Threatened species
Topic: Biodiversity and its Conservation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 14 "Biodiversity and Conservation"
Meaning
Threatened species is an umbrella term for species at high risk of extinction. In the current IUCN Red List (version 3.1), it covers three levels together: Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU). Status is judged by numbers, such as population decline, range size and population size. NCERT follows the older scheme and gives three categories: endangered, vulnerable and rare.
Example
India has threatened species at all three levels:
- Critically Endangered: the Great Indian Bustard, which has fewer than 150 birds, mostly in the Desert National Park, Rajasthan
- Endangered: the tiger
- Vulnerable: the snow leopard of Ladakh
Don't confuse with
- Near Threatened: the level just below Vulnerable. It is not part of "threatened".
- Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act: India's legal protection list, separate from IUCN status.