The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species released today its annual report. The report shows that of the 63,837 species assessed, 19,817 are threatened with extinction. “The services and economic value that species provide are irreplaceable and essential to our wellbeing,” says Jon Paul Rodríguez, Deputy Chair, IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC). “Unless we live within the limits set by nature, and manage our natural resources sustainably, more and more species will be driven towards extinction. If we ignore our responsibility we will compromise our own survival. Crop wild relatives are of vital importance for food security and agriculture as they can be used to produce new crop varieties. Production of at least one third of the world’s food, including 87 of the 113 leading food crops, depends on pollination carried out by insects, bats and birds. According to the IUCN Red List 16% of Europe’s endemic butterflies are threatened. Bats, which are also important pollinators, are also at risk with 18% threatened globally. In addition to their important pollination roles, bats and birds also aid in controlling insect populations that may otherwise destroy economically important agricultural plants.”
Source: Planetsave (http://s.tt/1f9Ta), June 20, 2012
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