Tanzania's Kihansi spray toad is one of many species of plants and animals to now be considered extinct in the wild.
Credit: Tim Herman
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An update of the most comprehensive resource on the conservation status of plant and animal species around the world, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, has shown 17,291 of the 47,677 assessed species are threatened with extinction.
The results of the latest Red List update have revealed 21 per cent of all known mammals, 30 per cent of all known amphibians and 12 per cent of all known birds assessed so far are under threat, as are a large 70 per cent of plants, 28 per cent of reptiles, 37 per cent of freshwater fishes, and 35 percent of invertebrates.
"The scientific evidence of a serious extinction crisis is mounting," said Jane Smart, Director of IUCN's Biodiversity Conservation Group, adding that global targets to reduce biodiversity loss by 2010 will simply not be met.
"It's time for governments to start getting serious about saving species and make sure it's high on their agendas for next year [the International Year of Biodiversity], as we're rapidly running out of time."
Of the world's 5,490 mammals, 79 are classified as extinct or extinct in the wild, with 188 critically endangered, 449 endangered and 505 listed as vulnerable.
This year has seen the eastern voalavo (Voalavo antsahabensis) rodent added to the list for the first time, in the endangered category. Endemic to Madagascar, the voalavo is confined to tropical forest areas and is under increasing threat from slash-and-burn farming.
"The world's reptiles are [also] undoubtedly suffering," said Simon Stuart, Chair of IUCN's Species Survival Commission, with the list also seeing the addition of 156 new species of lizard, all endemic to the Philippines and at risk due to habitat loss from farming and logging, as well the fact some are hunted by humans for food.
The IUCN Red List also shows that 1,895 of the planet's 6,285 amphibians are in danger of extinction, making them the most threatened group of species known to date. The Kihansi spray toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis), for example, has moved from being critically endangered to extinct in the wild.
The species was known to be found only in the Kihansi Falls in Tanzania, where it was formerly abundant with a population of at least 17,000. Its decline has been due to the construction of a dam upstream of the Kihansi Falls that removed 90 per cent of the original water flow to the gorge, and it is thought a fungal disease was probably responsible for the toad's final population crash.
Of the 12,151 plants on the IUCN Red List, 8,500 are threatened with extinction, with 114 already extinct or extinct in the wild. The effects of climate change can be seen amongst many, with plants like the Queen of the Andes (Puya raimondii), found in Peru and Bolivia, listed as endangered due to temperature changes thought to be impairing its ability to flower.
When it comes to invertebrates, 2,639 are threatened with extinction, with over one thousand new dragonflies and damselflies being added the list, like the giant jewel (Chlorocypha centripunctata), found in Nigeria and Cameroon and threatened by forest destruction.
Also newly added to the Red List are over 500 additional species of freshwater fish, bringing the total on the list to 3,120. Although there is still a long way to go before the status all the world's freshwater fishes is known, 1,147 of those assessed so far are threatened with extinction.
New Zealand's brown mudfish (Neochanna apoda), has been moved from near threatened to vulnerable, having disappeared from many areas in its range. Approximately 85 to 90 per cent of New Zealand's wetlands have been lost or degraded through drainage schemes, irrigation and land development.
"Creatures living in freshwater have long been neglected," said Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Head of the IUCN Species Program.
"This year we have again added a large number of them to the IUCN Red List and are confirming the high levels of threat to many freshwater animals and plants. This reflects the state of our precious water resources. There is now an urgency to pursue our effort but most importantly to start using this information to move towards a wise use of water resources."
Despite a lot of bad news, some species, like the Australian grayling (Prototroctes maraena), a freshwater fish, have seen the improvement of status due to conservation efforts. The grayling, once classed as vulnerable, is now listed as near threatened - the population having recovered thanks to 'fish ladders' constructed over dams to allow migration, enhanced riverside vegetation and the education of fishermen, who now face heavy penalties if found with the species.
Overall, "this year's IUCN Red List makes for sobering reading," said Craig Hilton-Taylor, Manager of the Red List Unit.
"These results are just the tip of the iceberg. We have only managed to assess 47,663 species so far; there are many more millions out there which could be under serious threat. We do, however, know from experience that conservation action works so let's not wait until it's too late and start saving our species now."
