A multi-taxon analysis of European Red Lists reveals major threats to biodiversity.
Axel HochkirchMelanie BilzCatarina C FerreiraAnja DanielczakDavid AllenAna NietoCarlo RondininiKate HardingCraig Hilton-TaylorCaroline M PollockMary SeddonJean-Christophe ViéKeith N A AlexanderEmily BeechManuel BiscoitoYoan BraudIan J BurfieldFilippo Maria BuzzettiMarta CálixKent E CarpenterNing Labbish ChaoDragan ChobanovMaarten J M ChristenhuszBruce B ColletteMia T Comeros-RaynalNeil CoxMatthew CraigAnnabelle CuttelodWilliam R T DarwallBenoit DodelinNicholas K DulvyEve EnglefieldMichael F FayNicholas FettesJörg FreyhofSilvia GarcíaMariana García CriadoMichael HarveyNick HodgettsChristina IeronymidouVincent J KalkmanShelagh P KellJames KempSonia KhelaRichard V LansdownJulia M LawsonDanna J LeamanJoana Magos BrehmNigel MaxtedRebecca M MillerEike NeubertBaudewijn OdéDavid PollardRiley A PollomRob PopleJuan José Presa AsensioGina M RalphHassan RankouMalin C RiversStuart P M RobertsBarry RussellAlexander N SennikovFabien SoldatiAnna StanevaEmilie StumpAndy SymesDmitry TelnovHelen TempleAndrew TerryAnastasiya TimoshynaChris van SwaayHenry VäreRachel H L WallsLuc WillemseBrett WilsonJemma WindowEmma G E WrightThomas Zuna-KratkyPublished in: PloS one (2023)
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.