Species conservation profiles of spiders (Araneae) endemic to mainland Portugal

The Iberian Peninsula is a diverse region that contains several different bioclimatic areas within one confined space, leading to high biodiversity. Portugal distinguishes itself in this regard by having a high count of spider species (829) and a remarkable number of endemic spider species (42) for its size (approximately 88,890 km2). However, only one non-endemic species (Macrothele calpeiana) is currently protected by the Natura 2000 network and no endemic spider species (aside from Anapistula ataecina) has been assessed according to the IUCN Red List criteria. The objective of this paper is to assess all non-assessed endemic species (41) as well as M. calpeiana. The 43 assessed species belong to 15 families, the richest being Zodariidae, Dysderidae, Linyphiidae and Gnaphosidae. In general and despite the lack of information on more than half the species, general patterns and trends could be found. Only 18 species (including M. calpeiana and A. ataecina) had enough data to allow their EOO (extent of occurrence) and AOO (area of occurrence) to be quantified. Of these, we modelled the distribution of 14 epigean species, eight of which were found to be widespread. The remaining six fulfilled at least one of the criteria for threatened species. Four species are troglobiont, all of which meet the EOO and AOO thresholds for threatened species. The remaining 25 Portuguese endemics had no reliable information on their range. Only nine species out of the 43 are estimated to be in decline and 11 are stable, with the majority of species having no information on trends (23 species). Forest areas, sand dunes, shrublands and caves host the majority of species. As such, the threats to Portuguese endemics reflect the diversity of habitats they occupy. Urbanisation and climate change seem to be the most important threats to these species, although other factors are also important and represented across the data. A considerable proportion of the currently known Portuguese endemic species can be found in national protected areas, with higher prominence to the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros, Douro Internacional, Vale do Guadiana, Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina and Arrábida Natural Parks. These correspond mostly to areas that have been particularly well sampled during the last two decades.

Download Full-text

An analysis of Species Conservation Action Plans in Guinea

10.1101/2020.01.27.920751 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Charlotte Couch ◽

Denise Molmou ◽

Sékou Magassouba ◽

Saïdou Doumbouya ◽

Mamadou Diawara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Threatened Species ◽

Species Conservation ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Action Plans ◽

Conservation Action ◽

Threatened Plant ◽

Threatened Plant Species

AbstractTo achieve conservation success, we need to support the recovery of threatened species. Yet, <5% of plant species listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List have Species Conservation Action Plans (CAPs). If we are to move from a Red List to a Green List for threatened plant species, CAPs need to be devised and implemented. Guinea is one of the most botanically diverse countries in West Africa. Recent research found that nearly 4000 vascular plants occur in Guinea, a 30% increase from previous estimates. 273 of these plant species are now assessed as threatened with global extinction. There is increasing pressure on the environment from the extractive industry and a growing population. In parallel with implementation of an Important Plant Area programme in Guinea, CAPs were developed for 20 threatened plant species. These plans elaborate conservation efforts needed first to safeguard threatened species both in situ and ex situ and then to support their recovery. We document the approach used to assemble the Species Conservation Action Plans, and we discuss the importance of having up to date field information, IUCN Red List assessments, and use of a collaborative approach. The need for these plans is increasingly important with recent calculations suggesting a third of African plants are threatened with extinction. This paper outlines initial detailed plant conservation planning in Guinea and offers a template for conservation practitioners in other tropical African countries to follow.

Download Full-text

Notes on the Italian distribution of Dolomedes plantarius (Clerck, 1757), species assessed for the IUCN Red List (Araneae: Pisauridae)

Fragmenta Entomologica ◽

10.4081/fe.2018.285 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 69-74

Author(s):

Filippo Milano ◽

Paolo Pantini ◽

Riccardo Cavalcante ◽

Marco Isaia

Keyword(s):

Land Cover ◽

Habitat Loss ◽

Threatened Species ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Land Cover Changes ◽

Conservation Value ◽

Spider Species ◽

Peripheral Position ◽

The Status

The great raft spider, Dolomedes plantarius, is a semi-aquatic spider species with an Eurosiberian distribution. As a result of habitat loss and degradation, in 1996 the species was classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but since then the status has never been updated. We present the frame of the existing knowledge on the distribution of this rare spider species in Italy, based on literature data and on original records gathered in recent years. Finally, we discuss the conservation value of the Italian populations, in light of their peripheral position within the species range and in light of the future reduction of the bioclimatic range of the species due to climate and land cover changes associated with anthropic disturbance

Download Full-text

Conservation possibilities of Isophya costata (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) based on frequency, population size, and habitats

Journal of Orthoptera Research ◽

10.3897/jor.30.59262 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 35-41

Author(s):

Zoltán Kenyeres ◽

Norbert Bauer

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Population Size ◽

Threatened Species ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Dicotyledonous Plants ◽

Species Area ◽

Different Origin ◽

Bush Cricket

Isophya costata Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, commonly called the Keeled Plump Bush-cricket, is an endemic Natura 2000 species in the Carpathian Basin and is included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened species. We used extensive data collection from Hungary retrieved between 2004 and 2019 from 700 sampling sites spread over an area of 12,700 km2 to examine the occurrence of the species in different regions in grasslands of similar structure but different origin, naturalness, and character. The results confirmed that I. costata currently occurs with the highest number of populations and highest density in regularly mowed, mesophilic hayfields rich in dicotyledonous plants (Arrhenatheretalia). The species also appears in smaller numbers in grasslands adjacent to hayfields, such as wetland meadows (Molinion coeruleae), marsh meadows (Deschampsion caespitosae, Alopecurenion pratensis), and edge habitats dominated by herbaceous plants. However, the results show that the extension of these habitats has a negatively significant correlation with both the occurrence of the species and its density. Isophya costata occurs in steppe meadows much less frequently than in mesophilic hayfields. The species is endemic to the Pannonian Steppe, and the key to their conservation is by maintaining stocks of hayfields in the species’ area of distribution. According to this study, overseeding of mowed grasslands leads to the decline of the species. To preserve I. costata, it is necessary to eliminate trampling in its areas of occurrence (prohibition of grazing) and encourage late-season mowing adapted to the phenology of the species (not as early as mid-July) or, if this is not feasible, mosaic-type treatment leaving unmown patches (e.g., 1/3 of the plot).

Download Full-text

The tadpoles of Murree Hills Frog Nanorana vicina (Anura: Dicroglossidae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4759.3.11 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4759 (3) ◽

pp. 440-442 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

SUMBUL GILL ◽

MUHAMMAD RAIS ◽

MUHAMMAD SAEED ◽

WASEEM AHMED ◽

AYESHA AKRAM

Keyword(s):

Adult Male ◽

Threatened Species ◽

Endemic Species ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Jammu And Kashmir ◽

Juvenile Female ◽

The Family ◽

Morphology And Morphometry ◽

Water Springs

The genus Nanorana, also called Yunnan Slow Frogs (Frank & Ramus 1995), belongs to the family Dicroglossidae. Murree Hills Frog N. vicina, is an endemic species of Southeast Asian uplands in Pakistan and India and was first reported by Stoliczka (1872) from Murree, Punjab Province, Pakistan. Later Rais et al. (2014) recaptured it from its type locality and described morphology of one juvenile female and one adult male. The species is listed as Least Concern in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species while the EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) score is 2.64. In Pakistan, it is reported from brook water springs and streams of Murree, Galiat (North Punjab), Ayubia (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Rais et al. 2014). Although the adult form has been characterized (Khan 2006; Rais et al. 2014), the morphology of the tadpoles have not yet been described. The current study aimed to describe external morphology and morphometry of tadpoles of N. vicina.

Download Full-text

Species Conservation Profiles compliant with the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Biodiversity Data Journal ◽

10.3897/bdj.4.e10356 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. e10356 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Pedro Cardoso ◽

Pavel Stoev ◽

Teodor Georgiev ◽

Viktor Senderov ◽

Lyubomir Penev

Keyword(s):

Threatened Species ◽

Species Conservation ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List

Download Full-text

Improving knowledge on Viviania linostigma, a threatened species from southern Brazil

Ciência e Natura ◽

10.5902/2179460x40837 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. e24

Author(s):

Juliana Schaefer ◽

Cleusa Vogel Ely ◽

Ilsi Iob Boldrini ◽

Sérgio Augusto de Loreto Bordignon

Keyword(s):

Threatened Species ◽

Endemic Species ◽

New Records ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Species Conservation ◽

Rio Grande ◽

Small Region ◽

Southern Brazil ◽

Rio Grande Do Sul ◽

Araucaria Forest

Viviania linostigma is restricted to the Brazilian territory, considered a threatened and endemic species of a small region in the Araucaria Forest. This species has been recorded only in southeast Santa Catarina State, and the extreme northeast of Rio Grande do Sul State, in Brazil. Here, we report four new records of V. linostigma for Rio Grande do Sul, expanding its known distribution by 262 km to the south and improving knowledge about the conservation status of the species. These novelties reinforce that species conservation requires more investment in fieldwork, especially in little sampled regions.

Download Full-text

The Natura 2000 network and the ranges of threatened species in Greece

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-021-02125-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 945-961 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Konstantina Spiliopoulou ◽

Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos ◽

Thomas M. Brooks ◽

Gabriela Kelaidi ◽

Kaloust Paragamian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Threatened Species ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Area Network ◽

Natura 2000 Network ◽

Global Environmental ◽

Environmental Goals ◽

Special Protection Areas ◽

Of Greece

AbstractGlobal environmental goals mandate the expansion of the protected area network to halt biodiversity loss. The European Union’s Natura 2000 network covers 27.3% of the terrestrial area of Greece, one of the highest percentages in Europe. However, the extent to which this network protects Europe’s biodiversity, especially in a biodiverse country like Greece, is unknown. Here, we overlap the country’s Natura 2000 network with the ranges of the 424 species assessed as threatened on the IUCN Red List and present in Greece. Natura 2000 overlaps on average 47.6% of the mapped range of threatened species; this overlap far exceeds that expected by random networks (21.4%). Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation (non-exclusive subsets of Natura 2000 sites) overlap 33.4% and 38.1% respectively. Crete and Peloponnese are the two regions with the highest percentage of threatened species, with Natura 2000 sites overlapping on average 62.3% with the threatened species’ ranges for the former, but only 30.6% for the latter. The Greek ranges of all 62 threatened species listed in Annexes 1 and II to the Birds and Habitats Directives are at least partially overlapped by the network (52.0%), and 18.0% of these are fully overlapped. However, the ranges of 27 threatened species, all of which are endemic to Greece, are not overlapped at all. These results can inform national policies for the protection of biodiversity beyond current Natura 2000 sites.

Download Full-text

Giant otter Pteronura brasiliensis density and abundance in Llanos Orientales de Colombia in the Orinoco basin

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605320000058 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-4

Author(s):

Germán Garrote ◽

Beyker Castañeda ◽

Jose Manuel Escobar ◽

Laura Pérez ◽

Brayan Marín ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Population Size ◽

20Th Century ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Species Conservation ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Recreational Fishing ◽

Pteronura Brasiliensis ◽

Direct Counts

Abstract The giant otter Pteronura brasiliensis, categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, was once widely distributed throughout South America. By the middle of the 20th century the giant otter had become locally extinct along the main rivers of the Orinoco basin. Although some populations seem to have recovered, the paucity of information available does not permit a full evaluation of the species' conservation status. The objective of this study was to estimate the abundance and density of the giant otter population along the Orinoco river in the municipality of Puerto Carreño, Vichada, Colombia, where there is important commercial and recreational fishing. Thirty-nine linear km were surveyed, repeatedly, with a total of 315 km of surveys. Population size was estimated by direct counts of individuals. All individuals detected were photographed and identified individually from their throat pelage patterns. In total, 30 otters were identified, giving a minimum density of 0.77 individuals per km, one of the highest reported for the species in Colombia. Given the high density in this well-developed area, our results highlight the importance of this population for the conservation of the species.

Download Full-text

Global extinction risk for seahorses, pipefishes and their near relatives (Syngnathiformes)

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605320000782 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Riley A. Pollom ◽

Gina M. Ralph ◽

Caroline M. Pollock ◽

Amanda C.J. Vincent

Keyword(s):

Threatened Species ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Extinction Risk ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Field Research ◽

Selective Extraction ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Point Estimate ◽

Conservation Action ◽

Data Deficient

Abstract Few marine taxa have been comprehensively assessed for their conservation status, despite heavy pressures from fishing, habitat degradation and climate change. Here we report on the first global assessment of extinction risk for 300 species of syngnathiform fishes known as of 2017, using the IUCN Red List criteria. This order of bony teleosts is dominated by seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons (family Syngnathidae). It also includes trumpetfishes (Aulostomidae), shrimpfishes (Centriscidae), cornetfishes (Fistulariidae) and ghost pipefishes (Solenostomidae). At least 6% are threatened, but data suggest a mid-point estimate of 7.9% and an upper bound of 38%. Most of the threatened species are seahorses (Hippocampus spp.: 14/42 species, with an additional 17 that are Data Deficient) or freshwater pipefishes of the genus Microphis (2/18 species, with seven additional that are Data Deficient). Two species are Near Threatened. Nearly one-third of syngnathiformes (97 species) are Data Deficient and could potentially be threatened, requiring further field research and evaluation. Most species (61%) were, however, evaluated as Least Concern. Primary threats to syngnathids are (1) overexploitation, primarily by non-selective fisheries, for which most assessments were determined by criterion A (Hippocampus) and/or (2) habitat loss and degradation, for which assessments were determined by criterion B (Microphis and some Hippocampus). Threatened species occurred in most regions but more are found in East and South-east Asia and in South African estuaries. Vital conservation action for syngnathids, including constraining fisheries, particularly non-selective extraction, and habitat protection and rehabilitation, will benefit many other aquatic species.

Download Full-text

A survey on poorly known rainforest litter-dwelling spiders of Orchid Island (Lanyu, Taiwan) with the description of a new species (Araneae: Linyphiidae, Tetrablemmidae, and Theridiosomatidae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4927.2.2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4927 (2) ◽

pp. 197-208

Author(s):

FRANCESCO BALLARIN ◽

TAKESHI YAMASAKI ◽

YONG-CHAO SU

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Endemic Species ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Spider Species ◽

Orchid Island ◽

First Time ◽

A New Species

Representatives of some poorly known spider species collected in the rainforest litter of the Orchid Island (Taiwan) are illustrated and discussed here. A new species, Brignoliella tao sp. nov. (Fam. Tetrablemmidae), endemic to Orchid Island, is described based on both sexes. The previously unknown female of Theridiosoma triumphale Zhao & Li, 2012 (Fam. Theridiosomatidae), is described for the first time. Zoma taiwanica (Zhang, Zhu & Tso 2006) comb. nov., from the same family, is illustrated and its transfer from the genus Theridiosoma O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1879 to Zoma Saaristo, 1996 is proposed on the basis of morphological characters. Habitus and genitalia of the endemic species Gongylidioides angustus Tu & Li, 2006 (Fam. Linyphiidae) are also illustrated.

Download Full-text