The figure is heartbreaking in itself. Currently, one in five species of flora and fauna that inhabit the European continent is at serious risk of extinction. This includes at least 27% of plants, 24% of invertebrates and 18% of vertebrates. In total, according to a new analysis led by the Natural History Museum of Luxembourg, today at least the 20% of European animal and plant species They would be threatened by human activities and, if this continues, they could disappear in the coming decades. “This digit It is at least double what had been estimated until now“concludes Axel Hochkirch, lead author of this work.
The research, published this Wednesday in the scientific journal ‘PLOS ONE’, has analyzed “with the most up-to-date information available to date” the state of the 14,669 European species included in the famous ‘Red List’ of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The analysis revealed that at least 2,839 species are at serious risk of extinction. Also notable is the case of 50 that have already been extinct (whether across the continent, in some regions, or in the wild) and 75 more that are considered possibly extinct (and for which there is still not enough data to confirm their status).
The study identifies 2,839 European species at serious risk of extinction
Major threats
According to the analysis, the main threat to European biodiversity is agricultural land use. This phenomenon is associated with both habitat loss and soverexploitation of natural resources and the ecosystem pollution. And this is what, finally, threatens erase thousands of species from the map. “This study reaffirms, once again, that European species face a large number of threats. That is why we need to apply more measures to safeguard them,” concludes the study, in which several Spanish researchers have also participated.
Another point that experts warn about is the lack of knowledge about the real state conservation of many species. The clearest example is the case of invertebrates. These animals, which include everything from insects to worms and octopuses, They remain one of the great unknowns and, in turn, they stand out as one of the most threatened groups. “The proportion of European invertebrates at risk of extinction far exceeds the latest estimates,” concludes this new analysis. “They still do Many studies are missing to understand the real state conservation of these species,” adds the work, published this Wednesday.
“European species face a large number of threats, which is why we need to apply more measures to safeguard them”
Endangered species
Related news
In Spain, according to the latest update of the catalog of vulnerable species prepared by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, there are at least 208 species that are in danger of extinction. Among these there are more than a hundred threatened plant species, as well as 25 bird species and 20 more invertebrate species at risk of disappearance. They stand out such emblematic cases as, for example, the grizzly (Ursus arctos), the black vulture (Aegypius monachus), the lTenerife giant agarte (Gallotia intermedia), the Montseny newt (Calotriton arnoldi) and the samaruc (Hispanic Valencia).
The situation of many of these species is critical. In Catalonia, for example, a report from the Biodiversity Observatory highlights that 24% of the territory’s wild species They have disappeared in the last two decades. In addition, many others have lost more than 70% of its population in recent years. The only hope gap is those cases that seemed to be on the verge of extinction but that, finally, they have managed to recover. These are the examples that, according to experts, should inspire us to create more conservation policies to save the two million European species that currently stand out as threatened.