One Fifth of Species in Europe Threatened with Extinction

Twice as Many Threatened Species as Previously Assumed

One in five European animal and plant species is threatened with extinction.

This is the conclusion reached by an international research team with Swiss participation in a study published in the journal «Plos One».

As with earlier studies, this analysis also identified changes in agricultural land use leading to the loss of habitats as one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in Europe. According to the study, this is compounded by the overexploitation of biological resources, pollution, and the development of residential and commercial areas.

Almost 15’000 Species Analysed

For the study, the researchers analysed all 14’669 European vertebrate, invertebrate and plant species listed on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Monitoring and Sustainable Land Use

In total, 2’839 of the species examined are threatened with extinction, corresponding to approximately 19 percent of all species. All species groups show negative trends. Plants are particularly affected, with 27 percent classified as endangered according to the study, followed by invertebrates at 24 percent and vertebrates at 18 percent.

In order to minimise future species loss, the authors of the study advocate using land and water in a sustainable manner. They also emphasise the need to closely monitor species.