Pinpointing and preventing imminent extinctions

Abstract

Slowing rates of global biodiversity loss requires preventing species extinctions. Here we pinpoint centers of imminent extinction, where highly threatened species are confined to single sites. Within five globally assessed taxa (i.e., mammals, birds, selected reptiles, amphibians, and conifers), we find 794 such species, three times the number recorded as having gone extinct since 1500. These species occur in 595 sites, concentrated in tropical forests, on islands, and in mountainous areas. Their taxonomic and geographical distribution differs significantly from that of historical extinctions, indicating an expansion of the current extinction episode beyond sensitive species and places toward the planet's most biodiverse mainland regions. Only one-third of the sites are legally protected, and most are surrounded by intense human development. These sites represent clear opportunities for urgent conservation action to prevent species loss.

Fig. 1.

Map of 595 sites of imminent species extinction. Yellow sites are either fully or partially contained within declared protected areas (n = 203 and 87, respectively), and red sites are completely unprotected or have unknown protection status (n = 257 and 48, respectively; see Methods). In areas of overlap, unprotected (red) sites are mapped above protected (yellow) sites to highlight the more urgent conservation priorities.

Fig. 2.

Distribution of sites among 13 terrestrial biomes (13) of the world. Bars and left axis: number of sites fully included within a declared protected area (gray portions of bars) and included only partially or not at all (black portions of bars). Diamonds and right axis: number of sites per 1 million km². Note break in left axis.