Defining the Status of the Planet
ZSL tracks the fate of species and populations in order to gauge human impact on biodiversity, produce scientifically robust indicators for global targets and develop novel analytical approaches to understanding the distribution of biodiversity and species threat.
This work is amenable to national-level conservation planning and enables ZSL to guide effective response as well as measure the success of conservation interventions.
Determining Trends in Vertebrate Abundance
The number of described species lags a long way behind the estimated global total species richness; describing biodiversity remains a significant challenge and defining its status larger still. The conservation status of less than 2.5 per cent of the world’s described biodiversity is currently known, which clearly limits current understanding of the impact of humans on biodiversity.
ZSL and partners have seen the delivery of the first assessments of the sampled approach to Red Listing for dragonflies and damselflies, tropical freshwater crabs and reptiles. These initial studies of the world’s lesser known species indicate that threat levels may be similar or even greater than the well known vertebrate groups. Rather than differences between vertebrates and invertebrates, the assessments suggest that key differences exist between system and habitat, regardless of whether or not the species is a vertebrate.
Broadening the Coverage of Biodiversity Indicators
In the Living Planet Report, produced in collaboration with WWF and the Global Footprint Network, the Living Planet Index demonstrates that wild species and natural ecosystems are under pressure across all biomes and regions of the world. Over the past 35 years, vertebrate populations show an overall decline of nearly 30 per cent, and tropical species exhibit much greater rates of decline than their temperate counterparts.
Evolution Lost
Within the next century we stand to lose what could amount to one quarter of all vertebrates. The report ‘Evolution Lost’ has been produced by ZSL in collaboration with WWF, IUCN and SSC. It considers for the first time the current status and trends of global vertebrates in the context of human pressures, with a particular focus on threatened, novel and evolutionary distinct species.
You can view Evolution Lost as an online book here:
Download Evolution Lost
Evolution Lost (6.9 MB)
ZSL's Key Objectives
• Work with partners to define the global status and trends of all vertebrate groups and a representative sample of invertebrates
• Support more than 20 countries in the production of National Red Lists and associated web-based conservation planning tools
• Develop new patrol-based monitoring software and collaborate with others to implement the approach in more than 80 protected areas as well as areas where industry is working
