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

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 11; p. e0293083
• Main Authors: Axel Hochkirch, Melanie Bilz, Catarina C Ferreira, Anja Danielczak, David Allen, Ana Nieto, Carlo Rondinini, Kate Harding, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Caroline M Pollock, Mary Seddon, Jean-Christophe Vié, Keith N A Alexander, Emily Beech, Manuel Biscoito, Yoan Braud, Ian J Burfield, Filippo Maria Buzzetti, Marta Cálix, Kent E Carpenter, Ning Labbish Chao, Dragan Chobanov, Maarten J M Christenhusz, Bruce B Collette, Mia T Comeros-Raynal, Neil Cox, Matthew Craig, Annabelle Cuttelod, William R T Darwall, Benoit Dodelin, Nicholas K Dulvy, Eve Englefield, Michael F Fay, Nicholas Fettes, Jörg Freyhof, Silvia García, Mariana García Criado, Michael Harvey, Nick Hodgetts, Christina Ieronymidou, Vincent J Kalkman, Shelagh P Kell, James Kemp, Sonia Khela, Richard V Lansdown, Julia M Lawson, Danna J Leaman, Joana Magos Brehm, Nigel Maxted, Rebecca M Miller, Eike Neubert, Baudewijn Odé, David Pollard, Riley Pollom, Rob Pople, Juan José Presa Asensio, Gina M Ralph, Hassan Rankou, Malin Rivers, Stuart P M Roberts, Barry Russell, Alexander Sennikov, Fabien Soldati, Anna Staneva, Emilie Stump, Andy Symes, Dmitry Telnov, Helen Temple, Andrew Terry, Anastasiya Timoshyna, Chris van Swaay, Henry Väre, Rachel H L Walls, Luc Willemse, Brett Wilson, Jemma Window, Emma G E Wright, Thomas Zuna-Kratky
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 01-01-2023
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293083

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.