Least-concern species

A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. They do not qualify as threatened, near threatened, or (before 2001) conservation dependent.

The moose (Alces alces) is an example of a least concern species.

Conservation status
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, the Capybara, is a species with a conservation status of least concern
Capybara, a species of rodent with a conservation status of least-concern.
Extinct
Threatened
Lower Risk
Other categories
Related topics
IUCN Red List category abbreviations (version 3.1, 2001)
Comparison of Red list classes above
and NatureServe status below
NatureServe category abbreviations

Species cannot be assigned the "Least Concern" category unless they have had their population status evaluated. That is, adequate information is needed to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction based on its distribution or population status.

Evaluation

Since 2001 the category has had the abbreviation "LC", following the IUCN 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1).[1] Before 2001 "least concern" was a subcategory of the "Lower Risk" category and assigned the code "LR/lc" or lc. Around 20% of least concern taxa (3261 of 15,636) in the IUCN database still use the code "LR/lc", which indicates they have not been re-evaluated since 2000.

Number of species

While "least concern" is not considered a red listed category by the IUCN, the 2006 IUCN Red List still assigns the category to 15,636 taxa. The number of animal species listed in this category totals 14,033 (which includes several undescribed species such as a frog from the genus Philautus[2]). There are also 101 animal subspecies listed and 1500 plant taxa (1410 species, 55 subspecies, and 35 varieties). No fungi or protista have the classification, though only four species in those kingdoms have been evaluated by the IUCN. Humans were formally assessed[3] as a species of least concern in 2008.

List of LC species
The sand cat is an example of a least concern species

See also

References
  1. "2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1)" (PDF). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  2. "Philautus sp. nov. 'Kalpatta'". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 19 December 2006.
  3. Global Mammal Assessment Team 2008. (2008). "Homo sapiens (human)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T136584A4313662.en.
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