An overview of the state of biodiversity in Spain: developing a National Red List programme
José Luis Tellería, Pablo García, Carmen Acedo, Francisco Javier Almunia, Juan Jesús Bellido, Ricardo Gómez-Calmaestra, Jon Paul Rodríguez, Edgard Yerena, Miguel A. Ferrández, Ángel A. Luque, Marcos Méndez, Ramón Martínez, Rafael Miranda, Pilar Rodríguez, Pedro Oromí, Javier Quinto, Belén Albertos Bofarull, Estrella Alfaro-Saiz, María Altamirano, Mario Aponte, Miquel Arnedo, José R. Arrébola Burgos, Enrique Ayllón Lopez, Claudio Barría, Ana Isabel Camacho, Ruymán David Cedrés-Perdomo, Ana Isabel Colmenero Ginés, Óscar de Paz, Diana Delicado, Estíbaliz Díaz, Eduardo Galante, Joan Giménez, Benjamín J. Gómez Moliner, Jesús Hernández Corral, Noelia Hidalgo, Damià Jaume, David Jiménez Alvarado, Marta López-Darias, Amanda Luna Gil, Nuria Macías Hernández, Alberto Martínez-Ortí, Íñigo Martínez-Solano, Juan Matutano Cuenca, Paz Ondina, Nereida Rancel, Joaquim Reis, Eduardo José Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Jacinto Román, Helena Romo, Carlos Rouco, Camilo Saavedra, Paula Suárez-Bregua, José Templado, Luis Santiago Cano-AlonsoAbstract
The Spain Species Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, established in 2024, comprises c. 150 specialists in 18 taxonomic working groups. Among its aims is the assessment of the status of Spanish species for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. We review the Master List of Wild Species in Spain (63,981 species) and analyse taxonomic bias and the low number of these species included in the IUCN Red List (2,687 species) and Spanish legislation (935 species in the List of Wild Species under the Special Protection Regime and the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species). Only 7.3% of species legally protected in Spain are also included in the IUCN Red List. We also document considerable variation in the availability of specialists and information between taxonomic groups. Terrestrial vertebrates and butterflies are the best-studied taxa, and other insects, spiders, molluscs, algae, mosses and liverworts are the least studied. To overcome these shortfalls, we propose a monitoring plan focused on a broad taxonomic sample of species representative of different habitat types and biogeographical zones. The aim is to develop a standardized National Red List using IUCN criteria, to assess the risk of extinction of species and monitor trends in the status of biodiversity in Spain. This could be achieved with support for training specialists in lesser-known taxonomic groups and the long-term commitment of the associations involved in this programme. This study could be a model for the establishment of programmes and national Red Lists for other National Species Specialist Groups.