European Red List of Trees

Abstract

The European Red List of Trees is a review of the conservation status of all the European tree species according to IUCN’s regional Red List guidelines. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at the European regional level to inform the conservation actions needed to improve their conservation status. The geographical scope extends from Iceland in the west to the Urals in the east, and from Franz Josef Land in the north to the Canary Islands in the south. Red List assessments are made at two regional levels: for continental Europe, and for the 28 Member States of the European Union.This European Red List publication summarises the results for the Red List assessment of all known native European trees, a total of 454 species, of which over 58% (265 species) are endemic to continental Europe, with 56% (252 species) endemic to the 28 EU Member States.Overall, 42% of European tree species have been assessed as threatened (i.e. assessed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable) and therefore having a high risk of extinction. This report reveals that trees are one of the most highly-threated groups of species that have yet been assessed for the European Red List, exceeded only in their risk of extinction by freshwater molluscs (59%; Cuttelod et al., 2011) and by the plant species (57%; Bilz et al., 2011) that are listed in European and international policy instruments, such as the Bern Convention.A further 13 species are assessed as Near Threatened, almost meeting the criteria for a threatened category; and 216 species are considered Least Concern and therefore not of current conservation concern. However, for 57 species there was insufficient information to assign a conservation status, and are therefore classified as Data Deficient.The main threat to tree species in Europe has been identified as invasive or problematic species, impacting 38% of tree species, followed by deforestation and wood harvesting, and urban development (both affecting 20% of tree species). For threatened species, livestock farming, land abandonment, changes in forest and woodland management, and other ecosystem modifications such as fire are the major threats, impacting the survival of trees.Out of all European trees, 359 species (79%) are currently known to occur in at least one protected area and 393 European tree species (87%) are found in ex situ collections in botanic gardens and arboreta.Assessments are available on the EU data portal and on the IUCN European Red List website ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/species/redlist and www.iucnredlist.org/regions/europeTrees are essential for life on earth and are a key component of the cultural, economic and natural landscapes of Europe. The European Red List of Trees not only recognises the importance of tree species in Europe, but also represents the first comprehensive assessment of the threat status of the region’s tree species and details the threats affecting these species, and assesses their risk of extinction. These assessments complement existing regional or national conservation assessments to allow targeted conservation planning. The assessments should be used to inform and direct policy to ensure that the species considered threatened are protected both in and ex situ; and to inform, inspire and catalyse conservation action to prevent the extinction of European tree diversity.