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COP15 of biodiversity: which species are threatened in France?

2022-12-19T16:23:48.518Z


IN PICTURES - While an agreement to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 was reached at the end of COP15, Le Figaro takes stock of endangered species in France.


It is a relief for endangered species in France and elsewhere in the world

”.

François Letourneux, honorary president of the French Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), was satisfied with the agreement reached at the COP15 summit on Monday 19 December.

This historic pact aims to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 and unlock $30 billion in annual conservation aid for developing countries.

Only 17% of the land and 8% of the seas were protected.

"

Strengthening the species protection system is a good thing

" for those who are in danger in France, continues François Letourneux.

According to the red list compiled by the IUCN, 2,430 species are threatened in metropolitan France and overseas, out of 13,842 species assessed.

To establish this observation, the scientists base themselves on the analysis of the numbers of species, their rate of decline, their distribution over an area and whether they are fragmented in space.

They are then classified into different categories: vulnerable (at significant risk of extinction), endangered (high risk of extinction) and critically endangered (very high risk of extinction).

A map showing endangered species in mainland France.

IUCN

A map of the world indicating endangered species in the overseas departments and regions.

IUCN

Natural habitat threatened by agriculture and urbanization

These species are at risk of extinction due to many threats that affect their survival and worry scientists.

The main threat is the “

degradation, even the destruction of natural habitats

”, explains Florian Kirchner, in charge of the “

Species

” program at the IUCN.

The expansion of cities has caused an “

urbanization

” of natural spaces with the construction of “

roads

” and “

commercial areas

”.

By artificializing the soil, man destroys "

meadows

", "

hedges

" or even "

groves

".

Micro ecosystems that are home to hundreds of species.

"

As soon as the natural habitat is threatened, so is the species

,” concludes Florian Kirchner.

Read alsoAn eighth of the bird species threatened with extinction in the world

In addition, the specialist points the finger at

intensive agriculture

.

Large uniform fields leave no room for nature

,” he laments.

This type of agriculture forces producers to make “

excessive use of pesticides

”.

The use of insecticides has a direct impact on wildlife.

Indeed, insects are the main food resource of bats, small mammals and birds.

nesting birds

The latter, and more particularly breeding birds, are also the most endangered animals, according to the red list of endangered species in France.

Sixteen breeding bird species are categorized as '

critically endangered

', 30 '

endangered

' and 46 are '

vulnerable

'.

Very high figures compared to wintering birds, of which six species are "

vulnerable

" and two "

endangered

".

  • The bearded vulture

Bearded vulture, a large bone-eating vulture living in mountainous areas, classified as "endangered" in the Red List of Threatened Species in France.

Dave Watts

The

bearded vulture

is one of these “

endangered

” species.

This large vulture, almost three meters tall, lives in the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Corsican mountains.

Called "

devil's birds

", it has

"long been hunted because it was thought that it attacked domestic animals"

, explains Florian Kirchner

.

Hunters shot at it or hid poison in the carcasses it feeds on

”.

Read alsoRegulating trade to protect endangered species

After having completely disappeared, it has gradually been reintroduced into the national parks of the Alps.

Today, we count 70 pairs installed, that is to say a little less than 150 breeders.

Which is very little

, ”says the specialist.

When numbers drop below 500, the IUCN considers the situation to be “

very worrying

”.

  • The goldfinch

The goldfinch, classified as "vulnerable" in the red list of threatened species, has lost 40% of its population in ten years.

delmo07 / stock.adobe.com

Classified as "

vulnerable

" in the red list, the goldfinch is in sharp decline due to the decline in fallow land (unseeded land).

We have lost 40% of the population in ten years

”, regrets Florian Kirchner.

Unlike the bearded vulture, the goldfinch is not subject

to "any program

" of conservation or reintroduction.

Butterflies by day

Insects are also widely represented in the red list.

The head of the conservation division of the Office for insects and their environment (Opie), Xavier Houard, speaks of a "

real apocalypse

".

It is estimated that the workforce has fallen by between 60 and 80% over the past thirty years

,” he adds.

Among the most affected species, we find pollinators such as wild bees, flies or beetle butterflies, threatened by “

the use of pesticides

”.

Read alsoMore than half of tree species threatened with extinction in Europe

  • The Cranberry Pearl Butterfly

The Cranberry Pearly butterfly (

Boloria aquilonaris

) is at risk of moving into the "vulnerable" category, according to the Office for Insects and Their Environment (Opie).

Xavier Houard

The Cranberry Pearl butterfly is another species of butterfly particularly threatened by global warming.

Living in wetlands, its natural habitat is clearly endangered by drought.

A factor that pushes Xavier Houard to think that the species risks “

quickly falling into the vulnerable category during the next red list evaluations

”.

These lists are updated every five to ten years.

Mammals, also threatened

Among mammals, the

European mink

, a semi-aquatic species, is in “

critical danger

”.

Very discreet, therefore difficult to count, the minks would be less than 250, according to the IUCN.

Living on the banks of rivers, their natural habitat is threatened by global warming.

They are also “

victims of poisoning

”, adds Florian Kirchner.

To save the mink, a program has been launched: “

We hope to see babies soon

,” rejoices Florian Kirchner.

European mink, it is one of the most endangered mammals in France, classified as "critically endangered".

Julien Steinmetz / ONCFS

  • The brown bear

Only threatened in France, there are 70 brown bears in the Pyrenees.

The species was the subject of a reintroduction program in the 1990s when there were only five left.

Since then, the population has grown and today has more births than deaths.

However, the numbers of the species remain closely monitored because they are low.

A brown bear is pictured near a forest near the Russian border, in Hukkajaervi, eastern Finland, May 15, 2022. OLIVIER MORIN / AFP

At sea, cetaceans are also highly threatened.

This is the case of the

fin whale

, whose population is around 3,500 individuals in the Mediterranean and 1,300 in French waters, according to the Miraceti association.

Classified as “

endangered

”, the whale is targeted by hunting, plastic, chemical and noise pollution.

Read alsoA million species are threatened with extinction on the planet

The

sperm whale , a “

curious

” animal

, is the victim of collisions with boats.

Miraceti counts 200 to 300 collisions per year in French Mediterranean waters.

"Rethinking Agriculture"

Faced with the worrying anthropogenic impact on endangered species, scientists are calling for action.

If François Letourneux considers that the COP15 agreement is a relief, efforts are still to be made.

Nothing has been done on agricultural pesticides,

” he denounces.

According to him, insecticides are responsible for the collapse of breeding bird populations.

Read alsoEurope invents the agriculture of tomorrow

We must rethink agriculture,

alert for his part Florian Kirchner.

So that it leaves more room for wild animals

”.

For the specialist, it is up to the European Union to act by subsidizing an agriculture that is more respectful of the environment, rather than promoting “

yield and productivity

”.

SEE ALSO

- COP 15: "historic" agreement on biodiversity


Source: lefigaro

All tech articles on 2022-12-19

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