Considerations on extinct species of Brazilian flora

Abstract

Extinction risk assessments are important tools for plant conservation. However, misinterpretations can lead to negative consequences for survival of species. Inconsistent categorization as extinction, when the species is still extant, constitutes a Romeo error, and annuls all and any mechanism of existing legal protection. But precisely determining the extinction of a plant species is a challenging task, in that the plants can portray characteristics that permit survival in a state of dormancy. To circumvent this problem, specialists frequently adopt precaution and a comprehensive approach that consider biological, ecological, and geographical parameters as inputs for the assessments. It is also important to include explicit logic arguments, as building-blocks of the rational that will support the assessment. Transparent interpretation of the available data can minimize inconsistent categorization. In Brazil, 23% of the plant species assessed as Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, comprise Romeo errors. The other 77% are cases of Data Deficient. Countries that succeeded in minimizing problems arising from this error developed specific legislation to protect threatened species, including mechanisms to annul an erroneous categorizations. Anyhow, the use of categories Extinct (EX) and Extinct in the Wild (EW) according to IUCN definitions should be avoided when no effort has been made to provide evidence of extinction in the wild.