How similar are national red lists and the IUCN Red List?

For more than four decades the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has been assessing the global threat status for species and publishing the results in the periodically updated IUCN Red List of threatened species. Additionally, numerous countries have published national lists of threatened species, often based on IUCN criteria and guidelines for application of IUCN Red List criteria at regional levels. To assess how similar, or how different, national red lists are from the global red list, we compared threatened species lists of four countries (Brazil, Colombia, China, and the Philippines) with the 2008 IUCN Red List. We found notable differences falling into three categories: (1) a number of species (an average of 20% of the species pool considered in each of the four countries) have been listed nationally as threatened, but have yet to be globally assessed by IUCN, (2) some species (14% average) are considered globally threatened by IUCN, but are not listed nationally, and (3) a handful of species (2% average) are not considered threatened by IUCN, but are nationally threatened. However, for most species, the threat assessments concur. In other words, most species are either considered threatened both nationally and globally, or else not considered globally threatened and not listed nationally. Such possible comparison between national red lists and IUCN’s Red List is a high priority both for IUCN and for national red listing agencies.     

Data Deficient birds on the IUCN Red List: What don’t we know and why does it matter?

Species are classified as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List if there is inadequate information to make an assessment of their extinction risk based on distribution and/or population status. Data Deficient is probably the most controversial and misunderstood of IUCN Red List categories. All 63 globally Data Deficient bird species lack sufficient information on population size, trends, distribution and/or threats to assess them against the Red List criteria. For 10 species (16%) the paucity of data may be a consequence of taxonomic uncertainty. Three species are known only from specimens of uncertain geographic provenance. Since 1988, 58 Data Deficient birds have been recategorised, mainly as Near Threatened (48%) or Least Concern (16%). We speculate that of the remaining Data Deficient birds, just 14% may prove to be threatened. Proportionately fewer birds (0.6%) are listed as Data Deficient as compared with mammals (15%), amphibians (25%), corals (17%), conifers (4%) and cycads (6%), because birds are better known and perhaps because for birds greater use is made of contextual information (e.g. condition of habitats, likely ecology/habitat preferences and trends in known threatening processes) to assign alternative categories where this is plausible and precautionary. Ensuring consistency between taxonomic groups is essential for the credibility of the IUCN Red List. For non-avian taxa, the higher proportions of Data Deficient species introduces greater uncertainty in estimates of overall extinction risk, but the results from birds hint that the real values may fall at the lower end of these estimates. Data Deficient species should be treated precautionarily in terms of protection and assessing environmental impacts, and regarded as urgent priorities for surveys and research to elucidate their true status. Greater attention should also be given to documenting data quality and uncertainty for Red List assessments of threatened and non-threatened species.     

Applying IUCN criteria to invertebrates: How red is the Red List of European butterflies?

The IUCN is the leading authority on assessing species’ extinction risks worldwide and introduced the use of quantitative criteria for the compilation of Red Lists of threatened species. Recently, we assessed the threat status of the 483 European butterfly species, using semi-quantitative data on changes in distribution and in population sizes provided by national butterfly experts. We corrected distribution trends for the observation that coarse-scale grid cells underestimate actual population trends by 35%. To account for uncertainty, we included a 5% error margin on the distribution and population trends provided. The new Red List of European butterflies determined one species as Regionally Extinct, 37 species as threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable) and a further 44 as Near Threatened. The use of semi-quantitative data on distribution and population trends permitted us to use IUCN criteria to compile a scientifically underpinned Red List of butterflies in Europe. However, a comparison of detailed monitoring data for some grassland species showed that coarse-scale grid cell data and population trends strongly underestimate extinction risks, and the list should be taken as a conservative estimate of threat. Finally, combining the new Red List status with the data provided by the national butterfly experts, allowed us to determine simple criteria to delineate conservation priorities for butterflies in Europe, so called SPecies of European conservation Concern (SPEC’s). Using European butterflies, our approach illustrated how Red Listing can be performed when data are incomplete for some IUCN criteria or vary strongly among countries.     

Changes in the conservation status of Australian birds resulting from differences in taxonomy, knowledge and the definitions of threat

When the conservation status of Australian bird taxa in 1992 was retrospectively reassessed in 2000, the status of nearly 70% had to be changed. About 20% of the differences could be attributed to changes in the predictions of extinction probability. Most differences arose from refinement of ICUN Red List Categories and Criteria. Research showed that some populations were more threatened than realised and a few changes resulted from taxonomic revision. Funds might have been distributed differently had the adjusted analysis been available in 1992. Nevertheless, comparisons between either the original or the revised 1992 list and the 2000 list demonstrate degeneration in overall status of threatened birds in Australia. It is concluded that trends in conservation status are a valid long-term measure of the risk of biodiversity loss. Stabilisation of IUCN Red List definitions should mean that an increasing proportion of the status flux should be attributable to real changes in extinction probability.     

Earthworm (Lumbricidae) diversity in the Central Balkans: An evaluation of their conservation status

In this paper we summarize the current knowledge on earthworm diversity in the central part of the Balkans, in the State of Serbia. Up to now, 71 species and 8 subspecies, belonging to 18 genera, are known from investigated territory. Our aim was to produce a single priority list for earthworm conservation, particularly as the Balkan countries did not have their own Red Lists for earthworms and none of the species had a legally protected status. The list underlines the diversity of earthworms, zoogeographical position as well as category of threat. The analysis based on the IUCN (2001) Red List Categories shows that 17 of 79 taxa are Critically Endangered (5 species are serious Critically Endangered, but 12 species are only suspect for the Critically Endangered category), 9 species are Endangered and 14 species are Vulnerable. Serious candidates for their inclusion in CR category within the IUCN (2001) Red List are: Cernosvitovia biserialis, Dendrobaena kozuvensis, Lumbricus improvisus, Serbiona kosowensis montenegrina and Serbiona serbica. Of all registered earthworms, 34 taxa (43.1%) were identified only as endemic species. Unfortunately, most of the high-priority species are endemic (23 taxa). The position of the Central Balkans contributes to the great biodiversity of earthworms on its territory, but the fact that nearly 36% of its lumbricids are threatened is a strong signal that action is required.     

Using remote sensing to inform conservation status assessment: Estimates of recent deforestation rates on New Britain and the impacts upon endemic birds

Remote sensing is increasingly used by policy-makers and conservationists to identify conservation priorities and changes in land cover. This is particularly important in the biodiverse tropics, where there are often few field data. Conservation action is often directed towards areas containing globally threatened species, but there have been few attempts to improve assessments of species’ extinction risk through remote sensing. Here, in a novel approach we use deforestation estimates, measured through satellite imagery, to assess the conservation status of an entire endemic avifauna, based on IUCN Red List criteria. The island of New Britain, east of New Guinea, is of very high global conservation importance, and home to 37 endemic or restricted-range bird species. Analysis suggests 12% of forest cover was lost between 1989 and 2000, including over 20% of forest under 100 m altitude, with substantial areas cleared for commercial oil palm plantations. Application of the IUCN Red List criteria to these new data on area of remaining forest and rates of deforestation indicates that many species are more threatened than previously realised, with the total number of threatened or near threatened species increasing from 12 to 21. Thus, this study highlights the urgency of establishing and effectively managing protected areas in suitable lowland forests of New Britain. More broadly, it demonstrates another potential of remote sensing to assist strategic conservation decisions.     

Grid-based monitoring methods for detecting population declines: Sensitivity to spatial scale and consequences of scale correction

A decrease in the area of occupancy of a species is often criterion by which a species is classified as threatened (i.e. IUCN Red List). However, it is unclear how to accurately measure change in area of occupancy. Area of occupancy is a measure of distribution and the spatial scale at which the distribution is measured will affect the ability to detect a decline. To overcome errors introduced by measuring distribution at different spatial scales, scale correction methods are often applied. It is known that scale correction reliably estimates area of occupancy; however, its suitability to estimate trends in area of occupancy has not been assessed. We investigate the effect of spatial scale and implementation of scale correction when estimating two different forms of decline in area of occupancy: spatially correlated and spatially uncorrelated declines. We explore these issues using simulations of three declining species and a grid-based monitoring method designed to detect the declines. Our results suggest that current grid-based methods are inadequate for detecting uncorrelated local extinctions, even if the total decline is substantial (e.g. 65% of the original range). We demonstrate that scale correction will lead to misleading conclusions in some situations. We suggest an alternative survey method to accurately estimate changes in area of occupancy over time. We provide guidelines for designing grid surveys to measure changes in area of occupancy to assess a species threat status using the IUCN Red List criterion.     

Reserve selection using Red Listed taxa in three global biodiversity hotspots: Dragonflies in South Africa

The Red List can be used a gauging tool by conservationists to assess which species require focused conservation attention. Mapping the relative distributions of species, and identification of centers of richness, endemism and threat are a first step towards site-oriented conservation action. We use here a specially developed biodiversity index, based on three weighted sub-components assigned to each species: geographical distribution, Red List status, and sensitivity to habitat change. We test this approach using what is called here the Dragonfly Biotic Index (DBI) to prioritize sites for conservation action, with special emphasis on species occurrence in three global hotspots in southern Africa. Using a selected set of the 23 top prioritized sites, we compare the DBI’s performance to that of a rarity-complementarity algorithm. As with several other taxa, local endemism levels are highest in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), while richness is highest in the north east, particularly in the stream systems of the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (MPA) hotspot. Red Listed Odonata species are also concentrated in the CFR, while richness is highest in the MPA hotspot. Site prioritization using the DBI reveals that CFR sites protect Red Listed taxa rather well, despite the fact that catchments are only partially protected. The DBI demonstrates high levels of redundancy in representing Red Listed species, in other words, the same species are represented in several catchments. The value in the DBI thus lies in maximizing redundancy (i.e. representation) of globally Red Listed species. The rarity-complementarity algorithm represents all species, but without greater emphasis on the rare and threatened (i.e. Red Listed) species. We conclude that the DBI is of great value in selecting biodiversity hotspots, while the algorithm is useful for selecting complementarity hotspots. We identify protection gaps and thus recommend continued searches in centers of endemism and existing reserves, as well as gap areas. These searches will hone Red List assessments and identify priority sites, as well as monitor already-identified sites for changes in quality of habitat.     

Applying IUCN Red List criteria at a small regional level: A test case with butterflies in Flanders (north Belgium)

Red Lists are used to assess the extinction risk of species based on quantitative IUCN criteria. For the compilation of a new Red List of butterflies in Flanders (north Belgium), we collated ca 800,000 distribution records and applied the IUCN Red List criteria to this small region (ca 135,00 km²). We also explored the effect of spatial resolution on the outcome of the Red List assessment by alternatively using 1 × 1 km² and 5 × 5 km² grid cells for geographic range size and trend calculations. We determined conservation hot spots in Flanders based on the Red List status of the species composition in each grid cell. The new Red List classified 20 butterflies (out of 68 resident species) as Regionally Extinct, six as Critically Endangered, five as Endangered, seven as Vulnerable and seven as Near Threatened. The remaining 23 species were classified as Least Concern. Using coarse instead of fine grain grid cells would have classified ten species in a lower Red List category. Compared with the previous Red List, nine species were classified in a lower and 12 in a higher threat category. In total, 218 1 × 1 km² grid cells were considered as (very) high butterfly conservation priority sites. The application of the new IUCN criteria in a small region such as Flanders resulted in a Red List that offered challenging opportunities for the conservation of butterflies in particular and biodiversity in general.     

Estimating population size in the subdesert mesite (Monias benschi): new methods and implications for conservation

The subdesert mesite, a terrestrial non-passerine bird endemic to the Mikea Forest of southwest Madagascar, is currently classified as globally threatened (category: Vulnerable). However, accurate assessment of threat in accordance with the IUCN Red List criteria (A, B and C) requires data on effective population size, area of habitat occupied and rate of decline, none of which is available for this species. Here we present the first empirical estimates of its population size using five complementary methods, three incorporating data on territory size and two using data gathered during call-playback surveys conducted throughout its entire global range. Estimates vary from 98,000 to 152,000 individuals, with the most reliable possibly being that generated by distance sampling (115,000). This figure is more than an order of magnitude greater than the only published estimate of <10,000 individuals. By analysing data on forest cover change, we estimate the population of the subdesert mesite to have declined by, at most, 10% in three generations. Although the rate of deforestation in 1994-1999 is double that calculated for 1962-1994, it is deemed unlikely that the population will decline by 20% over the next three generations. As such the species fails to meet criterion A. Although the subdesert mesite's range and area of occupancy are small, they are not fragmented and do not comprise fewer than 10 locations. Consequently, this species does not meet criterion B. Further, the species fails to meet criterion C, for which a maximum of 10,000 mature adults is required. According to IUCN (2000 Red List of Threatened Species) this species should therefore be downlisted in status. We discuss why it still warrants conservation attention and suggest the need for modifications to the criteria thresholds in relation to basic information about the ecology and taxonomic distinctness of species.     

Diadromous fish conservation plans need to consider global warming issues: An approach using biogeographical models

Most of the European diadromous fish species are endangered and listed in the habitats fauna and flora directive, the bern convention and the IUCN Red List. Current conservation plans do not address global warming issues and consider the 1900 distribution range as the reference without taking into account the potential re-distribution of these species under global warming. However, for other taxa, predictive models have been used successfully to relate conservation assessment with the impact of global warming. We investigated the distribution of the various diadromous species regularly encountered in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East at the beginning of the 20th century. For each species, we related the observed distribution to a set of environmental variables describing the prevailing climate in the basins, the physical nature of the basins and reflecting historical events known to have affected freshwater fish distribution. We successfully built twenty-one accurate species-specific models out of twenty-eight during both the calibration and the validation phases. Longitude, a factor we interpret as related to biogeographical history, was selected in all models and temperature was included in fifteen models, in six it was the most explanatory variable. These models allowed us to separate the roles of ecology and history in explaining distribution patterns at species level. Historical events such as glaciations constrained the continental distribution of all diadromous species and six of these were also highly temperature-dependent. Based on these results, we claim that these models can be used to predict the potential distribution under changing climatic conditions and provide two relevant examples (i.e. for Alosa alosa and Pe tromyzon marinus). Predictive models could be useful as a preliminary tool to prepare long-term conservation plans on European, national and regional scales.     

A review of the conservation threats to carnivorous plants

Over half of the carnivorous plant species assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are listed as threatened (i.e. vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered), but the threats to carnivorous plants have not previously been quantified systematically. In this review, we quantify the conservation threats to carnivorous plant taxa worldwide. Using the IUCN Red List, a literature search of Web of Knowledge, and the National Red Lists database, we collected data on the threats to 48 species of carnivorous plants from nine genera. The most common threat was habitat loss from agriculture, followed by the collection of wild plants, pollution, and natural systems modifications. A principal coordinate analysis revealed that species within a genus often faced similar threats, and an indicator species analysis found positive associations among species in the genus Sarracenia and agricultural activities, over-collection, invasive species, and pollution. Future research should further quantify the effects of pollution on carnivorous plants, and more thoroughly examine the potential role of carnivorous plants as indicator species for wetland health. More research is also needed to quantify the extinction risk for many carnivorous plants, as presently only around 17% of species have been assessed by the IUCN. Ensuring the conservation of carnivorous plants will help maintain the important ecosystem services they provide and prevent secondary extinctions of specialist species that rely on them.     

Towards a ‘red list’ for crop plant species

An attempt is made toward the application of IUCN criteria and Red List Categories to agricultural and horticultural plants (excluding ornamentals). The main sources for this study were Mansfeld’s Encyclopedia (2001) and the IUCN Red List of threatened plants (2001). About 200 threatened cultivated plants are considered and presented in the respective lists, among them completely extinct crop plants such as Anacyclus officinarum and Bromus mango. The information available about neglected and underutilized crop plants still lags behind that about wild plants, especially at the species level, and more studies are required. On the other hand studies of major crops at the infraspecific level, are very advanced and can serve as models for investigating the wild ones.     

Prominent role of invasive species in avian biodiversity loss

The rise of extinction rates associated with human activities has led to a growing interest in identifying extinction-prone taxa and extinction-promoting drivers. Previous work has identified habitat alterations and invasive species as the major drivers of recent bird extinctions. Here, we extend this work to ask how these human-driven impacts differentially affect extinction-prone taxa, and if any specific driver promotes taxonomic homogenization of avifauna. Like most previous studies, our analysis is based on global information of extinction drivers affecting threatened and extinct bird species from the IUCN Red List. Unlike previous studies, we employ a multivariate statistical framework that allows us to identify the main gradients of variation in extinction drivers. By using these gradients, we show that bird families with the highest extinction risk are primarily associated with threats posed by invasive species, once species richness and phylogeny are taken into account. As expected, the negative impact of invasive species was higher on island species, but our results also showed that it was particularly high in those species with small distribution ranges. On the other hand, mainland species and island species with large ranges tended to be affected by habitat destruction. Thus the impacts of invasive species promote the process of taxonomic homogenization among islands and between islands and continents. Consequently, introduced species may increase biotic homogenization not only directly, as generally believed, but also indirectly through their disproportional impact on endemic species imperilment.     

Estimating occupancy of a data deficient mammalian species living in tropical rainforests: Sun bears in the Kerinci Seblat region, Sumatra

Tropical mammals represent some of the most threatened species, but also the least known because they tend to be difficult to study. To objectively evaluate the conservation status of these species, standardized methods are urgently required. The sun bear Helarctos malayanus is a case in point: it is cryptic, difficult to detect and consequently classified on the IUCN Red List as Data Deficient, and the highest priority for bear conservation research. In this study, we apply a detection/non-detection sampling technique using camera trap data with environmental covariates to estimate sun bear occupancy from three tropical forest study areas with different levels of degradation and protection status in Sumatra. Sun bear detections, and encounter rates, were highest in one of the primary forest study areas, but sun bear occupancy was highest in the degraded forest study area. Whilst, sun bears were recorded at a greater proportion of camera placements in degraded forest, these records were often on only one occasion at each placement, which greatly increased the final occupancy estimate. Primary forests with their large fruiting trees undoubtedly represent good sun bear habitat, but our results indicate that degraded forest can also represent important habitat. These forests should therefore not be considered as having limited conservation value and assigned to other uses, such as oil palm production, as has previously happened in Sumatra. Estimating occupancy between years will yield information on the population trends of sun bears and other tropical mammals, which can be used to provide more reliable conservation assessments.     

Global population decline of the Great Slaty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus)

The Great Slaty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus) of South and Southeast Asia, the third largest woodpecker species in the world, is currently in the IUCN Red List category of Least Concern. This woodpecker appears associated with old-growth forests, and the rapid reductions in forest cover and old-growth area in Southeast Asia urged examination of its global population trends. We assessed population densities, tree diameter use by the woodpecker, and logging disturbance at 21 transects in four regions across the range of the species: west Borneo, Lingga Island (Riau Archipelago, Indonesia), Tenasserim (Myanmar), and west-central Myanmar. Transect survey effort was 937 km. We assessed rates of deforestation and loss of old-growth forest in the range of the species from expert review reports. By combining population density and forest cover data sets we calculated the global population trend of the species. We found a preference for large diameter trees by foraging and nesting Great Slaty Woodpeckers, and a reduction of the frequency of such trees in logged forests. Across the four study regions, between old-growth forests and logged forests, densities of Great Slaty Woodpeckers were reduced by 80-94%. Although Great Slaty Woodpeckers occur in 15 countries, ca. 70% of the global population occurs in just four countries (Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Malaysia), three of which have high annual rates of deforestation and loss of old-growth forest. Our population calculations show that over the past century at least 90% of the global population of the Great Slaty Woodpecker has been lost. At present 26,000-550,000 individuals remain. The current global decline rate of ca. 59% ± SD 17% in three generations justifies IUCN Vulnerable or Endangered status. Contributing factors to the steep decline rate of the species are a long generation time of 5.9-8.2 years and an association with old-growth, lower elevation forests. The Great Slaty Woodpecker case adds an Asian example to a global pattern of specialized woodpeckers that are associated with old or natural forests.     

Fire is a key element in the landscape-scale habitat requirements and global population status of a threatened bird: The Mallee Emu-wren (Stipiturus mallee)

The Mallee Emu-wren (Stipiturus mallee) is a threatened, narrow-range passerine endemic to south-eastern Australia. To inform future conservation measures for this poorly known species, we used ecological niche factor analysis, habitat suitability modelling and distance sampling to determine landscape-scale habitat requirements and estimate the population size. Using GIS software, we integrated digital layers of ecogeographic variables with; (1) presence-only observations to derive and validate a habitat suitability model using ecological niche factor analysis, and (2) distance sampling to determine population distribution and densities across vegetation types. We detected populations in only five of seven reserves which they had occupied in 2000. We estimate the global population size to be 16,821 individuals (range 8431-39, 104), 68% greater than the previously estimated 10,000 individuals, with a single large reserve containing the majority (∼92%) of the global population. The Mallee Emu-wren is a habitat specialist, primarily occurring in mallee-Triodia vegetation that has not been burnt for at least 15 years. The highest densities were in vegetation associations containing at least a 15% cover of Triodia, however, time since the habitat was last burnt was the overriding factor in determining densities. Large-scale wildfires are a pervasive threat to the global status of the Mallee Emu-wren, and the risk to remaining populations is exacerbated by the adverse impact of prolonged drought and the potential for altered fire regimes caused by global warming. Evaluation of the global population status, and the continued wildfire threat warranted recent reclassification of the Mallee Emu-wren from Vulnerable to Endangered according to IUCN Red List categories and criteria.     

An approach for regional threat assessment under IUCN Red List criteria that is robust to uncertainty: The Fiordland bottlenose dolphins are critically endangered

Numerous globally abundant species are exposed to human impacts that threaten the viability of regional populations. Assessing and characterising the risks faced by these populations can have significant implications for biodiversity conservation, given the ecological importance of many such species. To address these risks, the IUCN is starting to conduct assessments of regional populations in addition to species-level assessments of conservation status. Here, we demonstrate a threat assessment process that is robust to uncertainty, applying the IUCN criteria to a regional population of bottlenose dolphins in Fiordland, New Zealand. We compiled available population-specific information to assess the population under the five Red List criteria. We estimated there were 205 Fiordland bottlenose dolphins (CV = 3.5%), using current estimates of abundance for two sub-populations and stochastic modelling of an earlier estimate for the third sub-population. Population trajectory and extinction risk were assessed using stochastic age-structured Leslie matrix population models. The majority of model runs met the criteria for classification as critically endangered (C1: 67.6% of runs) given the number of mature individuals (123; CV = 6.7%) and the predicted rate of population decline (average decline: 31.4% over one generation). The evidence of isolation of the population confirms this was an appropriate regional classification. This approach provided an assessment that was robust to uncertainty.     

Recent progress in conservation of threatened Spanish vascular flora: a critical review

The transfer of legal responsibilities from the Central Government to the Autonomous Communities ended a tradition of paying little attention to endangered Spanish flora. The studies undertaken to implement the European Natura 2000 network, and to prepare regional ‘Red Data Books’ and lists of protected flora offered a much better view of which species were really at risk. As a consequence, a growing number of botanists is now involved in different aspects of conservation biology. The recent publication of a new Spanish Red List of vascular flora has provided the groundwork for the so-called ‘Threatened Flora Atlas’ project, which will update and homogenise the information on 500 taxa at risk. This project will produce a new Spanish Red Book and monitor the status of 40 selected species. The Spanish strategy for plant conservation is discussed, pointing out some deficiencies, such as the neglect of non-vascular taxa, the uneven and sometimes uncoordinated local policies and the uncertain future of some current initiatives.     

The conservation value of farmland ponds: Predicting water beetle assemblages using vascular plants as a surrogate group

Ponds are among the most diverse and yet threatened components of freshwater biodiversity. The conservation of ponds would greatly benefit from the identification of surrogate taxa in preliminary assessments aimed at detecting ponds of potentially high biodiversity value. Here, we used predictive co-correspondence analysis (Co-CA) to quantify the strength of plant species composition and plant community types in predicting multivariate patterns in water beetle assemblages, based on data from 54 farmland ponds in Ireland. The predictive accuracy of a number of environmental variables as well as that of plant diversity (species richness and evenness) was calculated using predictive canonical correspondence analysis (CCA-PLS). The study ponds supported over 30% of the Irish water beetle fauna (76 species), with five species having some form of IUCN Red List Status in Ireland, as well as 67 wetland plant species, including a nationally rare one. Co-CA showed that plant species composition had a positive predictive accuracy, which was significantly higher compared to that of data at the plant community type level. Although environmental variables showed a higher predictive capacity compared to that of plant species composition, the difference was not significant. Explanatory CCA analyses showed that plants and beetles both responded to the same subset of environmental conditions, which explained approximately 18% of the variation in both plant and beetle species composition. Regional differences as well as permanency, substratum, and grazing intensity affected the composition of both plant and beetle assemblages. These findings have important implications in conservation planning. First, wetland plants can be effectively used as a surrogate taxon in the identification of conservation-priority ponds. Second, conservation strategies aimed at maintaining and enhancing pond biodiversity should be based on considerations on plant species composition.