Studies in Neotropical Araliaceae. XIV. Revision of the Violaceum Group of Sciodaphyllum in Ecuador

Ah-Peng, Claudine, Bardat, Jacques, Pócs, Tamás, Söderström, Lars, Staménoff, Pierre, Strasberg, Dominique (2012): Red List of liverworts and hornworts for Réunion (Mascarene archipelago). Phytotaxa 68 (1): 1-23, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.68.1.1, URL: http://biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/view/phytotaxa.68.1.1

Four new species of Sciodaphyllum (Araliaceae) from Ecuador are described, S. balslevii, S. borchsenii, S. oellgaardii and S. pedersenii, each named in honor of a Danish botanist who collected extensively in the country in the late 20th century while contributing to the multi‐decade collaborative botanical research program run by Aarhus University, the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, and the Universidad Nacional de Loja. These new taxa increase to 27 the total number of described species in Ecuador belonging to Sciodaphyllum (whose members were formerly included in Schefflera J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.), which also has an additional 75 new species that remain to be described. Color photos are provided for three of the species along with a scan of the holotype of the fourth taxon. Distribution maps are provided along with preliminary risk of extinction assessments (following the IUCN Red List criteria); S. balslevii is assessed as Least Concern (LC), whereas S. borchsenii and S. oellgaardii are Endangered (EN), and S. pedersenii is Vulnerable (VU).

This is an annotated checklist of all the recognized and named taxa of freshwater fishes in Iran. It documents recent changes and controversies in the nomenclature and includes primary synonyms updated from the Jouladeh-Roudbar et al. (2015b) checklist. We provide an updated comprehensive listing of taxonomy, diagnostic and meristic characters, names, and conservation status, including detailed distribution maps. We strive to record the most recent justified taxonomic assignment in a hierarchical framework, providing annotations, including alternative possible arrangements, for some proposed changes. We provide common English and Persian names, and detail distributional data for all taxa, listing occurrence by basins, including indications of native, endemic, and translocated populations. We used the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria for classifying species at high risk of global extinction. This checklist consists of 274 recognized species in 100 genera, 33 families, 20 orders and 3 classes. We also report and confirm for the first time the presence of seven species from Iran's basins: Aphanius kruppi, Capoeta kaput, Luciobarbus conocephalus, Oxynoemacheilus veyselorum, O. gyndes, O. hanae and Squalius latus. The confirmed freshwater fishes of Iran comprise 264 species in 97 genera, 33 families, 20 orders and 3 classes. The 241 endemic and native fish species can be divided into the following conservation statuses: 1 Extinct in the Wild (EW), 17 Critically Endangered (CR), 12 Endangered (EN), 15 Vulnerable (VU), 9 Near Threatened (NT), 148 Least Concern (LC) and 39 Data Deficient (DD). Forty-four fish species (18.3% of the 241 species listed) are officially regarded as globally Threatened (Critically Endangered [CR], Endangered [EN], or Vulnerable [VU]). These numbers and percentages of Threatened species have increased since the last checklist.

ABSTRACTClassifying the threat status of species using IUCN Red List categories is a crucial step in identifying endangered species and planning for their conservation. Iran, covering major parts of a global biodiversity hotspot in Southwest Asia, is climatically and topographically a heterogeneous country with a rich flora and a high concentration of endemics. Here, IUCN Red List criteria were applied to 2753 endemic Iranian vascular plants to assess their threat status. Moreover, threat hotspots of these categories and their conservation gaps were identified. Of all endemic species occurring in Iran, 2143 species (77.8%) are threatened; among those, 889 (32.3%) are critically endangered (CR), 875 (31.8%) are endangered (EN), and 379 (13.8%) are vulnerable (VU). Furthermore, 534 species (19.4%) were classified as least concern (LC) or near threatened (NT), and 76 species (2.8%) were classified as data deficient (DD). Based on the hotspots of threatened species, Threat Conservation Gaps, that is, hotspots of threatened species insufficiently covered by protected areas, were identified and found amounting to 58 percent. Hotspots of threatened species are restricted to the same five major mountain ranges of the Iranian Plateau identified as areas of endemism in previous studies. Our results provide an important basis for identifying areas of high conservation priorities, legislative decisions, and developing intervention strategies at the national level.

The family Apiaceae, distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, is the largest family of angiosperms. However, little is known about the conservation status, diversity, and distribution of Apiaceae species in Mongolia. This study had two main aims: (1) to assess the national status of Apiaceae species under IUCN Red List Criterion B; (2) to evaluate the species diversity and richness of Apiaceae across Mongolia. We utilized ConR packages to assess the national Red List status of all known Mongolian Apiaceae species by analyzing their most comprehensive occurrence records. The results indicated that 27 species were classified as threatened, including 4 Critically Endangered (CR), 9 Endangered (EN), and 14 Vulnerable (VU) species. Meanwhile, 39 species were assessed as non-threatened, with 2 Near Threatened (NT) species and 37 species of Least Concern (LC). Furthermore, detailed distribution maps for 66 Apiaceae species in Mongolia were presented. We assessed the species diversity and Shannon and Simpson diversity indices of Apiaceae by analyzing all occurrence records using the iNext package. Overall, the Hill diversity estimates indicate that the sampling conducted in Mongolia adequately captured species occurrences. For species pattern analysis, we examined the species richness, weighted endemism, and the corrected weighted endemism index using Biodiverse v.4.1 software. Mongolia was portioned into 715 grid cells based on 0.5° × 0.5° grid sizes (equivalent to approximately 50 × 50 km2). There was a total of 3062 unique occurrences of all Apiaceae species across Mongolia. In the species richness analysis, we identified 10 grids that exhibited high species richness (18–29 species) and 36 grids with 11–17 species. For genus richness, we observed seven grids that exhibited a high genus richness of 16–22 genera. Furthermore, we analyzed species richness with a specific focus on threatened species, encompassing CR, EN, and VU species throughout Mongolia. A total of 92 grids contained at least one threatened species. There were six grids that had two to five threatened species, which were adequately covered by protected areas in western Mongolia. Overall, our results on species richness and conservation status will serve as important foundational research for future conservation and land management efforts in Mongolia.

The first Red List assessment of lichenized fungi reported from Bulgaria is presented. The IUCN Red List criteria were applied to 138 species to assess their current extinction risk and to highlight the main threats for them. Our results revealed that six species are Regionally Extinct (RE), 23 species are Critically Endangered (CR), 20 species are Endangered (EN), 13 species are Vulnerable (VU), 11 species are Near Threatened (NT), 58 species are Least Concern (LC), and seven species are Data Deficient (DD). The most important floristic regions for lichen conservation are the Pirin Mts (26 species), the Balkan Range (25), the Rila Mts (25), the Rhodopes (20), Mt. Vitosha (16), Mt. Strandzha (16), and the Black Sea coast (15). The main threats are development of tourism and recreation activities that destroy habitats (60 species affected), air pollution (55), climate change (53), development of tourism and recreation areas (41), harvesting trees and other woody vegetation (unintentional effects) (27), ecosystem modifications that convert or degrade habitats (18), and development of housing and urban areas (14). The information provided in this Red List will assist to further develop the national conservation strategy for Bulgaria.

Endangered species threaten status assessment is an important basis for determining protec- tion priorities and establishing conservation strategies, and it has become a key step in biodiversity con- servation. We used IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria to assess threaten status of the Wild Plants Under State Protection in China. The results indicated that 2 of these species were assessed as Extinct (EX), 3 species as Extinct in Wild (EW), 310 species as Critically Endangered (CR), 638 species as Endangered (EN), 911 species as Vulnerable (VU), 117 species as Near Threatened (NT), 162 species as Least Concern (LC), and 34 species as Data Deficient (DD). Our assessment highlighted discrepan- cies between IUCN categories and the corresponding protection categories used in the List of Wild Plants Under State Protection, thus indicating that threaten status might not be the sole criterion as- sessed when determining and assigning protection categories. Our study provides a scientific reference for the establishment of a threaten status hierarchy and the protection of endangered plants.

The current conservation status of the Salvia L. (sage) taxa of the family Lamiaceae distributed in the East, South-East, Central, North Anatolian, and Marmara geographic regions of Turkey was reassessed at regional, national, and global levels using IUCN Red List categories and criteria. In accordance with the present taxonomic revision of the genus since 2005, the study area seems to cover 79 taxa, 36 of which are endemic and 4 of which are rare nonendemic; the remaining 39 taxa are widely distributed. The rate of endemism is 46% in the area. Based on new field observations of populations and distribution data, taxa were classified into the following threat categories at the global scale: Critically Endangered (CR) (5 taxa), Endangered (EN) (8 taxa), Vulnerable (VU) (11 taxa), Near Threatened (NT) (12 taxa), and Least Concern (LC) (43 taxa). The most threatened species at the global scale are S. anatolica, S. ballsiana, S. freyniana, S. odontochlamys, and S. pseudeuphratica. The threatened taxa are under pressure from intensive human activities such as overgrazing, construction (e.g., road construction), land clearing (e.g., agricultural activities), and urbanisation. The threatened endemic taxa are concentrated in 3 main areas. The first area includes Sivas, Divriği, Gürün, Pınarbaşı, and Kemaliye. The second area includes Ankara, Beypazarı, Polatlı, and Sivrihisar. The third area includes Yozgat, Akdağmadeni, Nevşehir, and Kayseri. Some significant measures are recommended here for the conservation and management of the high number of endemic taxa under threat in the research area.

A Red List of the 100 Boletales (Agaricomycetidae) species recorded in Apennine Province ecoregion Subsections “Tuscan Basin, 1C1b” and “Umbria and Marche Apennine, 1C2a” (central Italy) is provided. According to the IUCN categories and criteria, 67% of the assessed species are classified as threatened, whereas 19% are Near Threatened (NT), 11% are Least Concern (LC) and 3% are Data Deficient (DD). As a consequence of the downlisting applied to the majority of the assessed taxa, no species results Critically Endangered (CR), while 44.78% of the threatened species are Endangered (EN) and 55.22% Vulnerable (VU). The distribution of Non-Threatened (NT, LC) species across 1C1b and 1C2a subsections is quite uniform, whereas the distribution of the Threatened species varies in a dissimilar way. In fact, the two subsections share 33 (4 EN, 29 VU) Threatened species, while 23 (18 EN, 5 VU) are present exclusively in 1C1b subsection and 11 (8 EN, 3 VU) only in 1C2a subsection. The present assessments will allow in future to assess these species also against the criterion A of the IUCN protocol, given that it will be possible to define a trend of the populations and to highlight a possible reduction. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2021.1918782 .

The native species of amphibians and reptiles of Uruguay were categorized according to the IUCN Red List criteria. Out of 47 amphibian species, seven are listed as Critically Endangered (CR), five as Endangered (EN), one as Vulnerable (VU), three as Near Threatened (NT), and two as Data Deficient (DD); the remaining species are considered to be Least Concern (LC). Among the 64 species of reptiles evaluated, one is listed as Critically Endangered (CR), seven as Endangered (EN), two as Vulnerable (VU), one as Near Threatened (NT) and seven as Data Deficient (DD); the rest are considered to be Least Concern (LC). The use of these results as an additional criterion in the definition of protected areas in Uruguay will contribute towards the conservation of the aforementioned threatened species and their associated ecosystems.

This checklist aims to reviews and summarize the results of the systematic and zoogeographical research on the Iranian inland ichthyofauna that has been carried out for more than 200 years. Since the work of J.J. Heckel (1846-1849), the number of valid species has increased significantly and the systematic status of many of the species has changed, and reorganization and updating of the published information has become essential. Here we take the opportunity to provide a new and updated checklist of freshwater fishes of Iran based on literature and taxon occurrence data obtained from natural history and new fish collections. This article lists 288 species in 107 genera, 28 families, 22 orders and 3 classes reported from different Iranian basins. However, presence of 23 reported species in Iranian waters needs confirmation by specimens. The most diverse order is Cypriniformes (171 species, 59.40%), followed by Gobiiformes (42 species, 14.60%), Cyprinodontiformes (17 species, 5.90%), and Clupeiformes (11 species, 3.82%). Eighty-eight endemic species (30.56%) in 7 families and 26 exotic species (9.03%) in 9 families are listed here. Among 288 reported species, 163 (56.6%) species are Not Evaluated (NE), 93 (32.3%) Least Concern (LC), 11 (3.8%) Vulnerable (VU), 8 (2.8%) Data Deficient (DD), 7 (2.4%) Critically Endangered (CR), 3 (1%) Near Threatened (NT), 1 (0.3%) is Endangered (EN) and 1 (0.3%) Extinct in the Wild (EW) of the red list of IUCN. The only reason for this high number of not listed and least concern species in the IUCN Red List is lack of information about the species at national and global levels. This shows the necessity of reconsideration of global categories and application of the IUCN Red List criteria at the national level. Considering the number of endemic fishes (88, 30.56%) in Iran, the first step should be preparing an endemic national assessment for inclusion on the IUCN Red List. Over the last ten years, some native and exotic fishes have been translocated or introduced into natural water bodies. Aquaculture, sport fishing, control of malaria, ornamental purposes, research activities, demonstration in national fairs and accidental introduction are the main reasons for these introductions. Here, we report presence of the Alligator gar, Atractosteus spatula , as an introduced predatory fish from Marivan Lake which seems to have been released from an aquarium. In this checklist, additional, problematic species are also listed, the English/common name of each species is provided, the etymology of each genus is given, the conservation status of each species is given and the bibliographic list of most of published literature on the systematics of inland fishes is mentioned. The provided information will be necessary for the development of competent and pragmatic management plans and effective conservation policies.

With 127 rare and endangered plant species of Inner Mongolian in Catalogue of Rare and Endangered Plants in China, China Plant Red Book, National Key Protected Wild Plants List (List No. 1), China Species Red List, Red List of Biodiversity in China: Volume of Higher Plants, List of Rare and Endangered Plants in Inner Mongolia and Atlas of Rare and Endangered Plants in Inner Mongolia as objects, an evaluation system of the threatened grades and conservation priority of rare and endangered plants were built based on data collection and consultation with experts. We set the five criteria, including endangered coefficient, genetic coefficient, utilization coefficient, habitat coefficient, and reproduction coefficient, under which there were 17 subordinate indicators. The analytic hierarchy process was employed to determine the weight of indicators in the system and calculate the endangered grades and conservation priority grades for the rare and endangered species. According to the results of evaluations, two critically endangered (CR) species, 13 endangered (EN) species, 37 vulnerable (VU) species, 44 near threatened (NT) species, and 31 least concern (LC) species were identified, accounting for 1.6%, 10.2%, 29.1%, 34.7% and 24.4% of the total, respectively. Among those species, 52 species were threatened, namely CR, EN and VU species, accounting for 40.9% of the total. The evaluation results of conservation priority grades were: 35 species of Class 1 protected plants, 72 species of Class 2 protected plants, and 20 species of Class 3 protected plants, accounting for 27.6%, 56.7% and 15.8% of the total, respectively. According to the results of evaluation comparison between Red List of Biodiversity in China: Volume of Higher Plants and List of Rare and Endangered Plants in Inner Mongolia, endangered grades of 75 plant species and the protection classes of 62 plant species were calibrated. In this evaluation, the endangered grades of nine plant species and the protection classes of 32 plant species were newly added.

This compilation of recent data on the distribution, ecology, and conservation status of owls (Strigiformes) in Guatemala is based on an extensive literature review and numerous unpublished observations. Twenty species of owls have been recorded in Guatemala, of which 18 are resident. Breeding has been reported for 17 species, and it is assumed for one species. Two species are considered rare or accidental nonbreeding visitors to Guatemala during the northern winter. Guatemala’s region with the highest species richness in owls is the highlands, where 17 species have been recorded. Twelve species have been recorded in the Pacific slope lowlands and 13 species in the Atlantic slope lowlands. We analyzed the data in the presence and relative abundance of owls from 105 sites from 1989 to 2016. According to the weighted mean value of the relative abundance index across three ornithogeographic regions, the most common owls in the country are (abundance ranking in descending order): Mexican wood owl (Strix squamulata), Ridgway’s pygmy owl (Glaucidium ridgwayi), Guatemalan screech owl (Megascops guatemalae), black-and-white owl (Strix nigrolineata), American barn owl (Tyto furcata), Central American pygmy owl (Glaucidium griseiceps), Guatemalan pygmy owl (Glaucidium cobanense), great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), fulvous owl (Strix fulvescens), unspotted saw-whet owl (Aegolius ridgwayi), whiskered screech owl (Megascops trichopsis), crested owl (Lophostrix cristata), and Pacific screech owl (Megascops cooperi). Guatemala has an adequate legal framework to protect owl species (32% of the country is legally protected), but the conservation is not efficient, causing threats to owl populations. Of 18 resident owl species, 12 are forest specialists. In a vulnerability assessment applying IUCN Red List criteria on a national level, one species has been evaluated as Critically Endangered (CR), one as Endangered (EN), nine as Vulnerable (VU), five as Near Threatened (NT), two as Least Concern (LC), and two as not applicable. Habitat alterations through agriculture, mining, and oil drilling are the main threats. Of the remaining forests, 14% (5500 km2) were lost from 2000 to 2010, and the pressure on natural habitat will further increase. In addition, owls in Guatemala are threatened by direct persecution because of popular superstitions. The network of 21 Important Bird Areas (IBA) in Guatemala includes populations of all owl species. Three species have been recorded in at least 10 IBAs, 12 species in 5–9 IBAs, 4 in 2–4 IBAs, and 1 species in only one IBA. We consider the increase of the education level among the Guatemalan society the main key to protect habitats within the IBAs. A higher level of education would help to slow down population growth, increase environmental awareness, and consequently diminish pressure on natural areas.

Using a network of c.200 sample sites during the period 2000–2011, together with data from earlier sporadic studies and museum records, the status of noctuid moths in Serbia was assessed according to IUCN criteria. The noctuid Red List of Serbia comprises 223 species, of which almost 40 % are under threat. Two species (Acontia titania and Helivictoria victorina) are considered regionally extinct (RE), 28 are critically endangered (CR), 49 are endangered (EN), and 58 are vulnerable (VU). Additionally, 64 species are considered to be near threatened (NT), i.e., close to qualifying as threatened species in the near future, and 22 fall under the data deficient category (DD; inadequate information), with the likelihood of being included in one of the threatened Red List categories in the future. Apart from the threatened species, 342 species of noctuids are widespread and abundant in the area and belong to the category of least concern (LC). The geographical position and climate of Serbia facilitates high noctuid richness but the existence of a great number of threatened species indicates the need for further conservation of the group.

Chitral has diverse importance and has designated as a biodiversity hotspot of the country due to junction of Hindu Kush, Himalayan and Karakorum ranges, thus supporting maximum number of endemic plants. The conservation status of those endemic plants was assessed for three years, which have at least few points’ data as per IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria 2011, 2017and relied more on B criterion using “GeoCat” for AOO and EOO assessment. Some of the taxa were also compared with their previous status assessed ten years ago. This guideline will assist in country’s policies for conservation, threat assessment and sustainable management. Assessing a total of fifteen endemic taxa (species and subspecies), most are endemic to Chitral except Anaphalis chitralensis and Impatiens lemannii (both country’s endemic).Twelve species fall in the criteria for Endangered (EN) where as two species fall under Vulnerable (VU) and one falls in critically endangered (CE) threat category. The most CE (critically endangered) species is Astragalus commixtus with only 56 mature individuals while Astragalus erionotus, Delphinium kohatense were found to as VU (Vulnerable), rest all species like Polygonum cognatum, Plocama asperuliformus etc. are EN (Endangered). These species need immediate strategies for in-situ and ex-situ conservation for survival.