Influence of socio-economic factors on identified threats to rare (Red List) plant species
Primary threats to rare species are thought to be broad and universal, with habitat loss as the most frequently cited threat. However, threats may not be universal, but rather region or nation specific. The Indo-Pacific region, including Australia, shares common geologic, climatic and paleo-historic traits. However, standards of living vary within this broad region. A nation’s standard of living may influence the threats to rare species, mitigating some threats while amplifying others. Standard of living also influences the probability of species being assessed and listed as threatened. To explore this, nations within the Indo-Pacific region with differing standards of living were targeted: Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu. I examined the documentation for plant species listed as threatened under the IUCN guidelines (i.e. the Red List) for each area, and collated the threatening processes listed for each species. The prevalence of threat types were tallied and compared between the countries. I also compared data on the contribution of agriculture to national GDP, the presence of conservation legislation and the diversity of the flora.