1oC3Dbk

Invertebrate Conservation Sub-Committee
(ICSC)
Our aim is to tackle the enormous challenge of how to manage
conservation action for the most species rich taxonomic groups
on Earth. Michael Samways (S. Africa) stepped down as chair of
the group in 2013; Axel Hochkirch (Germany) was appointed as
the new chair in November 2013.
Currently, there are 10 invertebrate Specialist Groups (SG) in
place (Bumblebee SG, Butterfly SG, Cave Invertebrate SG,
Coral SG, Dragonfly SG, Freshwater Crab and Crayfish SG,
Grasshopper SG, Horseshoe Crab SG, Mollusc SG and South
Asian Invertebrate SG). The Terrestrial Invertebrate Red List
Authority (TIRLA) coordinates assessments for all other taxa.
The creation of new SGs will depend on the identification of
potential leadership. A Spider SG is currently being planned.
A total of 2,442 invertebrate species have been assessed in
2013; including 631 mollusc species, 371 sea cucumber
species and 1,440 arthropods. These assessments mainly
reflect the activities of the existing Specialist Groups. We
currently instigate assessments for other taxa (ice crawlers,
abalones) to broaden the scope of The IUCN Red List. Strategic
conservation planning has been started for a crayfish species,
molluscs and a grasshopper species. Three publications were
submitted to scientific journals in 2013. The first one deals with
prioritization of taxa for future Red List assessments and the
second one with the problem of data deficiency for many
invertebrate species (27% of all mollusc species, 36% of all
crustaceans and 30% of all dragonflies have been assessed as
DD). A commentary stating the necessity to conduct
invertebrate species inventories in protected areas has been
published in Science.
We will be attending the World Parks Congress, to foster
invertebrate conservation in protected areas. A new ICSC
strategy will be developed in 2014, and the next meeting of the
ICSC will take place in April 2014. Our website can be accessed
here and you can follow us on Facebook here.
Dr Axel Hochkirch
Chair, Invertebrate Conservation Sub-Committee
Metioche bolivari from Mahé (Seychelles). © Axel Hochkirch
Cycas papuana. © J. Donaldson
Plant Conservation Sub-Committee (PCSC)
Our aim is to mobilize and guide plant assessments and
conservation action within IUCN, and to work with the network
of IUCN SSC Plant Specialist Groups to stem the loss of global
plant diversity. Currently, the PCSC comprises 13 members
made up of ten plant specialist group chairs, and three
representatives of organisations involved in plant conservation
assessments and/or plant conservation. This represents a
subset of the broader plant community within IUCN, where
there are 26 plant specialist groups and three Red List
Authorities.
There is a considerable amount of Red Listing activity within the
plant Specialist Groups. The PCSC does not undertake Red
Listing, but we have been active in trying to smooth the
processes for undertaking and publishing plant assessments,
raising awareness of plant assessment issues with the IUCN
SSC Red List Committee, and prioritizing assessments in order
to understand the global status of plants.
Plants for People is a major new initiative to assess the
conservation status of at least 1,500 priority species from four
plant Specialist Groups (6,000 species in total). Members of the
PCSC have been working with the Global Species Programme
(GSP), the SSC, and the four relevant SSC Specialist Groups
(Crop Wild Relatives, Medicinal Plants, Global Trees and Palms)
to mobilize funding and get the project up and running.
Report of the IUCN SSC Sub-Committees
97