Release of the 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Portraits in Red

This page provides greater detail about the species mentioned in the news release (as well as a few extras) with links to PHOTOS where available and CONTACT DETAILS for the experts.

Animals

Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas). Moved from Endangered (1996 assessment) to Critically Endangered.
The Mekong giant catfish is one of the world's largest freshwater fish, measuring up to 3m in length and weighing in excess of 300kg. It is endemic to the lower Mekong River Basin and historical reports indicate that the species was abundant in the early 1900s. However, in the 1970s, local fisheries began to report the disappearance of the species. Past and current annual catch records indicate that the population has declined by more than 80% over the last 13 years through over-fishing and habitat degradation. This rate of decline is not expected to diminish in the near future. Past deforestation in the northern parts of the Mekong River area has caused increasing siltation of the Mekong mainstream and migratory routes have been lost through dam construction in the region.
Contact: Zeb Hogan, E-mail: zshogan@ucdavis.edu
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Northeast and Northwest Atlantic subpopulations of spiny dogfish, (Squalus acanthias). Northeast Atlantic subpopulation - Endangered; Northwest Atlantic subpopulation - Vulnerable.
Although the global population of spiny dogfish is assessed as Near Threatened, two stocks are now threatened. This shark is a widespread continental shelf species, traditionally viewed as the world's most abundant shark. It is theoretically, therefore, one of the few shark species with the potential to support long-term large-scale sustainable fisheries. The species is highly valued for food particularly in Europe, with fins and liver oil also used. Exceptionally slow growth and extremely low reproduction, combined with a habit of forming groups including high-value mature females, make this species particularly vulnerable to over-fishing. Most fisheries around the world are unmanaged and, where stock assessments are available, are known to be seriously depleted.

Northwest Atlantic
The high demand in European markets has stimulated fisheries in the Northwest Atlantic, where US federal efforts to manage the Northwest Atlantic stock for recovery are hampered by continued intensive and increasing exploitation in state waters to supply European market demand. As a result, catches have reduced by 75% in the past 10 years. For seven years new individuals have not been replacing animals lost through previous fishing pressures (known as recruitment failure) and the pup survival rate is very low.

Northeast Atlantic
Intensive fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic have been yielding declining catches since the early 1960s. Warnings since the late 1960s of over-exploitation of this stock have been ignored. There is still no effective management in place and a recent assessment indicates a decline to approximately 1% of original stock. Despite a lack of management in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, these subpopulations do not appear to have been as seriously depleted.
Contact: Sonja Fordham, E-mail: sfordham@oceanconservancy.org; Sarah Fowler, E-mail: Sarah@NatureBureau.co.uk; or Jack Musick, E-mail: jmusick@vims.edu
Also see the IUCN Global Marine Programme website: http://www.iucn.org/themes/marine/ or The Ocean Conservancy: http://www.oceanconservancy.org for more information on marine issues.

Black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys). Moved from Vulnerable (2001 assessment) to Endangered.
The black-browed albatross is one of six albatross species that has moved into threatened categories in 2003. Currently there are few sites where the species is showing any increase. The global population is estimated to have declined by more than 50% over the last 65 years and this downward trend is expected to continue due to the impact of longline fishing. There has been an increase in longline fisheries over much of the Patagonian Shelf, around South Georgia, off the southern African coast, and in the Southern Ocean. The black-browed albatross is one of the most frequently killed species in many longline fisheries and is also killed in significant numbers by trawl fisheries.
Contact: BirdLife International, Gareth Gardiner-Jones, E-mail: gareth.gardiner@birdlife.org.uk
Photo available http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Riverine rabbit (Bunolagus monticularis). Moved from Endangered (1996 assessment) to Critically Endangered.
The riverine rabbit is endemic to the central Karoo region of South Africa. It was previously assessed as Endangered, based on past population declines with further declines expected. The population is now estimated to be fewer than 250 breeding pairs. With ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation, and direct threats to the species from trapping, feral cats and dogs, and hunting pressure, the population is expected to decline further.
Contact: Kai Collins, E-mail: kcollins@zoology.up.ac.za; Yolan Friedmann, E-mail: cbsgsa@wol.co.za
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Mediterranean subpopulation of Short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis). Endangered.
Although the global population is still considered Least Concern, the population in the Mediterranean has shown a decline of more than 50% over the last 30-45 years. This has been caused by a combination of environmental changes, over-fishing and habitat degradation which reduce the level of dolphin prey, and competition with fisheries. High levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Mediterranean dolphins, compared to levels in dolphins from other areas, are also a concern because of the possibilities of immune suppression and reproductive impairment. Fishery bycatch is a major threat to many cetacean populations, and may have played a role in the decline of common dolphins in at least some Mediterranean areas.
Contact: Giovanni Bearzi, E-mail: bearzi@inwind.it or Randall Reeves, E-mail: rrreeves@total.net
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html
See the SSC Cetacean Action Plan for more detailed information.

Rio Grande do Sul/Uruguay subpopulation of the Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei). Vulnerable.
There is currently insufficient data to assess the conservation status of this species at the global level, but there is enough information to indicate that the Rio Grande do Sul/Uruguay population has suffered declines of more than 30% since the 1960s. This is mainly as a result of incidental mortality (bycatch) in the shark gillnet fisheries of Punta del Diablo, Uruguay. These date back to the early 1940s but gillnet fisheries for bottom-dwelling fishes were only documented as a major threat to Franciscanas in the 1980s. Bycatch has since been reported from the main fishing villages along most of the population's distribution. Additional threats to this population include loss of prey species, with potential threats from ingestion of debris (including discarded fishing gear, cellophane and plastic fragments) and chemical pollution.
Contact John Wang, E-mail: pcrassidens@roger.com, Eduardo Secchi, Email: edu.secchi@xtra.co.nz; Randall Reeves, Email: rrreeves@total.net
See the SSC Cetacean Action Plan for more detailed information.

Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus). Critically Endangered (2000 assessment)
The Northwest Pacific (Asia) gray whale subpopulation is assessed as Critically Endangered and probably contains less than 50 reproductive individuals. This subpopulation was hunted to near extinction and remains severely depleted. The potential impacts of industrial activity throughout the subpopulation's known range are poorly understood.
Contact: Randall Reeves, Email: rrreeves@total.net
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html
See the SSC Cetacean Action Plan for more detailed information.

Mexican black-howler monkey (Alouatta pigra). Moved from Least Concern (2000 assessment) to Endangered.
The Mexican black-howler monkey occurs in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico where there has been an increase in forest loss within the species' range. There has been significant loss of habitat (56%) already and with continuing destruction, the population is expected to decline by more than 70% over the next 30 years.
Contact: Anthony Rylands, E-mail: a.rylands@conservation.org

Variegated spider monkey (Ateles hybridus). Moved from Endangered (2000 assessment) to Critically Endangered.
The variegated spider monkey is found only in Colombia and Venezuela and the population in Colombia is considered to be at extreme risk. Habitat is extremely fragmented, and there may be few populations of an adequate size to be viable in the mid- to long-term.
Contact: Thomas Defler, E-mail: tdeffler@dnic.unal.edu.co; Anthony Rylands, E-mail: a.rylands@conservation.org

Yellow-breasted capuchin (Cebus xanthosternos). Reassessed but still Critically Endangered.
The yellow-breasted capuchin is a Neotropical primate found only in Brazil's Atlantic Forest region. It has a very restricted and highly fragmented range. The species is also heavily hunted for bushmeat and for use as a pet.
Contact: Anthony Rylands, E-mail: a.rylands@conservation.org
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Pied tamarin (Saguinus bicolor). Moved from Endangered (2000 assessment) to Critically Endangered.
The pied tamarin is endemic to Brazil where it has a very restricted range. This species is probably not hunted for food, but may be used as a pet. The population is threatened by habitat loss, through urban growth, agriculture and cattle ranching in the vicinity of Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas. More importantly, the species is disappearing rapidly in areas of contact on the periphery of its range, where it is being out-competed by the golden-handed tamarin (Saguinus midas).
Contact: Andrew Baker, E-mail: baker.andy@phillyzoo.org; Meluso Ginette, E-mail: Meluso.Ginette@phillyzoo.org; Toner Gretchen, E-mail: Toner.Gretchen@phillyzoo.org; Dominic Wormell, E-mail: Dominic.Wormell@durrell.org; Anthony Rylands, Email: a.rylands@conservation.org
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia). Moved from Critically Endangered (2000 assessment) to Endangered.
The golden lion tamarin is endemic to Brazil. After nearly 30 years of conservation efforts, including the establishment of a new population through translocation to a new protected area (the União Biological Reserve), the population has increased and is now estimated to include more than 1,000 individuals. One-third of this population is the direct result of a reintroduction programme and management of the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve. There is little room for expansion for the wild population, however, considering the extreme fragmentation and reduced forest cover within its range. Current and future conservation efforts are tackling this problem with reforestation and the establishment of habitat corridors.
Contact: Devra Kleiman, E-mail: dgkleiman@aol.com; Denise Rambaldi, E-mail: rambaldi@micoleao.org.br; Anthony Rylands, E-mail: a.rylands@conservation.org
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii). Critically Endangered (new assessment).
The black abalone is a marine snail endemic to the coastlines of California (US) and Baja California (Mexico). A commercial fishery for the species began in California in 1968. At present, the harvest of black abalone is illegal in California, but the species is still harvested commercially in Mexico. In the mid 1980s a wasting disease called withering syndrome began to appear in the population, reducing the commercial catch considerably. Fishers on the southern shore of Santa Cruz Island made the first observation of this disease in 1985. It has since spread throughout all the California Channel Islands and northwards to Monterey. In Mexico, cases of withering syndrome have been reported as far south as Cedros Island in Baja California. The disease now extends over almost the entire range of the species. Withering syndrome does not appear to show any signs of relenting in its progression along the US west coast in either direction and the massive declines of black abalone are expected to continue.
Contact: Genevieve Smith, E-mail: Genevieve.Smith@elf.mcgill.ca; Mary Seddon, E-mail: mary.seddon@nmgw.ac.uk
Photo available on request: contact: alk@hq.iucn.org

Newcomb's snail (Erinna newcombi). Vulnerable. New assessment.
Newcomb's snail is found only in the remote waterfalls, seeps and springs of six stream systems on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Five subpopulations were identified before 1925 and three of these no longer exist. Data indicate that the number of subpopulations has been greatly reduced since 1925, perhaps by as much as 60%. Since 1990, surveys of at least 46 streams, tributaries and springs on Kauai have located four previously unknown subpopulations of the species. The total known population is estimated at approximately 6,000-7,000 individuals, most of these occurring in two subpopulations. A variety of intentional and accidental introductions of non-native fish, snails, flies and frogs threaten the survival of Newcomb's snail. The most serious threat is predation from the rosy wolf snail (Euglandina rosea), introduced to Hawaii in 1955. This species can submerge itself underwater to eat aquatic snails and has had a serious impact on native snail species on many islands throughout the Pacific.
Contact Mary Seddon, E-mail: mary.seddon@nmgw.ac.uk

Galapagos Island molluscs
This year, 49 species assessments of terrestrial snails from the Galapagos Islands were added to the Red List. Of these 40 were assessed as threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable) and it is believed that many of the Critically Endangered species may already be extinct. As for many other island species, a major threat to the terrestrial snails on the Galapagos Islands is invasive species. Feral goats and donkeys alter the island vegetation, often resulting in habitat being unsuitable for snails in the area. Another major problem in the Galapagos is the spread of the invasive predatory species, including the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata).
Contact: Christine Parent, E-mail: cparent@sfu.ca; Mary Seddon, E-mail: mary.seddon@nmgw.ac.uk
Photo available (of Bulimulus ochsneri): http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Ecuador's endemic plants
This year 1,164 endemic Ecuadorian plant assessments were added to the Red List, 813 of these are threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable). Ecuador is important for plant conservation, with four highly diverse regions - the Galapagos archipelago, the coastal lowlands, the Andes, and the Amazon. The country has more than 4,000 endemic plant species. It has the highest population density in South America, some of the highest deforestation rates, and has lost 40% of its natural forest, mostly over the last 50 years. Since 2000, the number of plant extinctions in Ecuador has risen from three to an estimated 19 to 46.
Contact: Nigel Pitman, E-mail: ncp@duke.edu

Centropogon erythraeus. Endangered.
This shrub is endemic to Ecuador where it is known from two subpopulations in the southern Andes. Most of the collections have been recorded along the Loja-Zamora road on the southern border in the Parque Nacional Podocarpus; the species is locally abundant in this area where it forms part of the pioneer vegetation on roadsides. The species has also been recorded along the Amaluza-Zumba road near the Cordillera Las Lagunitas and it probably occurs in Peru. Potential threats for the species are unknown.
Contact: Nigel Pitman, E-mail: ncp@duke.edu
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Siphocampylus ecuadoriensis. Endangered.
Siphocampylus ecuadoriensis is a shrub found only in Ecuador where it is known from nine subpopulations in the Andes. One subpopulation in the surroundings of the Papallacta-Cuyuja road faces a high risk of extinction, due to the ongoing conversion of native vegetation to pasture. Although the plant grows inside a protected area, deforestation still threatens the species.
Contact: Nigel Pitman, E-mail: ncp@duke.edu
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Hawaii's endemic plants
The endemic plants on the Hawaiian Islands are under serious threat, mostly from invasive alien species. Overgrazing by herbivores, introduced to the islands in the late 18th century, has caused massive damage to the native flora. As the native plants disappear, the remaining individuals are being out-competed by introduced weeds and attacked by insect predators, many of which have also been introduced onto the islands. In addition, the loss of pollinator species that have co-evolved with particular plant species means that there is little or no chance for these plants to reproduce. Add to this the destruction of habitats for development (housing, tourism, agriculture) and the future for the Hawaiian flora looks bleak. This year 125 endemic Hawaiian plant assessments were added to the Red List (99 species, 26 subspecies and varieties); 85 of these are threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable). This list is expected to increase over the coming years.
Contact: Lyman Perry, E-mail: john.L.Perry@hawaii.gov Contact: Barbara Maxfield, Email: Barbara_Maxfield@r1.fws.gov

St. John's rollandia (Cyanea st.-johnii) Critically Endangered. New assessment.
St. John's rollandia is a shrub found in wetlands on the island of O'ahu in the Hawaiian Islands. Only four subpopulations are known, totalling 25-30 individuals. The population is severely fragmented and declining due to the effects of invasive species (feral pigs, seed predation by rats, competition with alien plant species, and possible invertebrate predation).
Contact: Lyman Perry, E-mail: john.L.Perry@hawaii.gov

Cyanea superba. Moved from Critically Endangered (1997 assessment) to Extinct in the Wild.
Cyanea superba was a tree endemic to the island of O'ahu in the Hawaiian Islands, and known from the northern Waianae Mountains and the southern Koolau Mountains. Until recently, it was known to exist only in the Waianae mountains. More than 60 plants in two subpopulations were known in the 1970s, the species then declined to only five plants and these too have finally gone. The causes of this species' extinction were competition with alien plants, habitat degradation by feral pigs, slugs, and wildfires generated by activities in the nearby military firing range. The species' restricted range also made it extremely vulnerable to small local disturbances, and the last few individuals were easily destroyed.
Contact: Lyman Perry, E-mail: john.L.Perry@hawaii.gov
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Caesalpinia kavaiensis. Reassessed but still Critically Endangered.
Caesalpinia kavaiensis is a forest tree found only on the islands of Hawaii and O'ahu. Only 60 individuals are known, however, many of these are old and probably non-reproductive. Threats include pigs, cattle, deer, goats, introduced plants, rats, fire, volcanic eruptions, sheep, black twig borer and collection by humans.
Contact: Lyman Perry, E-mail: john.L.Perry@hawaii.gov
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Eke silversword (Argyroxiphium caliginis). Vulnerable. New assessment.
A dwarf, silvery-leafed rosette shrub that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, this species has an extremely localised distribution, found in bogs and only on the summits of 'Eke and Pu'ukukui of West Maui. The total population is estimated to be fewer than 1,000 individuals. The species is threatened by competition with invasive alien plants (weeds) and human disturbance.
Contact: Lyman Perry, E-mail: john.L.Perry@hawaii.gov

Maui hesperomannia (Hesperomannia arbuscula). Reassessed but still Critically Endangered.
Hesperomannia arbuscula is a small shrubby tree known from scattered subpopulations in lowland rainforest, found only on the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Oahu. There has been an observed population decline of 25-50% over the last three years and the number of known individuals is less than 25. Main threats to the species are habitat degradation by pigs, competition with alien plant species (prickly Florida blackberry, Christmas berry, Koster's curse and strawberry guava), predation from rats, and trampling or collecting by humans.
Contact: Lyman Perry, E-mail: john.L.Perry@hawaii.gov
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

St. Helena, Falklands, Ascension Islands endemic plants
Contact: Rebecca Cairns-Wicks, Email: Mount.Pleasant@helanta.sh

St. Helena Boxwood (Mellissia begoniifolia). Critically Endangered. New assessment.
Only 16 plants remain in the wild population of St. Helena boxwood and this number fluctuates year to year, largely depending on the weather and predation. Currently only one plant can be considered mature and it is from this that the majority of seed has been collected to establish plants in cultivation. Threats to the species include attacks from aphids and caterpillars (Penelope worm), mice and rabbits. The plants are also prone to drought.
Contact: Rebecca Cairns-Wicks, Email: Mount.Pleasant@helanta.sh
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

St. Helena ebony (Trochetiopsis ebenus). Reassessed but still Critically Endangered.
The St. Helena ebony declined sharply in the 18th century, mainly due to overgrazing by goats, and was once thought to be extinct. In 1980, two shrubs were rediscovered on the island. All existing material in cultivation is derived from two individuals. This species was previously burned in limekilns to produce mortar. The wood was also used in the 19th century for turnery and ornament making and was introduced to British gardens around 1800.
Contact: Rebecca Cairns-Wicks, Email: Mount.Pleasant@helanta.sh
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

St. Helena Olive (Nesiota elliptica). Extinct in the Wild.
St. Helena olive is currently assessed as Extinct in the Wild, although the species may move to the Extinct category within the next year. Endemic to Saint Helena, the last known surviving wild tree, on a steep cliff near Diana's Peak, died in 1994. Only one individual is left in cultivation and recent reports suggest that this too may have died. The extinction of this plant has been attributed to habitat loss through felling for timber and to make way for plantations.
Contact: Rebecca Cairns-Wicks, Email: Mount.Pleasant@helanta.sh
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Pteris adscensionis. Critically Endangered. New assessment.
Pteris adscensionis, a fern, endemic to Ascension Island, is assessed as Critically Endangered as a result of its highly restricted range. The population has been stable over the last five years but as it is known mostly from one location on the island, it is extremely susceptible to extinction in the near future. Competition with introduced species is likely to have been responsible for past population decline.
Contact: Rebecca Cairns-Wicks, Email: Mount.Pleasant@helanta.sh
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Cycads

This year 303 Cycads were added to the 2003 Red List (288 species and 15 subspecies and varieties), 155 of these are threatened. The main threats to wild cycads include habitat destruction for farming, mining and urban development, habitat modification, traditional use (medicinal and magical), invading alien vegetation and the collection of plants and seeds from the wild for horticultural purposes.

For many species, ex situ conservation in botanical gardens and gene banks may now be the sole option left for their survival. In other cases, such as the Critically Endangered Albany cycad (Encephalartos latifrons), survival in the wild depends on artificial pollination as the specialist beetle pollinators no longer exist. Where species do still occur in the wild, some protected areas have been set up. The propagation of wild seeds in community nurseries is also helping to re-stock areas within the original species' range, as well as providing local people with jobs and a reason to conserve their cycads.

Wood's cycad (Encephalartos woodii). Extinct in the Wild.
Only a single plant of this species was ever found. Its extinction may have been a natural event, although the final end of the wild population may have been hastened by over-exploitation for medicinal purposes by local people. In 1916 the last remaining stem was removed for cultivation in botanical gardens. There is no likelihood of ever reintroducing the species back into the wild as there are only male plants in existence, and the risk of theft would be too great.
Contact: John Donaldson, E-mail: donaldson@nbict.nbi.ac.za
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Cycas tansachana. Critically Endangered. New assessment.
This arborescent (treelike) cycad is known only from limestone outcrops near Saraburi, Thailand. The plant is apparently quite restricted in occurrence and under severe pressure from plant collectors and limestone mining operations in the area.
Contact: John Donaldson, E-mail: donaldson@nbict.nbi.ac.za
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

For more detailed information about cycads see the SSC Cycad Action Plan.

Conifers

Globally, there are some 630 species of conifers and they are one of the world's most important sources of timber. Conifers occur on all continents except Antarctica, but their abundance is unevenly distributed both in terms of individuals and taxa. Where the vast boreal conifer forests stretch across continents and contain billions of trees, they sustain no more than a handful of species. In contrast, more southerly latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere and all of the Southern Hemisphere have either scattered conifer forests, or mixed conifer/hardwood forests in which conifers occur in low densities, dispersed among other trees or shrubs. Many species occupy very small areas, often as relict populations of once greater abundance. Some areas have a high diversity of species, but hardly any of these species are abundant enough to form forests of any appreciable size. A good example is New Caledonia in the Southwest Pacific, an island with 43 species of conifers, all endemic, in an area about the size of Wales.
Contact: Aljos Farjon, E-mail: a.farjon@rbgkew.org.uk

Algae

Bennett's Seaweed (Vanvoorstia bennettiana). Extinct. New assessment.
This Australian species is the first seaweed to be included on the IUCN Red List. It has only ever been collected from two sites: Spectacle Island in Parramatta River (New South Wales) in 1855; and the seabed between Point Piper and Shark Island in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) in 1886. Spectacle Island is now used by the Royal Australian Navy - the shoreline has been altered and the seabed is regularly dredged to allow ample draught for large ships. No specimens have been discovered there during recent surveys in the area. At the Sydney Harbour site, the seabed now has no solid rocky substrata to which any seaweed could attach. No specimens of Bennett's seaweed are therefore known to remain in the area. As no specimens have been seen or collected in the intervening 116 years, despite numerous surveys made by algologists during that period, the species can be considered Extinct.
Contact: Alan Millar, E-mail: Alan.Millar@rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html

Fungi

Two species of lichen were added to the IUCN Red List this year, the first additions from the Fungi kingdom:

Perforate reindeer Lichen (Cladonia perforate). Endangered. New assessment.
The perforate reindeer lichen occurs in three regions of Florida (North Gulf Coast, Lake Wales Ridge and Atlantic Coast Ridge) covering a total range area of approximately 3,400 km². The subpopulations in each region are small, covering 1km² or less, and severely fragmented. Less than 35 subpopulations are known. Reproduction is limited to poorly-dispersing vegetative fragments that have few opportunities to colonize these disjunct habitat patches. Along both the Lake Wales Ridge and the Atlantic Coast Ridge, unprotected subpopulations lie on high-value real estate, making their long-term persistence unlikely without protection. Even protected subpopulations are occasionally subject to fires and hurricanes, periodic natural disturbances that influence both long-term habitat maintenance and short-term subpopulation persistence. A hurricane in 1996 severely impacted the North Gulf Coast region, destroying two of the three subpopulations and reducing the third subpopulation by more than 70%. Fires are important for opening shrub and tree canopies although they threaten subpopulations.
Contact: Christoph Scheidegger; E-mail: christoph.scheidegger@wsl.ch

Boreal Felt Lichen (Erioderma pedicellatum). Critically Endangered. New assessment.
Over the last 100 years, the boreal felt lichen has completely disappeared from New Brunswick (Canada), Norway and Sweden. The only remaining populations are in Canada. In Nova Scotia, populations have suffered a major decline (more than 95% of the population here has been lost). Only in Newfoundland has a considerable regional population survived and is under permanent observation by regional forest and conservation authorities, and the Lichen Specialist Group of IUCN's Species Survival Commission. A recent assessment of the Newfoundland population has suggested that this species is under threat. Major threats to this species are habitat destruction through logging and air pollution. The decline, considered irreversible, of the global population is more than 80%.
Contact: Christoph Scheidegger; E-mail: christoph.scheidegger@wsl.ch
Photo available: http://www.redlist.org/info/captions.html