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Extinct in the wild: The precarious state of Earth's most threatened group of species

Smith, D, Abeli, T, Bruns, EB, Dalrymple, SE, Foster, J, Gilbert, TC, Hogg, CJ, Lloyd, NA, Meyer, A, Moehrenschlager, A, Murrell, O, Rodriguez, JP, Smith, PP, Terry, A and Ewen, JG (2023) Extinct in the wild: The precarious state of Earth's most threatened group of species. Science, 379 (6634). ISSN 0036-8075

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Abstract

Extinct in the Wild (EW) species are placed at the highest risk of extinction under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, but the extent and variation in this risk have never been evaluated. Harnessing global databases of ex situ animal and plant holdings, we report on the perilous state of EW species. Most EW animal species-already compromised by their small number of founders-are maintained at population sizes far below the thresholds necessary to ensure demographic security. Most EW plant species depend on live propagation by a small number of botanic gardens, with a minority secured at seed bank institutions. Both extinctions and recoveries are possible fates for EW species. We urgently call for international effort to enable the latter.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Science on Vol: 379, 24/02/2023, DOI:10.1126/science.add2889
Uncontrolled Keywords: Animals; Plants; Population Dynamics; Extinction, Biological; Endangered Species; Seed Bank; Gardens; Animals; Endangered Species; Extinction, Biological; Gardens; Plants; Seed Bank; Population Dynamics; General Science & Technology
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
Q Science > QL Zoology
Divisions: Biological & Environmental Sciences (from Sep 19)
Publisher: AAAS
SWORD Depositor: A Symplectic
Date Deposited: 22 May 2023 09:04
Last Modified: 22 May 2023 09:15
DOI or ID number: 10.1126/science.add2889
URI: https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/19540
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