The latest Red List of threatened species has found that 19% of European species are threatened with extinction.
The dramatic decline in biodiversity is the result of agricultural change, pollution and habitat loss. But what is also clear is that there are huge gaps in our knowledge about the natural world, even in relatively well-studied regions such as Europe.
The latest assessment of plants and animals living in Europe has found that 19% of all species are at risk of extinction.
The work, carried out by a diverse group of scientists for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), looked at a range of species that live on the continent, including mammals, reptiles, butterflies, snails, trees and ferns. From this, they were able to determine the conservation status of over 14,000 species.
This research revealed that far more species in Europe were threatened with extinction than the most recent global assessment would have suggested. This dramatic decline in biodiversity is thought to be driven by factors including changes in agricultural practices, associated habitat loss, over-harvesting and pollution.
Read the IUCN report published in PLOS One.
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Posted On: 10/11/2023