The world is facing a global biodiversity crisis, with 28% of more than 160,000 assessed species threatened with extinction, and an estimated one million species facing this fate due to human activities. However, conservation measures can be successful, if there is concrete evidence about what works.
The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge with the IUCN, BirdLife International, and Oxford and Durham Universities, used Red List data to assess whether conservation measures had been put in place, and whether those actions had a positive impact on a given species’ conservation status.
“We found that almost all the species that have moved from a more threatened category to a less threatened category have benefitted from some sort of conservation measures,” said lead author Ashley Simkins, a PhD candidate in Cambridge’s Department of Zoology. “It’s a strong signal that conservation works.”
While there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, the researchers observed some connections between conservation success stories. Many of these species live in isolated areas, such as islands, where intensive conservation efforts – such as habitat protection, captive breeding and reintroductions – can be fully implemented.
“While biodiversity loss is a genuine crisis, it’s vital that we celebrate the success stories wherever and whenever we can,” said Simkins. “It’s so hard for a species to improve its conservation status, but with the right effort, we can turn things around.”
The Iberian lynx, once the world’s most endangered cat, has rebounded from just a few hundred individuals to a few thousand. Likewise, the kākāpō, a flightless parrot from New Zealand, has benefitted from dedicated recovery programmes. And the European bison, which was hunted to extinction in the wild in the early 20th century, now roams parts of Eastern Europe thanks to sustained conservation efforts over decades.