A new method for assessment of the red lIst threat status of microalgae

Abstract

Although the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria is a widely internationally used system for classifying species at high risk of extinction, the micro-organisms are still practically excluded from the appropriately enlisted taxa. The present paper provides a method, which gives means to assess microalgae threat status much more objectively than it was possible
before and in this way to achieve quite high degree of generalization in work with this peculiar group of organisms. The method described below uses the widely accepted standard IUCN Red List system of categories, but proposes their assignment on the basis of a complex application of seven criteria relevant to microalgae and classical data, available for them. These criteria can be interpreted in the same way for all taxonomic groups of algae and for all possible territorial levels (local, national, regional, global). The criteria are denominated with Latin capital letters A-G and each of them has a numerical expression with values (points) ranging between 4 and 1. The final assessment of the threat status is done on the basis of the total amount of points (T), which ranges between 7 and 28. In this way each alga is supplied with a formula (a combination of letters and numbers), which indicates its threat status and in the same time outlines its most critical, “weak spots” on which special attention has to be paid when conservation measureshave to be proposed. As it is exemplified in detail in the paper, the formula could be expressed in a table or in a text format, in full or in a short version, depending on the needs of the relevant studies or proposals (e.g. Anabaena lapponica Borge [VU - A3 B4 C4 D2 E2 F2 G3], or Anabaena lapponica Borge [VU - A3 B4 C4 D2 E2 F2 G3 T20], or Anabaena lapponica Borge [VU - T20]), or Anabaena lapponica Borge [VU]).

References:

Biserkov V, Gussev Ch ., Popov V., Hibaum G., Roussakova V, Pandurski I., Uzunov Y., Dimitrov M., Tzonev R. & Tsoneva S. (eds) 2015. Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria. Volume 3. Natural Habitats, BAS et MOEW, Sofia, 422 pp.

Ellis W. 2008. Conservation of the cryptobiota. - In: Bergmans H., H. de Longh & H. Simons (eds), Forgotten Kingdoms. Proceedings of a seminar on the conservation of small and hidden species at the occasion of the retirement of Wim Bergmans as scientific director of IUCN NL, Publ. CML & IUCN, Amsterdam, 31-44.

Environmental Agency , Japan 2000. Threatened Wildlife of Japan, Red Data Book, 2nd Edition. Publ. by Japan Wildlife Reserch Center, Tokyo, xi+123 pp. (In Japanese).

Denys L. 2000. Historical distribution of “Red List Diatoms” (Bacillariophyceae) in Flanders (Belgium). - Syst. Geogr. Pl. 70: 409-420.

Guidelines for Application of IUCN Re d List Criteria at Regional  Levels , Version 4. 2012. http://www.iucnredlist.org/documents/reg_guidelines_en.pdf

Gutowski A. & Mollenhauer D. 1996. Rote ListederZieralgen (Desmidiales) Deutschlands. - Schriftenreihe Vegetationsk. (Bonn-Bad-Godesberg) 28: 679-708.

Hindak F. & Hindakova A. 2001. Red list of cyanophytes/cyanobacteria and algae of Slovakia. 2nd version (December 2001) - In: Balaz D., Marhold , K. & Urban P. (eds), Red List of plants and animals of Slovakia, Ochrona Prirody 20, Suppl.: 14-22.

IUCN 2012. The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. 2012: Version 3.1. Second Edition.Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iv + 32 pp.

Kondratieva N. V 2003 On the organization of the work for creation of Red List of Ukrainian Algae. - Algologiya 13 (2): 460-475 (In Russian).

Komulainen S. F. 2009. Freshwater algae in Red Data Books: Status and problems. - Trudi karelskogo nauouchnogo centra RAN (Petrozavodsk) 1: 57-61 (In Russian).

Kusel-Fetzmann E.-L. 1999. Zur Gefährdung der österreichischen Süßwasseralgen. - In: Nikfeld H. (ed.), Rote Listen gefährdeter Pflanzen Österreichs, Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Jugend und Familie. Verlag Austria Medien Service GmbH, Graz, 267-275.

Lange-Bertalot H. & Steindorf A. 1996. Rote Liste der limnischen Kieselalgen (Bacillariophyceae) Deutschlands. - Schriftenreihe Vegetationsk. (Bonn-Bad- Godesberg) 28: 633-677. 

Lenzenweger R. 1999. Rote Liste gefährdeter Zieralgen (Desmidiales) Österreichs. - In: Ni k f e l d H. (ed.), Rote Listen gefährdeter Pflanzen Österreichs, Bundesministerium

für Umwelt, Jugend und Familie. Verlag Austria medien service GmbH, Graz, 276­-291

Mollenhauer D. & Christensen T. 1996. Rote Liste der Schlauchalgen (Vaucheriaceae) Deutschlands. - Schriftenreihe Vegetationsk. (Bonn-Bad-Godesberg) 28: 625-632.

Nemeth J. 2005. Red list of algae in Hungary. - Acta Bot. Hung. 47 (3-4): 379-417.

Palamar-Mordvintseva G. M., Tsarenko P. M. & Vasser S. P. 1998. On the creation of Red List of Ukrainian Algae. - Algologiya 8 (4): 341-350 (In Russian).

Sieminska J. 1986. Red List of threatened algae in Poland. - In: Zarcyk  Z. & Wojewoda W. (eds), Red List of plants and fungi in Poland. Publ. House PAN, Krakow, 29-44 (In Polish).

Sieminska J. 1992. Red List of threatened algae in Poland. - In: Zarzycki K., Wojewoda W. & He i n r i c h Z. (eds), List of Threatened Plants in Poland. Polish Academy of Sciences, W. Szafer, Institute of Botany, Crakow, 7-19 (In Polish).

Sieminska J. 2006. Red List of the Algae in Poland. - In: Mirek Z., Zarzycki K., Wojewoda W. & Szelag Z. (eds), Red List of plants and fungi in Poland. Publ. House PAN, Krakow, 37-52.

Stoyneva-Gäertner M. P., Isheva T., Ivanov P., Uzunov B. A. & Dimitrova P. Red List of Bulgarian algae. II. Microalgae. - Ann. Univ. Sof. 100 (2), this volume.

Watanabe M. M. 2005. Cultures as a means for protecting biological resources: ex situ conservation of threatened algal species. - In: Andersen R. A. (ed.), Algal culturing techniques, Elsevier Academic Press, Amsterdam, 419-428.