| Revision as of 15:08, 2 April 2004 editSmallweed (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers20,956 edits Pere David's Deer← Previous edit | Revision as of 15:13, 2 April 2004 edit undoSmallweed (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers20,956 edits Siberian Crane etcNext edit → | ||
| Line 40: | Line 40: | ||
| * ] (''Thalassarche eremita'') | * ] (''Thalassarche eremita'') | ||
| * ] (''Sterna bernsteinii'') | * ] (''Sterna bernsteinii'') | ||
| * ] (''Fregata andrewsi'') | |||
| * ] (''Numenius borealis'') | * ] (''Numenius borealis'') | ||
| * ] (''Pitta gurneyi'') | * ] (''Pitta gurneyi'') | ||
| * ] (''Corvus hawaiiensis'') | * ] (''Corvus hawaiiensis'') | ||
| * ] (''Gyps bengalensis'') | |||
| * ] (probably extinct) | * ] (probably extinct) | ||
| * ] (''Rhinoptilus bitorquatus'') | * ] (''Rhinoptilus bitorquatus'') | ||
| Line 54: | Line 56: | ||
| * ] (''Psittacula eques'') | * ] (''Psittacula eques'') | ||
| * ] (''Branta sandvicensis'') | * ] (''Branta sandvicensis'') | ||
| * ] (''Pithecophaga jefferyi'') | |||
| * ] (''Buteo ridgwayi'') | * ] (''Buteo ridgwayi'') | ||
| * ] (''Neospiza concolor'') | * ] (''Neospiza concolor'') | ||
| * ] (''Grus leucogeranus'') | |||
| * ] (''Numenius tenuirostris'') | * ] (''Numenius tenuirostris'') | ||
| * ] (''Cyanopsitta spixii'') | * ] (''Cyanopsitta spixii'') | ||
Revision as of 15:13, 2 April 2004
An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. Many countries have laws offering special protection to these species (forbidding hunting, banning their habitats from development, etc.) to prevent this.
Many of these laws are controversial. Typical areas of controversy include: criteria for placing a species on the endangered species list, and criteria for removing a species from the list once its population has recovered; whether restrictions on land development constitute a "taking" of land by the government, and the related question of whether private landowners should be compensated for the loss of use of their land; and obtaining reasonable exceptions to protection laws.
A listing as an endangered species can backfire, as it makes a species more valuable and more desirable for collectors and poachers.
The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that endangered species continuing to survive. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation status of a species: not simply the number remaining, but the overall increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success rates, known threats, and so on.
The best-known worldwide conservation status listing is the IUCN Red List, but many more specialised lists exist.
The following conservation status categories are recommended for use in Misplaced Pages entries. They are loosely based on the IUCN categories.
- Extinct: the last remaining member of the species had died, or is presumed to have died beyond reasonable doubt. Examples: Thylacine, Dodo.
- Extinct in the wild: captive individuals survive, but there is no free-living, natural population. Examples: Dromedary, Przewalski's Horse.
- Critical or critically endangered: faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future.
- Endangered: faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future.
- Vulnerable: faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term.
- Secure or lower risk: no immediate threat to the survival of the species.
Endangered mammals:
- Chinese River Dolphin and other river dolphins
- Elephant
- Giant pangolin
- Golden Marmoset
- Gorilla
- Orangutan
- Pere David's Deer
- Proboscis Monkey
- Steller's Sea Lion
- Tiger
Endangered birds:
- Alaotra Grebe (Tachybaptus rufolavatus)
- Amsterdam Albatross (Diomedea amsterdamensis)
- Bali Starling (Leucospar rothschildi)
- California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
- Chatham Albatross (Thalassarche eremita)
- Chinese Crested Tern (Sterna bernsteinii)
- Christmas Island Frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi)
- Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis)
- Gurney's Pitta (Pitta gurneyi)
- Hawaiian Crow (Corvus hawaiiensis)
- Indian White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
- Ivory-billed Woodpecker (probably extinct)
- Jerdon's Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus)
- Junin Grebe (Podiceps taczanowskii)
- Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus)
- Kalinowski's Tinamou (Nothoprocta kalinowskii)
- Kiwi (Apteryx australis, A. hastii, A. owenii)
- Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus)
- Magdalena Tinamou (Crypturellus saltuarius)
- Mauritius Fody (Foudia rubra)
- Mauritius Parakeet (Psittacula eques)
- Néné (Branta sandvicensis)
- Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi)
- Ridgway's Hawk (Buteo ridgwayi)
- Sao Tome Grosbeak (Neospiza concolor)
- Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus)
- Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris)
- Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii)
- Zino's Petrel (Pterodroma madeira)
Endangered reptiles:
Endangered amphibians:
- Desert slender salamander (Batrachoseps aridus)
- Israel painted frog (Discoglossus nigriventer)
- Italian spade-footed toad
- Palmate newt (Triturus helvetica)
Endangered plants
About 6% of the 300,000 identified species are endangered due to overcollection or destruction of habitat, for example. Pollinator decline is also a factor for some species.
- African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha), due to forest clearance
- Baishanzu fir (Abies beshanzuensis), southeast China, three trees known on an isolated mountain summit
- Chilean wine palm (Juba chilensis), due to land clearance
- King of the Paphs Orchid (Paphiopedilum rothschildianum) of Asia, due to overcollection
- Lobster claw (Clianthus puniceus) of Australia, due to overgrazing.
- Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) of Europe, due to overcollection
- Pinus squamata, southwest China, about 20 trees known
- Saguaro cactus (Carnegia gigantea) of North America, due to overcollection, slow maturing, and slow breeding
See also
- Conservation status
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna
- International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
- Extinct birds