Least-concern species

Conservation status by IUCN Red List category
Extinct
Extinct (EX) Extinct in the Wild (EW)	(list) (list)
Threatened
Critically Endangered (CR) Endangered (EN) Vulnerable (VU)	(list) (list) (list)
Lower Risk
Near Threatened (NT) Conservation Dependent (CD) Least Concern (LC)	(list) (list)
Other categories
Data Deficient (DD) Not Evaluated (NE)	(list)
Related topics International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) IUCN Red List Lists of organisms by population

A least concern (LC) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as evaluated but not qualified for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, near threatened, or (prior to 2001) conservation dependent.

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 and/or population status.

Since 2001 the category has had the abbreviation "LC", following the IUCN 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1).^[1] However, around 20% of least concern taxa (3261 of 15636) in the IUCN database use the code "LR/lc", which indicates they have not been re-evaluated since 2000. Prior to 2001 "least concern" was a subcategory of the "Lower Risk" category and assigned the code "LR/lc" or (lc).

While "least concern" is not considered a red listed category by the IUCN, the 2006 Red List still assigns the category to 15636 taxa. The number of animal species listed in this category totals 14033 (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). There are also two animal subpopulations listed: the Australasian and Southern African subpopulations of spiny dogfish. No fungi or protista have the classification, though only four species in those kingdoms have been evaluated by the IUCN. Humans qualify for this category, and in 2008 were formally assessed^[3] as such by the IUCN.

See also

• Category:Least concern plants
• Category:IUCN Red List least concern species

Notes and references

External links

• List of Least Concern species as identified by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Threatened species Template: Threatened species by region IUCN Red List Categories1 Extinct Extinct (EX) Extinct in the Wild (EW) Threatened Critically Endangered (CR) Endangered (EN) Vulnerable (VU) Lower risk Near Threatened (NT) Least Concern (LC) Lower Risk (LR) Conservation Dependent (LR/cd) Not fully assessed Data Deficient (DD) Not Evaluated (NE) Species Lists Extinct in the Wild Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Near Threatened Data Deficient WP categories Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Near Threatened Data Deficient By taxa Endangered arthropods / spiders Threatened Banksia / rays / sharks / sturgeons The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates The world's 100 most threatened species Conservation Biodiversity action plan Biodiversity threats Conservation biology CITES ARKive Bird conservation Conservation status Conservation-reliant species Ecoregion conservation status Habitat destruction Latent extinction risk Rare species Vulnerability and susceptibility 1 Pre-2001 categories and subcategories shown in italics.

Threatened species by region By region Blue-listed Environmental Vulnerability Index Regional Red List Australasia Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ROTAP Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 Threatened ecological community Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989 Canada Species at Risk Act Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada Europe European Endangered Species Programme Funds for Endangered Parrots South Africa Endangered Wildlife Trust United States Distinct population segment Endangered Species Act Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1978 Endangered species recovery plan Endangered Wolf Center National Wildlife Refuge NatureServe conservation status The Nature Conservancy Lists Asia List of endangered and protected species of China Endangered mammals of India List of endangered animals in India List of endangered species in Pakistan List of threatened species of the Philippines List of endangered species in Vietnam Europe Threatened mammals of Europe Endangered plants of Europe List of United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan species List of extinct and endangered species of Italy List of extinct and endangered species of Lithuania North America List of endangered plants in North America List of endangered species in North America Endangered mammals and birds of the United States List of threatened mammals of the United States List of threatened birds of the United States List of threatened reptiles and amphibians of the United States Elsewhere Threatened fauna of Australia List of threatened flora of Australia Official list of endangered flora of Brazil List of threatened mammals of Brazil List of threatened birds of Brazil