SCIENCE REVIEW IMPACT AREAS

IMPACT Global biodiversity AREA indicators IoZ is at the forefront of monitoring global biodiversity, developing key indicators to help us understand and measure our impact on the planet and leading the way on assessing species extinction risks.

Global environmental agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), have set stringent goals for the conservation of biodiversity. Scientifically robust biodiversity indicators are required to track progress towards these goals, to define the status and trends of biodiversity, and to measure human impact on the planet. Over the past year, scientists at IoZ have continued to develop leading indicators of the status of global biodiversity (the Living Planet Index and the Red List Index). These National Red Lists have indicators have been developed by, or in been recorded for a number collaboration with, researchers at IoZ, of taxonomic groups. This map shows whether and underpin both the analysis featured a National Red List exists in Global Biodiversity Outlook 4 and an for one or more taxonomic groups for each country No Red List available Red List available Out-of-date Red List available accompanying Science paper. Our researchers have also continued to lead on new IUCN Red List assessments Assessing extinction risk of under-represented taxonomic groups, Over the past year, IoZ researchers have led List training courses in Bangladesh (November and continue to contribute assessments on the first assessments of extinction risk in 2014 and June 2015) and one workshop in to the IUCN Red List, the foremost tool for freshwater crayfish. An assessment of more Russia in September 2014. assessing species extinction risk, and collate than 590 species using the IUCN Categories The institute’s partnership with the IUCN and maintain a unique, growing database and Criteria revealed that 32% of all species was further highlighted in an event in 2015 of national assessments for more than were threatened with extinction (Richman et – ‘50 years of the Red List: past, present and 76 nations across the globe. In addition to al. 2015). We continue to collate and manage future’ – which included a celebration of the their use in monitoring progress towards national extinction assessments (through the long and ongoing relationship between ZSL CBD targets in 2020, these indicators and National Red List, hosted at IoZ). This database, and the IUCN Red List. assessments also inform policy, and engender established in 2010, now contains more than public interest and engagement through 109,000 assessments of over 74,000 species Learn more about our collaborations with non-governmental across 76 countries. We also play a significant the Red List at organisations, government, and inter- role in the development and training of Red nationalredlist.org governmental panels and processes. List assessors globally. Researchers ran Red

The Living Planet Report 1.5 The global LPI shows a 52% decline in the size of In September 2014, ZSL and WWF published vertebrate populations between 1970 and 2010. The dark line shows the index values and the shaded areas the Living Planet Report (McRae et al. 2014), represent 95% confidence intervals surrounding the trend. WWF/ZSL (2014) a biennial assessment of the state of the 1 world’s biodiversity. This most recent report that of land and marine species. The most revealed that global wildlife populations significant threat to wildlife populations have reduced in size by more than half in just monitored was the combined impact of 0.5 40 years, with vertebrate populations overall habitat loss and degradation, with climate (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and change noted as a growing issue. fish) declining by an average of 52%, and While the trends reported show that the freshwater species populations suffering a 0 situation is critical, the report also highlights

76% decline – an average loss almost double 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 that, with focused conservation action,

10 Science Review 2014/2015 The Protecting Species report examined population trends of monitored vertebrates within protected areas. Here the average trend for populations within protected areas in each country is shown.

Abundance change

-50 to -100% -25 to -50%

-5 to -25% -5 to +5%

5 to 25% 25 to 50%

50 to 100% > 100%

No data

Protecting species References In November 2014, researchers from IoZ any declines are unclear. Much more work Costelloe, B, Collen, B, report. Zoological Society Milner-Gulland, EJ, Craigie, of London, UK presented the inaugural Protecting Species is needed to understand the effectiveness ID, McRae, L, Rondinini, C and report at the World Parks Congress in Australia of protected areas globally and the trends Nicholson, E (2015) Global Richman, NI, Böhm, M, Adams, biodiversity indicators reflect SB, Alvarez, F, Bergey, EA, Bunn, (Milligan et al. 2014). of species, both protected and unprotected. the modelled impacts of JJS et al. (2015) Multiple drivers protected area policy change. of decline in the global status of The report detailed the status and trends The role of management within protected Conservation Letters freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: of wildlife populations within protected areas has also been explored in collaboration Astacidea). Philosophical McRae, L, Freeman, R and Transactions of the Royal areas globally, assembling population trends with IoZ researchers. The ability of indicators Deinet, S (2014) ‘The Living Society B, DOI: 10.1098/ Planet Index’ in: Living Planet rstb.2014.0060 for 4,326 populations of 1,654 species, and such as the Living Planet Index and Red List Report 2014: species and spaces, people and places Secretariat of the Convention showed that of 130 monitored countries, Index to reflect modelled changes in protected [McLellan, R, Lyengar, L, Jeffries, on Biological Diversity (2014) 39% have declining populations within area populations was examined. B and Oerlemans, N (Eds)]. Global Biodiversity Outlook 4. WWF, Gland, Switzerland Montréal, 155 pages protected areas. Management changes were determined Milligan, H, Deinet, S, Tittensor, D, et al. A mid-term It highlighted that there is no clear overall to be more effective than expansion of McRae, L and Freeman, R analysis of progress toward pattern of increases or decreases within protected area coverage alone (Costelloe (2014) Protecting species: international biodiversity status and trends of the Earth’s targets. Science 346.6206 protected areas, and that the drivers of et al. 2015). protected areas. Preliminary (2014): 241-244

political will and support from businesses Different taxonomic globally, it is not yet too late. There is still groups show hope for a healthy future, for both people differing trends. Freshwater and wild nature. The Living Planet Index species in (LPI), curated and maintained at IoZ, is the particular show a Freshwater species Marine species Terrestrial species dramatic decline world’s leading database on the status and of 76% in the size trends of wildlife populations. The index of monitored populations is used to monitor global biodiversity and -76% -39% -39% is one of the global biodiversity indicators Outlook 4 (Secretariat of the Convention 2014 to inform future biodiversity policy. used to measure progress towards the on Biological Diversity, 2014), which was IoZ researchers also co-authored a Science Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Analysis of the presented to the Convention on Biological paper reporting on progress towards these LPI was incorporated into Global Biodiversity Diversity at the Conference of the Parties in targets (Tittensor, et al. 2014).

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