Conservation status facts for kids
The conservation status of an animal or plant group, like a species, tells us if that group still exists. It also shows how likely it is to disappear forever, which is called extinction, in the near future. Many things are looked at to figure this out. It's not just about how many individuals are left. Scientists also check if the group's numbers are going up or down over time. They look at how well they are having babies and what dangers they face.
Different systems are used around the world to check conservation status. Some are for many countries, some for just one country, and some for local areas. There are even guides for shoppers, like for sustainable seafood. The two main international systems are from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Contents
Global Systems for Species Safety
The IUCN Red List: A World Checklist
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the most famous system for checking how safe species are worldwide. The International Union for Conservation of Nature created it. This list puts species into nine groups. They use rules like how fast numbers are dropping, how many there are, how big their living area is, and if their groups are spread out or broken up.
The list also includes species that have disappeared since the year 1500. When people talk about the IUCN Red List, the word "threatened" means three groups: critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable.
- Extinct (EX) – No living individuals are known to exist anywhere.
- Extinct in the wild (EW) – Only found in zoos or special places, or living outside their natural home.
- Critically Endangered (CR) – Very, very high risk of disappearing from the wild.
- Endangered (EN) – High risk of disappearing from the wild.
- Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of disappearing from the wild, but less than endangered.
- Near Threatened (NT) – Might become endangered soon.
- Conservation Dependent (CD) – Low risk, but only because people are working hard to protect them.
- Least concern (LC) – Very low risk. These species are common and widespread.
- Data deficient (DD) – Not enough information to know their risk.
- Not evaluated (NE) – Has not been checked yet.
CITES: Protecting Species from Trade
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) started in 1975. Its goal is to make sure that trading wild animals and plants between countries does not harm their survival. Many countries need special CITES permits to bring in plants and animals that are on the CITES list.
Systems for Several Countries
In the European Union (EU), there are special laws called the Birds Directive and Habitats Directive. These laws help check the safety of species and their homes within the EU.
NatureServe conservation status is a system used in Latin America, the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Scientists from NatureServe and other groups created it. This system is becoming more connected with the IUCN Red List. Its categories for species include: presumed extinct (GX), possibly extinct (GH), critically imperiled (G1), imperiled (G2), vulnerable (G3), apparently secure (G4), and secure (G5).
National Systems for Wildlife
Many countries have their own systems to protect their wildlife. These national lists help them focus on species that are important in their own areas.
In Australia, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) lists threatened species and groups of plants and animals. The categories are similar to the IUCN Red List.
In Canada, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is a group of experts. They decide which wild species in Canada are in danger of disappearing. The government then decides if these species need legal protection under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).
New Zealand has its own system called the New Zealand Threat Classification System. It puts threatened species into categories like Nationally Critical, Nationally Endangered, or Nationally Vulnerable. Even if a species is common in other parts of the world, New Zealand's system focuses on how safe it is within New Zealand.
In the United States of America, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 created the Endangered Species List. This law helps protect species that are in danger.
Guides for Shoppers
Some guides, like Seafood Watch, help people choose seafood wisely. They put fish and other sea creatures into three groups:
- Red ("say no" or "avoid") – These choices are not good for the environment.
- Yellow or orange ("think twice" or "some concerns") – These are okay alternatives, but not the best.
- Green ("best seafood choices") – These are good choices that help keep the ocean healthy.
These guides don't just look at if a species is endangered. They also think about how and where the seafood was caught. For example, some fishing methods can harm other animals or the ocean floor.
See also
In Spanish: Estado de conservación para niños
