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. 2023 Nov 8;18(11):e0293083.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293083. eCollection 2023.

A multi-taxon analysis of European Red Lists reveals major threats to biodiversity

Axel Hochkirch  1   2   3   4   5 , Melanie Bilz  6   7   8 , Catarina C Ferreira  8   9 , Anja Danielczak  2 , David Allen  10 , Ana Nieto  8   11 , Carlo Rondinini  12   13 , Kate Harding  10 , Craig Hilton-Taylor  10 , Caroline M Pollock  10 , Mary Seddon  3   14 , Jean-Christophe Vié  4   15   16 , Keith N A Alexander  17 , Emily Beech  18 , Manuel Biscoito  19   20 , Yoan Braud  5 , Ian J Burfield  21   22 , Filippo Maria Buzzetti  5   23 , Marta Cálix  8   24 , Kent E Carpenter  25 , Ning Labbish Chao  26 , Dragan Chobanov  5   27 , Maarten J M Christenhusz  28 , Bruce B Collette  29 , Mia T Comeros-Raynal  30   31 , Neil Cox  32 , Matthew Craig  33 , Annabelle Cuttelod  34 , William R T Darwall  10 , Benoit Dodelin  17 , Nicholas K Dulvy  35 , Eve Englefield  8   36 , Michael F Fay  37 , Nicholas Fettes  8   38 , Jörg Freyhof  39 , Silvia García  40 , Mariana García Criado  8   41 , Michael Harvey  25 , Nick Hodgetts  42 , Christina Ieronymidou  43 , Vincent J Kalkman  44 , Shelagh P Kell  45 , James Kemp  8 , Sonia Khela  46 , Richard V Lansdown  7 , Julia M Lawson  34   47 , Danna J Leaman  48 , Joana Magos Brehm  45   49 , Nigel Maxted  45 , Rebecca M Miller  34 , Eike Neubert  50 , Baudewijn Odé  5   51 , David Pollard  52 , Riley Pollom  53 , Rob Pople  21 , Juan José Presa Asensio  54 , Gina M Ralph  25 , Hassan Rankou  37 , Malin Rivers  18   55 , Stuart P M Roberts  56 , Barry Russell  57 , Alexander Sennikov  58 , Fabien Soldati  59 , Anna Staneva  21 , Emilie Stump  25 , Andy Symes  21 , Dmitry Telnov  60   61   62 , Helen Temple  63 , Andrew Terry  64 , Anastasiya Timoshyna  48   65 , Chris van Swaay  66 , Henry Väre  58 , Rachel H L Walls  67 , Luc Willemse  5   44 , Brett Wilson  68 , Jemma Window  10 , Emma G E Wright  36 , Thomas Zuna-Kratky  5   69
Affiliations

A multi-taxon analysis of European Red Lists reveals major threats to biodiversity

Axel Hochkirch et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Biodiversity loss is a major global challenge and minimizing extinction rates is the goal of several multilateral environmental agreements. Policy decisions require comprehensive, spatially explicit information on species' distributions and threats. We present an analysis of the conservation status of 14,669 European terrestrial, freshwater and marine species (ca. 10% of the continental fauna and flora), including all vertebrates and selected groups of invertebrates and plants. Our results reveal that 19% of European species are threatened with extinction, with higher extinction risks for plants (27%) and invertebrates (24%) compared to vertebrates (18%). These numbers exceed recent IPBES (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) assumptions of extinction risk. Changes in agricultural practices and associated habitat loss, overharvesting, pollution and development are major threats to biodiversity. Maintaining and restoring sustainable land and water use practices is crucial to minimize future biodiversity declines.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. IUCN Red List status of 14,669 European species.
Abbreviations: EX: Extinct, EW: Extinct in the Wild, RE: Regionally Extinct, CR: Critically Endangered, EN: Endangered, VU: Vulnerable, DD: Data Deficient, NT: Near Threatened, LC: Least Concern.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Species richness in Europe.
Spatial distribution of terrestrial and freshwater species richness in Europe based on an analysis of all European IUCN Red List assessments.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Major threats to biodiversity in Europe.
For all species, vertebrates, invertebrates and plants (CR: Critically Endangered, EN: Endangered, VU: Vulnerable, DD: Data Deficient, NT: Near Threatened, LC: Least Concern; N: All species = 14,669, Vertebrates = 2,494, Invertebrates = 7,600, Plants = 4,575).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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