The GSPC – A Plan to Save the World’s Plant Species – highlights the importance of plants and the ecosystem services they provide for all life on earth, and aims to ensure their conservation. The GSPC includes 16 targets for plant conservation. An updated GSPC was formally adopted at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD.
These are the country reports on implementation of the International Treaty received from Contracting Parties pursuant to Section V.1 of the “Procedures and operational mechanisms to promote compliance and address issues of non-compliance” (Resolution 9/2013), for which an updated Standard Reporting Format was adopted by the Governing Body in 2019 (Resolution 7/2019).
The Compliance Committee prepares a comprehensive synthesis and succinct analysis report for each session of the Governing Body. Please see the latest version here.
Some of the information received from Contracting Parties through their national reports is reused under several indicators in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reporting process. See, for example, SDG Indicator 15.6.1.
The deadline for the submission of national reports under the Second Reporting Cycle was extended by the Governing Body until 1 October 2024.
According to the IUCN Red List a species or subspecies is considered Extinct (EX) when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. A species or subspecies is presumed Extinct when exhaustive surveys in known and expected habitat have failed to record a single individual.
Distinct populations can also become locally extinct. A single species is often made up of several separate populations and one population may be eradicated whilst others continue to live. For example, the North Pacific gray whale population in the eastern North Pacific is considered healthy, but the western population is critically endangered.
Extinction is a natural phenomenon, but current rates of extinction are much higher than historic ‘background rates.’ The lifespan of a species varies depending on a number of factors such as body size and geographic range. Many cetacean species are assessed to have survived between 5 and 30 million years. Today’s increased rates of extinction are due to human activities and associated habitat disruption and climate change.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, assesses the conservation status of most plant and animal species, some subspecies, and some subpopulations. They use a rigorous approach to assess all available data for each species against defined criteria, and classify each into one of the IUCN Red List status categories
ThreatSearch is a global database of all known conservation assessments of plants. It contains global, regional and national conservation assessments for plants from a variety of sources. The aim is for ThreatSearch to be a one-stop shop to find any conservation assessment for plants.
Together with our two main collaborators – the National Red List and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – we have assembled currently available conservation assessments into a single list of conservation assessments for plants. Additional significant contributors include NatureServe and CNCFlora. We are continuing to add new conservation assessments, as well as adding older non-digital sources.
ThreatSearch can be used to measure progress toward several targets of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. First and foremost, by listing all conservation assessments for plants it helps to track progress towards Target 2 (An assessment of the conservation status of all known plant species, as far as possible, to guide conservation action). ThreatSearch will further help to measure Target 7 (At least 75 per cent of known threatened plant species conserved in situ) and Target 8 (At least 75 per cent of threatened plant species in ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and at least 20 per cent available for recovery and restoration programmes). ThreatSearch also aims to be directly relevant to conservationists, educators, horticulturists, researchers, policy makers and many others who are working to save and understand plant diversity.
Welcome to the GlobalTree Portal. This portal allows access to information on the world’s nearly 60,000 tree species. On the species pages you can explore tree species distribution, conservation status (global and non-global) and conservation actions. On the country pages you can download a country checklist with associated information on endemism and conservation status. The Global overview allows you to see summary statistics for all trees. The data underlying this portal is information gathered as part of the Global Tree Assessment and links our existing databases GlobalTreeSearch, ThreatSearch, PlantSearch and GardenSearch. In addition, the Conservation Action Tracker enables the monitoring of conservation actions for each tree species. The Conservation Action Tracker can be accessed through individual species pages and you can upload new information through this link.
Estimates of current population size, known as abundance estimates, are derived from a combination of fieldwork and computer modelling. Vessel-based and aerial sighting surveys, acoustic monitoring, and analysis of individual animal markings are techniques used independently or in conjunction with each other to count whales. The information gathered from this fieldwork is used as the basis for population modelling which produces an abundance estimate.
In 2017, the IWC Scientific Committee established a new expert group to review and agree all the Abundance Estimates submitted to the Scientific Committee. This new process ensures quality and consistency across all the estimates used by the IWC.
Click here to read more about the establishment and work of the Scientific Committee’s Working Group on Abundance Estimates (ASI).
It is impossible for cetacean abundance estimates to be completely precise and IWC estimates are presented as a ‘best estimate’ figure, accompanied by a 95% Confidence Interval, showing a range of plausible values for the population’s actual abundance. As an example, the table below shows that the 1991/92-2003/4 abundance estimate for Southern Hemisphere blue whales is 2,300 with a 95% confidence interval of 1,150-4,500. This means that the range 1,150-4,500 was computed using a method that has a 95% chance of including the population’s actual abundance.
Increases or decreases in population are indicated within the table, where these have been identified.
At present the IWC has agreed estimates only for some species/areas. With the establishment of the ASI group it is planned to update this table and fill in the gaps where possible.
The Convention on Biological Diversity’s Ecosystem Approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water, and living resources to promote conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. It is the primary framework for such action under the CBD and it contains 12 core principles. The Ecosystem Approach Sourcebook contains a Beginner’s Guide, Advanced Guide, Tools and resources, a Case Study Database, and Operational guidance for applying the 12 principles of the Ecosystem Approach.
How to use
To access the EA Sourcebook and operational guides: https://www.cbd.int/ecosystem/
To download and subscribe to the CBD Ecosystem Newsletter: https://www.cbd.int/ecosystem/ea-newsletters/
The PANORAMA platform documents and promotes examples of inspiring solutions on conservation and sustainable development topics. PANORAMA allows practitioners to share their experiences, increase recognition for successful work, and to learn how similar challenges have been addressed around the globe. Over 1200 case studies are presented in a standard format that identifies “building blocks” (key success factors) and the context in which solutions were implemented. Solutions consist of elements that can potentially be replicated or scaled up in other geographic, social, or sectorial contexts. The PANORAMA initiative has many partners. The partnership secretariat is jointly managed by IUCN and GIZ.
Species360 is a non-profit NGO working in wildlife care to improve animal welfare and species conservation. It mobilizes a network of more than 1,300 aquarium, zoo, university, research, and governmental members in 102 countries. A central part of is the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), the world’s leading resource for the collection and sharing of data on animals, enabling ex situ institutions to manage their collections effectively and contribute valuable information to global conservation initiatives. ZIMS is the world’s most comprehensive knowledge database on more than 22,000 species. In 2022, Species360 expanded its mission to include flora and extend its operations to horticultural record-keeping, with the addition of Hortis – a specialized software for record-keeping and management of botanical collections.
How to use
Information on Species 360, ZIMS, and Hortis is available at: https://species360.org/about-us/about-species360/
To access Species 360 data it is necessary to register: https://species360.org/become-a-species360-member/
These Guidelines define terms and set out guidance on the justification, design, and implementation of any reintroduction or conservation translocation, including (i) reinforcement and reintroduction within a species’ indigenous range, and (ii) conservation introductions, comprising assisted colonisation and ecological replacement, outside a species’ indigenous range. The Guidelines focus on conservation translocations, namely a translocation that yields quantifiable conservation benefit. For this purpose, the beneficiaries should be the population or the ecosystem of the translocated species. Translocation needs rigorous justification. Feasibility assessment should include a balance of the conservation benefits against the costs and risks of both the translocation and alternative conservation actions. There are multiple risks in a translocation, affecting the focal species, their associated communities and ecosystem functions in both source and destination areas; there are also risks around human concerns. Any proposed translocation should have a comprehensive risk assessment.
How to use
Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the International Association of Botanic Gardens have jointly published the BGCI and IABG Recovery Manual for Plants to guide projects on plant species recovery. The manual sets out the aims and purpose of species recovery and the steps involved, and indicates good practice. The manual is aimed at conservation practitioners but also includes comprehensive bibliographic references, which enable more in depth reading on the topics covered.
These guidelines are produced by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds. The revised version includes Multi-Species Action as well as making AEWA Plans more implementable, accessible, and practical for implementing agencies. The guidelines also recognise the need for activities to be more targeted and aligned with the set objectives and goals.
The IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG) has developed several tools and resources to support planning. Teams are available to support this approach, including the use of modelling tools. Training in species conservation planning tools and processes is available through a combination of in-person and online courses. Training results in a certificate of completion. Extended mentoring opportunities also exist.
The One Plan Approach: requires that all available resources, all stakeholders and all populations of a species, are considered in conservation planning process. This approach is particularly effective at bringing together ex situ and in situ wildlife conservation practitioners and tools. Through CPSG, teams are available to support groups to apply this approach, which may include the application of the IUCN SSC Ex situ Guidelines as well as databases and modelling tools produced and maintained through key partners such Species360 and the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative.
Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA): is a specific approach that integrates population viability analysis (PVA) into stakeholder-inclusive, multi-disciplinary planning projects. The PVA element helps all stakeholders to understand more a species’ life-history, threats, and the likely efficacy of potential conservation strategies. Facilitator-modeller teams are available through CPSG, to support groups to apply this approach.
Assess to Plan (A2P): is a process designed to bridge the gap between Red List assessment and conservation planning, for speciose groups. Using Red List data, assessors and other experts identify pathways to conservation action for taxa assessed as Threatened or Data Deficient. Outputs include recommendations for further planning or action for multi-species groups of taxa that can be expected to respond favourably to the same kinds of conservation action taken in the same areas and/or by the same groups of conservation actors.
