have been driven to extinction by human activities since the $1600s$.

Australian Mammal Extinctions

More than $10\%$ of the $320$ mammals existing in $1788$ have gone extinct, including species like the Desert bandicoot and the Thylacine.

Invasive Species impact

The primary cause of many mammal extinctions in Australia, specifically attributed to feral cats and foxes.

IUCN

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, founded in $1948$, which includes members from national governments and NGOs to lead global conservation.

Extinct (EX)

An IUCN category where a species, subspecies, or variety is no longer known to exist.

Extinct in the Wild (EW)

The category for species that exist only in cultivation, captivity, or as a naturalized population far outside their original range, such as the Spix macaw.

Critically Endangered (CR)

Species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild according to IUCN criteria A through E.

Endangered (EN)

Species facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Vulnerable (VU)

Species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Near Threatened (NT)

Species close to qualifying for a threatened category but not currently considered threatened.

Least Concern (LC)

Widespread and abundant species that are not considered near threatened or threatened.

IUCN Red List Criterion A

Observable reduction in numbers where the population has declined by $80\%$ or more over $10$ years or three generations.

IUCN Red List Criterion B

Total geographical area occupied by the species is restricted to less than $100\,km^2$ at a single location with predicted decline.

IUCN Red List Criterion C

Population size is less than $250$ mature breeding individuals or expected to decline by $25\%$ or more within $3$ years or one generation.

IUCN Red List Criterion D

Number of mature individuals currently alive in the population is less than $50$.

IUCN Red List Criterion E

Probability of the species going extinct is greater than $50\%$ within $10$ years or three generations.

2010 Science Review Status

A study by $174$ scientists which found that $20\%$ (one in five) of vertebrate species are classified as threatened.

Amphibian Conservation Status

The group of vertebrates doing the worst in the current extinction crisis, with $41\%$ of species classified as threatened.

Cycads

Considered living fossils, these plants are highly threatened and performing poorly in terms of conservation status.

High Threat Regions

Geographic areas of major concern for species loss, including Southeast Asia, Madagascar, and the Andes (Ecuador).

Red List Index (RLI)

A measure used to track the status of biodiversity over time, showing a rapid decline for amphibians, mammals, and birds since the $1980s$.

Conservation Success Examples

Improvements seen in migratory marine mammals like Humpback whales and restoration of island ecosystems through invasive species eradication programs.