Surprise species at risk from climate change

New study reveals wide range of species under threat

June 2013. Most species at greatest risk from climate change are not currently conservation priorities, finds an IUCN study that introduces a pioneering method to assess the vulnerability of species to climate change.

Highly vulnerable to climate change

The paper is one of the biggest studies of its kind, assessing all of the world's birds, amphibians and corals. It draws on the work of more than 100 scientists over a period of five years. Up to 83% of birds, 66% of amphibians and 70% of corals that were identified as highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are not currently considered threatened with extinction on The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. They are therefore unlikely to be receiving focused conservation attention, according to the study.

Alarming surprises

"The findings revealed some alarming surprises," says Wendy Foden of IUCN Global Species Programme and leader of the study. "We hadn't expected that so many species and areas that were not previously considered to be of concern would emerge as highly vulnerable to climate change. Clearly, if we simply carry on with conservation as usual, without taking climate change into account, we'll fail to help many of the species and areas that need it most."

9% of birds, 15% of amphibians and 9% of corals

Up to 9% of all birds, 15% of all amphibians and 9% of all corals that were found to be highly vulnerable to climate change are already threatened with extinction. These species are threatened by unsustainable logging and agricultural expansion but also need urgent conservation action in the face of climate change, according to the authors.

The study's novel approach looks at the unique biological and ecological characteristics that make species more or less sensitive or adaptable to climate change. Conventional methods have focussed largely on measuring the amount of change to which species are likely to be exposed. IUCN will use the approach and results to ensure The IUCN Red List continues to provide the best possible assessments of extinction risk, including due to climate change.

"This is a leap forward for conservation," says Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Director, IUCN Global Species Programme and a co-author of the study. "As well as having a far clearer picture of which birds, amphibians and corals are most at risk from climate change, we now also know the biological characteristics that create their climate change ‘weak points'. This gives us an enormous advantage in meeting their conservation needs."

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