More and more pollinating bird and mammal species are moving towards extinction, raising concerns over the billion dollar eco-services they provide, says a new IUCN study. On average, 2.4 bird and mammal pollinator species per year have moved on the IUCN Red List category towards extinction in recent decades. During the period 1988 to 2012, 18 pollinator bird species qualified for being "up-listed" to a higher threat category while none qualified for a down-listing. Between 1996 and 2008, 13 mammal species identified as pollinators were up-listed to a higher threat category and two species qualified for down-listing to a lower category of threat. The study, Global Trends in the Status of Bird and Mammal Pollinators, was produced in collaboration by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Sapienza University of Rome and BirdLife International. It is published online in the journal Conservation Letters.
Source: International Business Times, 16 March 2015
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/crucial-bird-mammal-pollinators-moving-extinct…
- Log in to post comments