Vulnerable species

IUCN conservation category

Conservation status

by IUCN Red List category

Extinct

* Extinct (EX)
* Extinct in the Wild (EW)

* (list)
* (list)

Threatened

* Critically Endangered (CR)
* Endangered (EN)
* Vulnerable (VU)

* (list)
* (list)
* (list)

Lower Risk

* Near Threatened (NT)
* Conservation Dependent (CD)
* Least Concern (LC)

* (list)
* (list)

* * *

Other categories

* Data Deficient (DD)
* Not Evaluated (NE)

| (list)

* * *

Related topics

* International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

* IUCN Red List
* NatureServe status
* Lists of organisms by population

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Comparison of Red List classes above
and NatureServe status below

* v
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* e

A vulnerable species is a species which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatening its survival and reproduction improve.

Vulnerability is mainly caused by habitat loss or destruction of the species' home. Vulnerable habitat or species are monitored and can become increasingly threatened. Some species listed as "vulnerable" may be common in captivity, an example being the military macaw.

There are currently 5,196 animals and 6,789 plants classified as Vulnerable, compared with 1998 levels of 2,815 and 3,222, respectively.[1] Practices such as cryoconservation of animal genetic resources have been enforced in efforts to conserve vulnerable breeds of livestock specifically.

## Criteria[edit]

Mexican red-knee tarantula (Brachypelma hamorii), a vulnerable species from Mexico Snares penguin (Eudyptes robustus), a vulnerable species from New Zealand

The International Union for Conservation of Nature uses several criteria to enter species in this category. A taxon is Vulnerable when it is not critically endangered or Endangered but is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future, as defined by any of the following criteria (A to E):

A) Population reduction in the form of either of the following:

1. An observed, estimated, inferred or suspected population size reduction of ≥ 50% over the last 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer, provided the causes of the reduction are clearly reversible AND understood AND ceased.[2] This measurement is based on (and specifying) any of the following:
1. direct observation
2. an index of abundance appropriate for the taxon
3. a decline in area of occupancy, extent of occurrence or quality of habitat
4. actual or potential levels of exploitation
5. the effects of introduced taxa, hybridisation, pathogens, pollutants, competitors or parasites.
2. A reduction of at least 20%, projected or suspected to be met within the next ten years or three generations, whichever is the longer, based on (and specifying) any of (2), (3), (4) or (5) above.

B) Extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 20,000 km2 or area of occupancy estimated to be less than 2,000 km2, and estimates indicating any two of the following:

1. Severely fragmented or known to exist at no more than ten locations.
2. Continuing decline, inferred, observed or projected, in any of the following:
1. extent of occurrence
2. area of occupancy
3. area, extent or quality of habitat
4. number of locations or subpopulations
5. number of mature individuals
3. Extreme fluctuations in any of the following:
1. extent of occurrence
2. area of occupancy
3. number of locations or subpopulations
4. number of mature individuals

C) Population estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and either:

1. An estimated continuing decline of at least 10% within 10 years or three generations, whichever is longer, or
2. A continuing decline, observed, projected, or inferred, in numbers of mature individuals and population structure in the form of either:
1. severely fragmented (i.e. no subpopulation estimated to contain more than 1,000 mature individuals)
2. all mature individuals are in a single subpopulation

D) Population very small or restricted in the form of either of the following:

1. Population estimated to number less than 1,000 mature individuals.
2. Population is characterised by an acute restriction in its area of occupancy (typically less than 20 km2)[2] or in the number of locations (typically less than five). Such a taxon would thus be prone to the effects of human activities (or stochastic events whose impact is increased by human activities) within a very short period of time in an unforeseeable future, and is thus capable of becoming Critically Endangered or even Extinct in a very short period.

E) Quantitative analysis showing the probability of extinction in the wild is at least 10% within 100 years.

The examples of vulnerable animal species are hyacinth macaw, mountain zebra, gaur, black crowned crane and blue crane

## See also[edit]

* Category:IUCN Red List vulnerable species for an alphabetical list
* Cryoconservation of animal genetic resources
* List of vulnerable amphibians
* List of vulnerable arthropods
* List of vulnerable birds
* List of vulnerable fishes
* List of vulnerable insects
* List of vulnerable invertebrates
* List of vulnerable mammals
* List of vulnerable molluscs
* List of vulnerable reptiles
* List of IUCN Red List Vulnerable plants

## Notes and references[edit]

1. ^ IUCN (2012). "IUCN Red List version 2012.2: Table 2: Changes in numbers of species in the threatened categories (CR, EX, VU) from 1996 to 2012 (IUCN Red List version 2012.2) for the major taxonomic groups on the Red List" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
2. ^ a b "IUCN 2008 Red List - Categories and Criteria (version 3.1)". www.iucnredlist.org. Archived from the original on 2008-10-08.

## External links[edit]

* List of Vulnerable species as identified by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

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Threatened species

Template: Threatened species by region

IUCN Red List|

| Categories1|

| Extinct|

* Extinct (EX)
* Extinct in the Wild (EW)

|

Threatened|

* Critically Endangered (CR)
* Endangered (EN)
* Vulnerable (VU)

Lower risk|

* Near Threatened (NT)
* Least Concern (LC)
* Lower Risk (LR)
* Conservation Dependent (LR/cd)

Not fully assessed|

* Data Deficient (DD)
* Not Evaluated (NE)

Species|

| Lists|

* Extinct
* Extinct in the Wild
* Critically Endangered
* Endangered
* Vulnerable
* Near Threatened
* Least Concern
* Data Deficient

|

WP categories|

* Extinct
* Extinct in the Wild
* Critically Endangered
* Endangered
* Vulnerable
* Near Threatened
* Least Concern
* Data Deficient

CITES|

* Appendix I
* Appendix II
* Appendix III

By taxa|

* Endangered arthropods / spiders / Decline in insect populations
* Decline in amphibian populations
* Threatened Banksia / rays / sharks / Fungi / Chromista
* The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates
* The world's 100 most threatened species

Conservation|

* Biodiversity action plan
* Biodiversity threats
* Conservation biology
* CITES
* ARKive
* Bird conservation
* Conservation status
* Conservation-reliant species
* Ecoregion conservation status
* Habitat destruction
* Latent extinction risk
* Rare species
* Vulnerability and susceptibility

1 Pre-2001 categories and subcategories shown in italics.

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Threatened species by region

By region|

* Blue-listed
* Environmental Vulnerability Index
* Regional Red List

Australasia|

* Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
* ROTAP
* Threatened Species Protection Act 1995
* Threatened ecological community
* Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989

Canada|

* Species at Risk Act
* Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada

Europe|

* EAZA Ex-situ Programme
* Funds for Endangered Parrots

South Africa|

* Endangered Wildlife Trust

United
States|

* Distinct population segment
* Endangered Species Act of 1973
* Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1978
* Endangered species recovery plan
* Endangered Wolf Center
* National Wildlife Refuge
* NatureServe conservation status
* The Nature Conservancy

Lists|

| Asia|

* List of endangered and protected species of China
* Endangered mammals of India
* List of endangered animals in India
* List of endemic and threatened plants of India
* List of endangered species in Pakistan
* List of threatened species of the Philippines
* List of endangered species in Vietnam

|

Europe|

* Threatened mammals of Europe
* Endangered plants of Europe
* Italy
* Lithuania
* Russia
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

North
America|

* List of endangered plants of North America
* List of endangered animals of North America
* Endangered mammals and birds of the United States
* List of threatened mammals of the United States
* List of threatened birds of the United States
* List of threatened reptiles and amphibians of the United States

Elsewhere|

* Threatened fauna of Australia
* List of threatened flora of Australia
* List of endangered flora of Brazil
* List of threatened mammals of Brazil
* List of threatened birds of Brazil

Portals:

* Ecology
* Biology

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