A least-concern species is a species not being a focus of species conservation because still plentiful in the wild. A least-concern species is evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not threatened, near threatened, or conservation dependent.
A least concern (LC) status applies to species not qualifying for critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, or near threatened status. A least concern species has less than a 10% chance of becoming extinct in 100 years. They also have a population reduction of much less than 50% over ten years.
As of July 2021, the IUCN lists 14,033 animal species as least concern. No least concern assessments made for taxa of other kingdoms.
Established in 1964, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species evolved to become comprehensive information on conservation status of species. More than a list, it informs and catalyzes action for conservation and policy change.
What is the Least Concern wildlife?
A least-concern species is a species not facing extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) evaluates species population status. Species cannot be “Least Concern” unless evaluated. Evaluation means sufficient information to assess extinction risk based on distribution or status. A species has low extinction risk when widespread with high numbers.
The IUCN will not add species to the Least Concern list unless scientists have evaluated them. Additionally, LC animals have a category but are not red-listed. Currently, 14,033 species of animals are on the Least Concern list. Least Concern Species include Aardvark and Moose.
Least Concern means not a focus of conservation. Species face no imminent threats. 10 animals graduated from the endangered list, like the Southern white rhinoceros.
IUCN lists 8460 least concern bird species. 76.9% of evaluated birds qualify. No bird subpopulations were evaluated.
A taxon has Least Concern status when evaluated but does not qualify as Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened.
In 2016 the Giant Panda was downgraded from ‘endangered’ to ‘vulnerable’. Least concern species populations are healthy, not requiring intervention. However, Costa Rican authorities declared sloths as threatened. Habitat loss causes sloth population declines.
What is the 1 most endangered species?
The most endangered species is the Javan Rhino with just 75 left. Once widespread, habitat loss and poaching have drastically reduced numbers. The Sumatran tiger faces similar threats, with only 400 remaining. The Cross River gorilla also battles poaching and habitat loss. Just 200 survive. Many groups work to protect endangered species, but populations continue to decline. Over 41,000 species face extinction. To save them, more efforts are needed. The Javan Rhino is restricted to one Indonesian island. Tiger range once spanned Asia but is now greatly diminished. The Cross River gorilla clings to existence in a small pocket of west African forest. Though conservation help has arrived, all three remain under grave threat.
What is the #1 threat to endangered species worldwide?
The survival of hundreds of species has been threatened. This is due to factors such as: the drastic alteration of the ecosystem, excessive hunting, illegal trafficking, habit destruction, and global warming. Unfortunately, all of these are controlled by man. The consequences of animal extinction cause irreversible damage to the health of the planet and humans.
Humans are the biggest threat to endangered species with poaching, habitat destruction and climate change. Global biodiversity is being lost much faster than natural extinction. This is due to changes in land use, unsustainable use of natural resources, invasive alien species, climate change and pollution.
Invasive species put 42% of threatened or endangered species at risk. Introduced species like the cane toad in Australia decided they liked to eat native fauna better. The original 150 cane toads released into the wild multiplied to more than 200 million. They reached as far as the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and decimated local species.
Climate change impacts nearly 11,000 species on the IUCN Red List, increasing extinction risk. The Bramble Cay melomys was the first mammal extinction due to climate change. Rising sea levels degraded its habitat on Bramble Cay in the Great Barrier Reef. More wildlife faces extinction without addressing climate change.
Species with small geographical range are most at risk of being endangered due to habitat destruction. The Siberian tiger faces extinction in the wild. Tigers once ranged all over Asia. Today their numbers are dangerously low. Poaching and habitat loss threaten them.
The ivory-billed woodpecker, Javan rhinoceros, Amur leopard, and black rhinoceros are among the most endangered species. Over 27,000 assessed species face extinction risk. In 2019, a UN report estimated this number could be as high as a million species. Ecosystems containing endangered species are disappearing. There have been governmental efforts to address this, like CITES and the CBD.
Human consumption is destroying nature. Our insatiable use of resources ravages the planet. Scientists warned a million species face extinction. This global extinction rate is already tens to hundreds of times higher than the last 10 million years. Urgent change is needed to save species.