Distribution and Habitat Affinity
of Endemic and Threatened Species:
Global and European Assessment
Carsten Hobohm, Michaela Moro-Richter, and Carl Beierkuhnlein
Abstract Realms of species, assemblages, and whole ecosystems are threatened by
human activities such as damage, resource use, pollution, introduction of neobiota,
and also by natural processes and disasters. We present an assessment of distribution
patterns and numbers of endemic and threatened species with respect to their habitat
affinity and threats at global and European scales.
We used five databases for analyses: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2018,
2019a, b, c), European Red List of Habitats (Janssen et al. 2016) including fact
sheets, Plant Endemism Assessment of Red List Habitats in Europe (PEARL),
Endemic Vascular Plants in Europe (EvaplantE), and a global database on hyperendemics (Hypedata). The first two are available on the internet, the latter are own
databases. Hypedata is taxonomically and geographically not restricted, PEARL and
EvaplantE are focusing on the situation of vascular plant species in Europe.
The categorization of habitat types is necessary to get a classification scheme and
a quantitative relationship with respect to the meaning of habitats for endemic and
threatened species. Furthermore, such definitions and categorisations are helpful to
describe consequences in environmental politics and management. Thus, the first
part is related to classification and definition of habitat types which is predominantly
in accordance with the highest level of other classification schemes.
We here introduce the term hyperendemism in the ecological-biogeographical
context. Hyperendemics are taxa with an extremely small range (<1 km
2 ) or a very
small population size (<50 mature individuals). The list presented here is just the
kick-of of processing a database.
At the moment the list represents 551 species, i.e. 494 plant species (482 vascular
plants, 10 bryophytes, 2 lichens), 56 animal species (41 vertebrates, 15 invertebrates), and 1 fungus.
C. Hobohm (*) · M. Moro-Richter
Department of Ecology and Environmental Education, University of Flensburg (EUF),
Flensburg, Germany
e-mail: hobohm@uni-flensburg.de
C. Beierkuhnlein
Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth,
Germany
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
C. Hobohm (ed.), Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems, Environmental
Challenges and Solutions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57710-0_11
233
of Endemic and Threatened Species:
Global and European Assessment
Carsten Hobohm, Michaela Moro-Richter, and Carl Beierkuhnlein
Abstract Realms of species, assemblages, and whole ecosystems are threatened by
human activities such as damage, resource use, pollution, introduction of neobiota,
and also by natural processes and disasters. We present an assessment of distribution
patterns and numbers of endemic and threatened species with respect to their habitat
affinity and threats at global and European scales.
We used five databases for analyses: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2018,
2019a, b, c), European Red List of Habitats (Janssen et al. 2016) including fact
sheets, Plant Endemism Assessment of Red List Habitats in Europe (PEARL),
Endemic Vascular Plants in Europe (EvaplantE), and a global database on hyperendemics (Hypedata). The first two are available on the internet, the latter are own
databases. Hypedata is taxonomically and geographically not restricted, PEARL and
EvaplantE are focusing on the situation of vascular plant species in Europe.
The categorization of habitat types is necessary to get a classification scheme and
a quantitative relationship with respect to the meaning of habitats for endemic and
threatened species. Furthermore, such definitions and categorisations are helpful to
describe consequences in environmental politics and management. Thus, the first
part is related to classification and definition of habitat types which is predominantly
in accordance with the highest level of other classification schemes.
We here introduce the term hyperendemism in the ecological-biogeographical
context. Hyperendemics are taxa with an extremely small range (<1 km
2 ) or a very
small population size (<50 mature individuals). The list presented here is just the
kick-of of processing a database.
At the moment the list represents 551 species, i.e. 494 plant species (482 vascular
plants, 10 bryophytes, 2 lichens), 56 animal species (41 vertebrates, 15 invertebrates), and 1 fungus.
C. Hobohm (*) · M. Moro-Richter
Department of Ecology and Environmental Education, University of Flensburg (EUF),
Flensburg, Germany
e-mail: hobohm@uni-flensburg.de
C. Beierkuhnlein
Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth,
Germany
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
C. Hobohm (ed.), Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems, Environmental
Challenges and Solutions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57710-0_11
233