title: The loss of species: mangrove extinction risk and geographic areas of global concern.
abstract: Mangrove species are uniquely adapted to tropical and subtropical coasts, and although relatively low in number of species, mangrove forests provide at least US $1.6 billion each year in ecosystem services and support coastal livelihoods worldwide. Globally, mangrove areas are declining rapidly as they are cleared for coastal development and aquaculture and logged for timber and fuel production. Little is known about the effects of mangrove area loss on individual mangrove species and local or regional populations. To address this gap, species-specific information on global distribution, population status, life history traits, and major threats were compiled for each of the 70 known species of mangroves. Each species' probability of extinction was assessed under the Categories and Criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Eleven of the 70 mangrove species (16%) are at elevated threat of extinction. Particular areas of geographical concern include the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Central America, where as many as 40% of mangroves species present are threatened with extinction. Across the globe, mangrove species found primarily in the high intertidal and upstream estuarine zones, which often have specific freshwater requirements and patchy distributions, are the most threatened because they are often the first cleared for development of aquaculture and agriculture. The loss of mangrove species will have devastating economic and environmental consequences for coastal communities, especially in those areas with low mangrove diversity and high mangrove area or species loss. Several species at high risk of extinction may disappear well before the next decade if existing protective measures are not enforced.
authors.affiliation: IUCN Species Programme/SSC/Conservation International Global Marine Species Assessment, Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America. bpolidor@odu.edu
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Polidoro
authors.forename: Kent E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.forename: Lorna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Norman C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Duke
authors.forename: Aaron M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ellison
authors.forename: Joanna C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ellison
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Farnsworth
authors.forename: Edwino S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Fernando
authors.forename: Kandasamy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kathiresan
authors.forename: Nico E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Koedam
authors.forename: Suzanne R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Livingstone
authors.forename: Toyohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyagi
authors.forename: Gregg E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Vien
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ngoc Nam
authors.forename: Jin Eong
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Jurgenne H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Primavera
authors.forename: Severino G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Salmo
authors.forename: Jonnell C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sanciangco
authors.forename: Sukristijono
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sukardjo
authors.forename: Yamin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jean Wan Hong
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yong
mesh_terms: D002489:Central America; D017753:Ecosystem; D056727:Endangered Species / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D011336:Probability; D043982:Rhizophoraceae; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development
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