ConR: An R package to assist large-scale multispecies preliminary conservation assessments using distribution data

Published online: 16 Dec 2017The Red List Categories and the accompanying five criteria developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) provide an authoritative and comprehensive methodology to assess the conservation status of organisms. Red List criterion B, which principally uses distribution data, is the most widely used to assess conservation status, particularly of plant species. No software package has previously been available to perform large-scale multispecies calculations of the three main criterion B parameters [extent of occurrence (EOO), area of occupancy (AOO) and an estimate of the number of locations] and provide preliminary conservation assessments using an automated batch process. We developed ConR, a dedicated R package, as a rapid and efficient tool to conduct large numbers of preliminary assessments, thereby facilitating complete Red List assessment. ConR (1) calculates key geographic range parameters (AOO and EOO) and estimates the number of locations sensu IUCN needed for an assessment under criterion B; (2) uses this information in a batch process to generate preliminary assessments of multiple species; (3) summarize the parameters and preliminary assessments in a spreadsheet; and (4) provides a visualization of the results by generating maps suitable for the submission of full assessments to the IUCN Red List. ConR can be used for any living organism for which reliable georeferenced distribution data are available. As distributional data for taxa become increasingly available via large open access datasets, ConR provides a novel, timely tool to guide and accelerate the work of the conservation and taxonomic communities by enabling practitioners to conduct preliminary assessments simultaneously for hundreds or even thousands of species in an efficient and time-saving way

An endangered West African rattan palm: Eremospatha dransfieldii.

Eremospatha dransfieldii is a robust rattan palm, climbing up to 40 m in length. It is only known to occur in the south-western region of Ghana, south-eastern part of Côte d'Ivoire and in Sierra Leone. The species' Area of Occupancy (AOO) is restricted to just 40 km². This species is confined to moist-evergreen forests with high rainfall. It is known to be facing habitat loss and over-harvesting of its stems. We assess Eremospatha dransfieldii as Endangered based on criteron B2ab(iii), according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (ver 3.1)

Spatial distribution of Annonaceae across biomes and anthromes: Knowledge gaps in spatial and ecological data

Societal Impact Statement The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration underlines the importance of understanding how different taxa are affected by human induced, global changes in ecosystems. Here, we investigate if this impact can be quantified for the globally distributed tropical plant group Annonaceae (Soursop family) using distributional data and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments. We find that even for a taxonomically well-studied tropical plant family such as Annonaceae, little is known about the true distribution and ecological requirements of, and threats to, species in this group. We discuss several improvements in data collection that should enable more in-depth analyses in the future. The Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (UN), formulated with the overarching aims to end poverty and protect the planet, are also aimed at implementing sustainable management of all types of forests, to stop deforestation and to restore degraded forests. This led to the declaration of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. To meaningfully restore ecosystems, it is important to increase our understanding on the distribution of taxa and obtain insight in how different taxa are affected by human induced, global changes in ecosystems. Here, we investigate if this impact can be quantified for the globally distributed tropical plant group Annonaceae (Soursop family) using spatial data and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments. Insight is gained in how Annonaceae are distributed over biomes and anthropogenic biomes (anthromes) and how threatened Annonaceae are based on their distribution. We find that even for a taxonomically well-studied group such as Annonaceae, very little is known about the true distribution and ecological requirements of, and threats, to species. We urge to invest in (1) the exploration of ecological requirements of species in relation to their genetic patterns, in order to understand the impact of ecosystems changes, (2) research on distributional patterns in a temporal framework as the available data collected over decades might not reflect current distributions over biomes and anthromes well and (3) high-quality spatial data collection that should adhere to the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reuse (FAIR) data principles, so that the quality of spatial analyses as well as IUCN Red List assessments will increase

Use and cultural significance of Raphia palms

The genus Raphia (Palmae / Arecaceae) contains 22 species and represents a major multiuse resource across tropical Africa and Madagascar. Raphia species provide goods that range from food to construction material and medicine. Its species play a vital cultural role in African societies. Despite its importance, the taxonomy, ecology, and ethnobotany of this genus remain poorly understood. Here, we review the multiplicity of uses, products and cultural importance of Raphia species across its distribution. We provide a near exhaustive list of all products derived from Raphia species, classified by species and major use categories. We record nearly 100 different uses, traded and commercialized at local, regional, and national levels. Most species have several uses. Raphia wine is the most important product, followed by grubs and fiber extraction. Our review improves our understanding of the uses and cultural importance of Raphia species. If Raphia resources are managed responsibly, they will contribute to alleviate poverty, fight against hunger and conserve tropical biodiversity, especially in Africa