European Red List of Vascular Plants Melanie Bilz, Shelagh P. Kell, Nigel Maxted and Richard V. Lansdown Published by the European Commission This publication has been prepared by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the European Commission or IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission or IUCN. Citation: Bilz, M., Kell, S.P., Maxted, N. and Lansdown, R.V. 2011. European Red List of Vascular Plants. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Design and layout by: Tasamim Design - www.tasamim.net Printed by: The Colchester Print Group, United Kingdom Picture credits on cover page: Narcissus nevadensis is endemic to Spain where it has a very restricted distribution. The species is listed as Endangered and is threatened by modifications to watercourses and overgrazing. © Juan Enrique Gómez. All photographs used in this publication remain the property of the original copyright holder (see individual captions for details). Photographs should not be reproduced or used in other contexts without written permission from the copyright holder. Available from: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, http://bookshop.europa.eu IUCN Publications Services, www.iucn.org/publications A catalogue of IUCN publications is also available. 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Printed in United Kingdom The text of this book is printed on 115 gsm FSC certified 100% recycled silk paper. ii Table of contents Foreword .......... ....................................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................ vi Executive summary ................................................................................................................................................ ix 1. Background .......................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 The European context ...................................................................................................................................1 1.2 European vascular plants: diversity and endemism ........................................................................................2 1.3 Species threat status ......................................................................................................................................3 1.4 Objectives of the assessment .........................................................................................................................3 2. Assessment methodology ..................................................................................................................................5 2.1 Global and regional assessments ...................................................................................................................5 2.2 Geographic scope .........................................................................................................................................5 2.3 Taxonomic scope ..........................................................................................................................................5 2.4 Assessment protocol ......................................................................................................................................6 2.5 Review workshop and evaluation of the assessments .....................................................................................6 3. Plants listed in European and international policy instruments – selection and results ................................7 3.1 Species selection ...........................................................................................................................................7 3.2 Threat status of policy plants ......................................................................................................................10 3.3 Spatial distribution of species ......................................................................................................................11 3.3.1 Species richness .................................................................................................................................11 3.3.2 Endemic species richness ..................................................................................................................13 3.3.3 Distribution of threatened species ......................................................................................................13 3.4 Major threats to policy plants in Europe .....................................................................................................14 3.5 Population trends ........................................................................................................................................16 4. Crop wild relatives – species selection and results .........................................................................................17 4.1 Background ...............................................................................................................................................17 4.1.1 Crop wild relatives: a critical resource for food security and economic stability in Europe .................17 4.1.2 European crop wild relatives: diversity and endemism .......................................................................18 4.2 Selection of CWR species for assessment ....................................................................................................19 4.3 Threat status of CWR .................................................................................................................................23 4.4 Spatial distribution of species ......................................................................................................................29 4.4.1 Species richness .................................................................................................................................29 4.4.2 Endemic species richness ...................................................................................................................29 4.4.3 Distribution of threatened species ......................................................................................................29 4.5 Major threats to CWR in Europe ................................................................................................................30 4.6 Population trends ........................................................................................................................................32 5. European aquatic plants – selection and results ............................................................................................33 5.1 Species selection .........................................................................................................................................33 5.2 Threat status of aquatic plants ....................................................................................................................35 5.3 Spatial distribution of species ......................................................................................................................37 5.3.1 Species richness .................................................................................................................................37 5.3.2 Endemic species richness ..................................................................................................................38 5.3.3 Distribution of threatened species ......................................................................................................38 5.4 Major threats to aquatic plants in Europe....................................................................................................40 5.5 Population trends ........................................................................................................................................42 iii 6. Discussion .......................................................................................................................................................43 6.1 Status and population trends of European