How Many Protected Species Are There In The World?
Global conservation goals have allowed more species to be protected each year. In the long run, this can help conserve many animals whose existence is threatened.
But how many species are protected globally? What criteria are followed to protect species? All this and much more, in the following lines.
Protect to preserve
In general terms, the species that have some degree of legal protection are those that are threatened. The threats they suffer are varied, but the vast majority of them can be framed in human action : logging of forests, agriculture, massive hunting, climate change and a long etcetera.
Therefore, the goal is to protect the species for their long-term survival. Protection, at a general level, is usually granted by the governments of the countries. However, there are many lists of protected species according to international organizations, such as the well-known Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
A large increase in protected area
According to an IUCN report, about 15% of the planet’s lands and 10% of its territorial waters are guarded by national parks and other types of protected areas.
Despite the fact that there are still key areas for biodiversity that are not protected, the report emphasizes that the marine area under custody has multiplied by three in the last ten years.
Protected species by countries
Having a global idea of how many species are protected is very complicated, since it is the different countries that grant protection. Therefore, it is more useful to take a look at the number of species within this group existing by country. Go for it.
Protected species in Spain
According to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, there are 940 threatened animal and plant species in Spain. Of all of them, 626 species are considered to be of special protection.
In this country is the most threatened feline in the world, the Iberian lynx. This mammal, which was practically doomed to extinction at the beginning of the century, is undergoing a very satisfactory recovery of its populations and habitat.
However, threatened amphibians are of particular concern in this country. Due to climate change, the environment becomes drier, which greatly reduces their habitats. That is why many amphibians are highly protected, such as the Betic midwife toad, the long-tailed salamander or the Alpine newt.
Species protected by the European Union
The European environment agency has specific conservation targets for 2020. Among them is the Habitats directive. One of its goals is that 35% of threatened species have improved their conservation status. However, this has not yet been fulfilled.
Although there is no official number of protected species, you can take a look at their reports to talk about threatened species. According to the EU, 60% of all species are threatened and the state of marine animals is of particular concern.
Protected Species in Colombia
Colombia is one of the so-called megadiverse countries, which contains the highest index of biodiversity on earth. The levels of species protection are impressive. It is estimated that around 6500 species of animals live in the Colombian National Parks, and therefore, are protected. Of all these species, 383 are threatened.
Among the most characteristic protected species of Colombian fauna, we can highlight the curious spectacled bear, inhabitant of the Andean mountains.
Another of the best known species is the jaguar, the largest feline in South America, which has seen its world population reduced by almost half. This species needs large areas of land to survive, so the loss of habitat and vegetation are its great threats.
Protected species in the United States
Despite its environmental problems, the United States has unparalleled biodiversity. It is also one of the pioneer countries in the protection of nature, as it was the first in which there were national parks.
It is estimated that some 1,200 species of animals are protected by some type of law in the US. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is considered a milestone in animal protection, as it has achieved the recovery of once threatened species, such as the bald eagle, the humpback whale or the grizzly bear.
Species protection works
In conclusion, we cannot provide an exact figure of how many protected species there are in the world. However, we can observe how —in general— the increase in the levels of protection for wild animals has led to an improvement in their levels of conservation.
