Vulnerable species

Conservation status by IUCN Red List category
Extinct
Extinct (EX) Extinct in the Wild (EW)	(list) (list)
Threatened
Critically Endangered (CR) Endangered (EN) Vulnerable (VU)	(list) (list) (list)
Lower Risk
Near Threatened (NT) Conservation Dependent (CD) Least Concern (LC)	(list) (list)
Other categories
Data Deficient (DD) Not Evaluated (NE)	(list)
Related topics International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) IUCN Red List Lists of organisms by population

A vulnerable species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve.

Vulnerability is mainly caused by habitat loss or destruction of the species home. Vulnerable habitat or species are monitored and can become increasingly threatened. Some species listed as "vulnerable" may be common in captivity, an example being the military macaw.

There are currently 5196 animals and 6789 plants classified as vulnerable, compared with 1998 levels of 2815 and 3222, respectively.^[1] Practices such as Cryoconservation of animal genetic resources have been enforced in efforts to conserve vulnerable breeds of livestock specifically.

Criteria

The International Union for Conservation of Nature uses several criteria to enter species in this category. A taxon is Vulnerable when it is not Critically Endangered or Endangered but is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future, as defined by any of the following criteria (A to E):

A) Population reduction in the form of either of the following:

1. An observed, estimated, inferred or suspected reduction of at least 20% over the last 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer, based on (and specifying) any of the following:
   1. direct observation
   2. an index of abundance appropriate for the taxon
   3. a decline in area of occupancy, extent of occurrence and/or quality of habitat
   4. actual or potential levels of exploitation
   5. the effects of introduced taxa, hybridisation, pathogens, pollutants, competitors or parasites.
2. A reduction of at least 20%, projected or suspected to be met within the next ten years or three generations, whichever is the longer, based on (and specifying) any of (2), (3), (4) or (5) above.

B) Extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 20,000 km² or area of occupancy estimated to be less than 2000 km², and estimates indicating any two of the following:

1. Severely fragmented or known to exist at no more than ten locations.
2. Continuing decline, inferred, observed or projected, in any of the following:
   1. extent of occurrence
   2. area of occupancy
   3. area, extent and/or quality of habitat
   4. number of locations or subpopulations
   5. number of mature individuals
3. Extreme fluctuations in any of the following:
   1. extent of occurrence
   2. area of occupancy
   3. number of locations or subpopulations
   4. number of mature individuals

C) Population estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and either:

1. An estimated continuing decline of at least 10% within 10 years or three generations, whichever is longer, or
2. A continuing decline, observed, projected, or inferred, in numbers of mature individuals and population structure in the form of either:
   1. severely fragmented (i.e. no subpopulation estimated to contain more than 1000 mature individuals)
   2. all individuals are in a single subpopulation

D) Population very small or restricted in the form of either of the following:

1. Population estimated to number less than 1000 mature individuals.
2. Population is characterised by an acute restriction in its area of occupancy (typically less than 100 km²) or in the number of locations (typically less than five). Such a taxon would thus be prone to the effects of human activities (or stochastic events whose impact is increased by human activities) within a very short period of time in an unforeseeable future, and is thus capable of becoming Critically Endangered or even Extinct in a very short period.

E) Quantitative analysis showing the probability of extinction in the wild is at least 10% within 100 years.

See also

• Category:IUCN Red List vulnerable species for an alphabetical list
• IUCN
• Cryoconservation of animal genetic resources
• List of vulnerable amphibians
• List of vulnerable arthropods
• List of vulnerable birds
• List of vulnerable fishes
• List of vulnerable insects
• List of vulnerable invertebrates
• List of vulnerable mammals
• List of vulnerable molluscs
• List of vulnerable reptiles

Notes and references

External links

• List of Vulnerable species as identified by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Threatened species
Template: Threatened species by region
IUCN Red List	Categories1 Extinct Extinct (EX) Extinct in the Wild (EW) Threatened Critically Endangered (CR) Endangered (EN) Vulnerable (VU) Lower risk Near Threatened (NT) Least Concern (LC) Lower Risk (LR) Conservation Dependent (LR/cd) Not fully assessed Data Deficient (DD) Not Evaluated (NE) Species Lists Extinct Extinct in the Wild Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Near Threatened Least Concern Data Deficient WP categories Extinct Extinct in the Wild Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Near Threatened Least Concern Data Deficient
By taxa	Endangered arthropods / spiders Threatened Banksia / rays / sharks / sturgeons The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates The world's 100 most threatened species
Conservation	Biodiversity action plan Biodiversity threats Conservation biology CITES ARKive Bird conservation Conservation status Conservation-reliant species Ecoregion conservation status Habitat destruction Latent extinction risk Rare species Vulnerability and susceptibility
1 Pre-2001 categories and subcategories shown in italics.

Threatened species by region
By region	Blue-listed Environmental Vulnerability Index Regional Red List
Australasia	Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ROTAP Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 Threatened ecological community Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989
Canada	Species at Risk Act Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
Europe	European Endangered Species Programme Funds for Endangered Parrots
South Africa	Endangered Wildlife Trust
United States	Distinct population segment Endangered Species Act Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1978 Endangered species recovery plan Endangered Wolf Center National Wildlife Refuge NatureServe conservation status The Nature Conservancy
Lists	Asia List of endangered and protected species of China Endangered mammals of India List of endangered animals in India List of endangered species in Pakistan List of threatened species of the Philippines List of endangered species in Vietnam Europe Threatened mammals of Europe Endangered plants of Europe List of United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan species List of extinct and endangered species of Italy List of extinct and endangered species of Lithuania North America List of endangered plants in North America List of endangered species in North America Endangered mammals and birds of the United States List of threatened mammals of the United States List of threatened birds of the United States List of threatened reptiles and amphibians of the United States Elsewhere Threatened fauna of Australia List of threatened flora of Australia Official list of endangered flora of Brazil List of threatened mammals of Brazil List of threatened birds of Brazil