IUCN Guidelines Research Articles

Hypolytrum goetghebeurii (Cyperaceae), a curious new species from miombo woodlands in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Background – The genus Hypolytrum is studied during the preparation of the Cyperaceae treatment in Flore d’Afrique centrale. It is kept separate from Mapania and its African members have been divided amongst three sections.Methods – Herbarium material from BR and BRLU has been studied. A preliminary IUCN Red List assessment is performed according to the IUCN Guidelines and Criteria. Results – The new species Hypolytrum goetghebeurii is described from miombo woodlands in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It differs from other African species in the genus by forming thick tussocks, having narrow, rigid leaves and spicoids with three male flowers subtended by their floral bracts and a female flower with three stigmas. It occurs in seasonally dry areas with a regular fire regime and seems to be the only African species of that genus occupying such a dry habitat. It is named after the Cyperaceae specialist Prof. em. Dr. Paul Goetghebeur. Following the IUCN Red List criteria, the species is assessed as Vulnerable.

Molecular study on Senecio fontanicola (S. doria group, Asteraceae) and its conservation status

Abstract Senecio fontanicola is endemic to black-bog-rush fens of southern Austria, northwestern Slovenia and north-eastern Italy. It is characterized by oblanceolate leaves, a low number of supplementary bracts and glabrous achenes and it grows in marshy spring areas, fens and reed beds, between elevations from 20 to 850 m. The species was never described with molecular traits and during the last decades, S. fontanicola showed a dramatic decline due to land reclamation for agriculture. Therefore, the present study aims to characterize S. fontanicola using the molecular barcoding technique and to updated its distribution to propose a global risk category for the species, based on IUCN criteria. The three molecular markers used in this study (trnH-psbA, rbcL, and ITS) clearly distinguished S. fontanicola from S. doria. s.s. and the revised distribution allowed the definition of the conservation status of the species, that is Endangered-EN B2ab(i, ii, iii, iv) following the B criterion of the IUCN guidelines.

Tectaria moranii (Tectariaceae), a new fern species from Costa Rica

A new fern species, Tectaria moranii (sect. Tectaria; Tectariaceae), is described from central Costa Rica. Tectaria moranii is most similar to T. vivipara in having rachis bulbils, but the two are distinguishable by the habit of rhizome, shape of lamina, petiole and rachis color, proliferability of rachis bulbils, number of pairs of pinnae per lamina, pinna width, and sorus distribution. Tectaria moranii is assigned LC-Least Concern category following the IUCN guidelines.

Confirmation of Aloysia dusenii Moldenke (Verbenaceae) for South Brazil: implications for conservation

Aloysia dusenii Moldenke (Verbenaceae) é uma espécie reófita endêmica da região Sul do Brasil. Habita beira de rios, sobre afloramentos rochosos com cursos d’água rápidos. Recentes revisões, tratamentos taxonômicos e coletas em campo confirmaram a ocorrência desta espécie para a região sul do Brasil. Com os dados atuais de distribuição, é apresentado o status de conservação desta espécie, de acordo com os critérios da IUCN. As primeiras fotos de A. dusenii em campo são fornecidas para a literatura. É destacada a importância da inclusão desta espécie nas listas regionais de flora ameaçada de extinção, tendo em vista sua restrita área de ocupação e o alto grau de ameaça que seu ambiente tem sofrido por barragens e empreendimentos hidrelétricos.

<b>The status of Nepal’s mammals</b>

The main objectives of the Nepal National Mammal Red Data Book (RDB) were to provide comprehensive and up-to-date accounts of 212 mammal species recorded in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels, identify threats and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. It is hoped that the Mammal RDB will help Nepal achieve the Convention on Biological Diversity target of preventing the extinction of known threatened species and improving their conservation status. Of the 212 mammal species assessed, 49 species (23%) were listed as nationally threatened. These comprise nine (18%) Critically Endangered species, 26 (53%) Endangered species and 14 (29%) Vulnerable species. One species was considered regionally Extinct. A total of seven species (3%) were considered Near Threatened and 83 species (39%) were Data Deficient. Over sixty percent of Nepal’s ungulates are threatened and almost half of Nepal’s carnivores face extinction (45% threatened). Bats and small mammals are the least known groups with 60 species being Data Deficient. Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation are the most significant threats. Other significant threats include illegal hunting, small and fragmented populations, reduction of prey base, human wildlife conflict and persecution, climate change, invasive species, disease and inadequate knowledge and research. Adequate measures to address these threats are described. It was also concluded that re-assessments of the status of certain mammal groups be carried out every five years and the setting up of a national online species database and mapping system would also greatly help in land-use planning and policies.

Scaling range sizes to threats for robust predictions of risks to biodiversity.

Assessments of risk to biodiversity often rely on spatial distributions of species and ecosystems. Range-size metrics used extensively in these assessments, such as area of occupancy (AOO), are sensitive to measurement scale, prompting proposals to measure them at finer scales or at different scales based on the shape of the distribution or ecological characteristics of the biota. Despite its dominant role in red-list assessments for decades, appropriate spatial scales of AOO for predicting risks of species' extinction or ecosystem collapse remain untested and contentious. There are no quantitative evaluations of the scale-sensitivity of AOO as a predictor of risks, the relationship between optimal AOO scale and threat scale, or the effect of grid uncertainty. We used stochastic simulation models to explore risks to ecosystems and species with clustered, dispersed, and linear distribution patterns subject to regimes of threat events with different frequency and spatial extent. Area of occupancy was an accurate predictor of risk (0.81<|r|<0.98) and performed optimally when measured with grid cells 0.1-1.0 times the largest plausible area threatened by an event. Contrary to previous assertions, estimates of AOO at these relatively coarse scales were better predictors of risk than finer-scale estimates of AOO (e.g., when measurement cells are <1% of the area of the largest threat). The optimal scale depended on the spatial scales of threats more than the shape or size of biotic distributions. Although we found appreciable potential for grid-measurement errors, current IUCN guidelines for estimating AOO neutralize geometric uncertainty and incorporate effective scaling procedures for assessing risks posed by landscape-scale threats to species and ecosystems.

A synopsis of the genus Smythea (Rhamnaceae)

SummaryA synoptic revision of the genus Smythea Seem. (Rhamnaceae) based on morphological evidence is presented. A total of 11 species are recognised; five new species are described: Smythea batanensis, S. beccarii, S. hirtella, S. poilanei and S. poomae, six new synonyms are established and a new combination is made: S. oblongifolia. Several new distribution records are reported, including S. macrocarpa for Borneo and Sumatra and S. oblongifolia for India. Generic delimitation between Smythea and the closely related genus Ventilago is clarified, and useful characters to identify the genera are discussed and illustrated. Distribution maps are given for each species, as well as a preliminary conservation assessment based on IUCN guidelines.

Marine fishes of West Bengal coast, India: Diversity and conservation preclusion

Survey on the occurrence of marine fishes of the northern Bay of West Bengal coast was conducted during the period of more than 2 years 2014 and 2016 along 158 km coastline area. To collect data 9 major fish landing stations viz. Digha, Digha Mohana, Shankarpur, Petuaghat, Sagar, Fresergunge, Namkhana, Kakdwip and Diamond Harbour were selected at a distance between 1.5 km and 36 km between the landing stations. It is revealed that, at least 314 fish species are involved with the marine ecosystems in respect to fishing zone of West Bengal coast. Of these 314 species status of 209 (66.56%) species is yet to be determined in respect to IUCN guidelines while in case of 14 (4.46%) species certain information are still needed to evaluate their status. Of the remaining 103 species 58 (18.47%) are LC, 20 (6.37%) are NT, 7 (2.23%) are VU, 3 (0.95%) are EN and 3 (0.95%) are CR species. From the collected data it is evident that, there exists clear compartmentalization of certain fish species in respect to certain netting zones locating at distant places. Therefore, the strategy for conservation and management of marine fishes in the Bay of Bengal fishing area be formulated by considering the economic status of the fishing community and the IUCN status of the fish species that are most susceptible to capture by the fishermen.

Development of the Captive Breeding Programme for the Re-introduction of Hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) in the United Kingdom, 1982-1994

In 1981 the lead author wished to instigate a breeding programme for an indigenous and endangered British mammal species that was known to have suffered a significant decline in numbers. Captive breeding to provide individuals for potential re-introductions was considered the most appropriate approach to helping the re-establishment of wild populations from where they had previously been lost or declined. The selected species needed to be harmless to the environment and small so that expensive techniques were not required. The intention was to generate a sufficiently large and genetically diverse captive population which would supply a formal re-introduction programme into appropriate sites. Having addressed the reasons for previous declines of local extinction, released dormice would provide the basis for new populations. Given the resources available, the Common or Hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius was considered to be a suitable species for this programme. Successful captive breeding had not been achieved previously. The Mammal Society Dormouse Survey 1975–79 demonstrated it had been lost from seven counties in the UK during the previous 100 years [1]. A nocturnal and secretive species little was known about the detailed dietary requirements or behaviour of the common dormouse. The establishment and development of the breeding colony enabled observations of their nocturnal activity in captivity. This was observed at very close quarters and behaviour related to feeding, mating, juvenile development and other seasonal changes in activity was noted. Initially there were numerous juvenile deaths within the colony, usually in spring and autumn but with changes to the temperature regime immediately prior to and post hibernation, this mortality reduced. By 1992 the numbers in the captive breeding colony grew to 33 individuals, sufficient for the first trial re-introduction of 11 individuals to take place in Hertfordshire following the IUCN guidelines [4]. Following further breeding and survival success, further re-introductions were supported and by 1995 the colony had risen to 97 individuals. In that year the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group was formed and currently six dormouse breeders in the group donate individuals each year to re-introduction projects, supervised by The People's Trust for Endangered Species.

Acacia wollarensis (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae sect. Botrycephalae), a distinctive new species endemic to the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia

Acacia wollarensis (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae sect. Botrycephalae), a new and restricted species from the upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales, is described and illustrated. The new taxon has affinities to Acacia fulva and the rare A. chrysotricha, but differs from these most prominently in the densely white-setose rachis and pinnules. At present, the new taxon is known only from two populations and under IUCN guidelines qualifies&#x0D; as vulnerable, but is not under immediate threat.

Impatiens megamalayana, a new species of Impatiens from the Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India

Impatiens megamalayana, a new species from Tamil Nadu, India is described and illustrated. This species is characterized by a ridged stem, ensiform and villous leaves, a wrinkled boat-shaped lower sepal with outwardly curved tip, ornamented seeds and strictly ovate pollen grains. This combination of characters makes determining the relationships of I. megamalayana difficult. The floral structure of I. megamalayana is closely allied to I. herbicola Hook.f. and I. inconspicua Benth. in Wall., the latter with three varieties, but it differs by several unique vegetative and floral features. Impatiens megamalayana is assessed as Critically Endangered in accordance with the IUCN guidelines. The habitat of the species is severely affected by landslides. As a result, effective strategies should be developed to protect I. megamalayana from exinction.

&lt;b&gt;Nepal’s National Red List of Birds&lt;/b&gt;

The main objectives of the Nepal National Bird Red Data Book were to provide comprehensive and up-to-date accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels, identify threats to all bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. It is hoped that the Bird RDB will help Nepal achieve the Convention on Biological Diversity target of preventing the extinction of known threatened species and improving their conservation status. As population changes of Nepal’s birds have been studied for only a few species, assessments of species’ national status were mainly made by assessing changes in distribution. Species distribution maps were produced for all of Nepal’s bird species except vagrants and compared to maps that were produced in 1991 using the same mapping system. Of the 878 bird species recorded, 168 species (19%) were assessed as nationally threatened. These comprise 68 (40%) Critically Endangered species, 38 (23%) Endangered species and 62 (37%) Vulnerable species. A total of 62 species was considered Near Threatened and 22 species Data Deficient. Over 55% of the threatened birds are lowland grassland specialists, 25% are wetland birds and 24% tropical and sub-tropical broadleaved forest birds. Larger birds appear to be more threatened than smaller birds with 98 (25%) non-passerine species threatened and 67 (14%) passerine species. Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation are the most important threats. Other threats include chemical poisoning, over-exploitation, climate change, hydropower, invasive species, intensification of agriculture, disturbance, and limited conservation measures and research. Measures to address these threats are described. It was also concluded that re-assessments of the status of certain bird groups carried out every five years and the setting up of a national online system for storing and reporting bird sightings would be useful.

IUCN guidelines using for assessment of plants from the Red Book of Russian Federation at regional level: a case study for the Republic of Mordovia (Russia)

AbstractThere are 15 plant species included in the Russian Red Book, which occur in the Republic of Mordovia:Najas tenuissima,Koeleria sclerophylla,Stipa dasyphylla,S. pennata,S. pulcherrima,S. zalesskii,Fritillaria ruthenica,Iris aphylla,Cypripedium calceolus,Cephalanthera rubra,Epipogium aphyllum,Neottianthe cucullata,Orchis militaris,Neotinea ustulata,Thymus cimicinus. Of these, onlyC. calceolusis included in the Global Red List as Critically Endangered. Threat status for studied species in Mordovia was assessed, and their distribution dynamics in this region throughout 12 years was described. Recent floristic studies, inspections of herbariums and literature were used for searches all provided data. Grid mapping and IUCN criteria were used. Nine taxa were determined as Critically Endangered, three as Endangered, one as Vulnerable, one as Near Threatened and one as Data Deficient. The areas of occupancy and extent of occurrence in Mordovia were assessed for each taxon. All studied species should be included in the next edition of the Mordovian Red Book.F. ruthenica,E. aphyllum,N. ustulata,T. cimicinusrequire additional studies to confirm earlier observations.

&lt;strong&gt;The current status of British mayflies and stoneflies&lt;/strong&gt;

It is more than 25 years since the last review of the status of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and stoneflies (Plecoptera) in the United Kingdom (UK). The previous review used the British Red Data Book criteria to assign conservation status to five mayfly and seven stonefly species. The criteria used for assigning the threat status in these publications had the categories Endangered, Vulnerable and Rare, which were defined rather loosely and without quantitative thresholds. The application of these categories was largely a matter of judgment, and it was not easy to apply them consistently within a taxonomic group or to make comparisons between groups of different organisms. The present review has been undertaken to provide an up to date assessment of the status of mayfly and stonefly species in the UK. The IUCN Guidelines have been revised and subsequently updated, and new information on distribution and trends is now available, making it timely to revise the status of all mayfly and stonefly species. Over 275,000 distribution records covering 51 mayfly and 34 stonefly species were analysed and new status assessments provided for these species. This process resulted in one species of stonefly and two species of mayfly being listed as extinct in the UK and a further seven species listed as being at risk of extinction, compared with five species in the previous review. A further 10 species did not have sufficient information to confidently assess their status. Twentysix species were highlighted as being either Nationally Rare or Nationally Scarce. This represents a significant increase upon the previous review when only nine species were highlighted as being Nationally Rare/Scarce.

Which Factors Affect Post-Release Settlement of Crested IbisNipponia nipponon Sado Island, Japan?

Abstract Approximately one-third of all conservation translocations have failed to establish a self-sustaining population. Despite this historically low success rate, reintroduction is increasingly used in species recovery programmes in accordance with IUCN guidelines. Two commonly used methods of reintroduction involve ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ releases. A ‘hard’ release means immediate release from captivity into the wild, whereas ‘soft’ release involves individuals being kept for a period at a pre-release site and/or an extended period under care at the release site. In general, in recent reintroduction programmes, soft release is preferred over hard release because studies have shown that soft release can increase translocation success by encouraging animals to stay near the release point thereby utilizing supplementary food and delaying dispersal. The Crested Ibis Nipponia nippon used to be widespread in Japan, but became extinct in the wild during the early 1980s. In order to re-establish a wild population, ...

SIX NEW SPECIES OF SYZYGIUM (MYRTACEAE) FROM SUMATRA

Six new species of Syzygium Gaertn. from Sumatra are described and illustrated. Three are newly described, namely Syzygium abatakum Widodo, S. bengkulense Widodo and S. ketambense Widodo. The descriptions of the other three species, namely Syzygium angustovatum Widodo &amp; Chikmawati, S. comosum Widodo and S. longipetiolatum Widodo are republished to validate their names. The conservation status of each species is proposed, following IUCN guidelines.

Tanzania's reptile biodiversity: Distribution, threats and climate change vulnerability

Assessments of biodiversity patterns and threats among African reptiles have lagged behind those of other vertebrate groups and regions. We report the first systematic assessment of the distribution, threat status, and climate change vulnerability for the reptiles of Tanzania. A total of 321 reptile species (including 90 Tanzanian endemics) were assessed using the global standard IUCN Red List methodology and 274 species were also assessed using the IUCN guidelines for climate change vulnerability. Patterns of species richness and threat assessment confirm the conservation importance of the Eastern Arc Mountains, as previously demonstrated for birds, mammals and amphibians. Lowland forests and savannah-woodland habitats also support important reptile assemblages. Protected area gap analysis shows that 116 species have less than 20% of their distribution ranges protected, among which 12 are unprotected, eight species are threatened and 54 are vulnerable to climate change. Tanzania's northern margins and drier central corridor support high numbers of climate vulnerable reptile species, together with the eastern African coastal forests and the region between Lake Victoria and Rwanda. This paper fills a major gap in our understanding of the distribution and threats facing Tanzania's reptiles, and demonstrates more broadly that the explicit integration of climate change vulnerability in Red Listing criteria may revise spatial priorities for conservation.

Managing Marine Biodiversity: The Rising Diversity and Prevalence of Marine Conservation Translocations

Translocations, the human-mediated movement and free-release of living organisms, are increasingly used as conservation tools in imperiled terrestrial ecosystems. Marine ecosystems, too, are increasingly threatened, and marine restoration efforts are escalating. But the methods and motivations for marine restoration are varied, so the extent to which they involve conservation-motivated translocations is unclear. Because translocations involve considerable risks, building on previous experience to establish and implement best practice guidelines for policy application is imperative. We conducted a global literature review to determine what marine conservation translocation experience exists. Our review indicates marine conservation translocations are widespread and increasingly common. Reinforcements and reintroductions predominate, but precedent for assisted colonizations and ecological replacements also exists. In 39 years, 487 translocation projects were conducted to conserve over 242 marine species or their ecosystems. Most projects involved coastal invertebrates (44%) or plants (30%). Few species were of conservation concern according to the IUCN Red List, likely reflecting the leading objective for most (60%) marine conservation translocations, which was ecosystem rather than species recovery. With currently no standard metrics for evaluating translocation success or ecosystem function, we recommend future projects follow the relevant IUCN guidelines and identify specific targets to measure the efficacy of translocations.

The Role of Animal Translocations in Conserving British Wildlife: An Overview of Recent Work and Prospects for the Future.

We provide an overview of terrestrial animal translocations carried out for conservation purposes in Britain, summarising what has been achieved in recent decades and discussing the issues raised by this approach to conservation. In the last 40years, at least nine species have been reintroduced following extinction in Britain (or at least one country within Britain), including five birds, one mammal, one amphibian and two invertebrates. Many more species have been translocated within Britain to establish additional populations in order to improve conservation status. We discuss the guidelines and protocols used to assess translocation projects in Britain, notably the IUCN guidelines, most recently revised in 2013. We also discuss the likely use of species translocations in future and suggest that, in our increasingly fragmented landscapes, they will have an important role to play in conservation restoration, especially for animals with limited mobility. Moving species around is a complex undertaking and our understanding of the inherent risks involved, including the risks from disease, has improved significantly in recent years. Conservation translocations should be considered in the context of species recovery targets and high standards should be maintained so that disease risks and other potentially negative impacts are minimised.

Novelties in Chamaecrista (Fabaceae, Caesalpinioideae) from the Brazilian Cerrado

Chamaecrista irwiniana, a new species of Chamaecrista sect. Absus subsect. Absus ser. Rigidulae, is here described and illustrated. Its morphological affinities, geographical distribution, ecology, conservation status, and information about leaf anatomy are also presented. Additionally, a complete description, distribution, and the first illustration of C. nummulariifolia, an endemic species to the states of Goiás and Minas Gerais, classified as vulnerable according to the IUCN guidelines, are provided.