The European Red List is a review of the conservation status of c.6,000 European species (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fishes, butterflies, dragonflies, and selected groups of beetles, molluscs, and vascular plants) according to IUCN regional Red Listing guidelines. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at the regional level – in order that appropriate conservation action can be taken to improve their status. This is the first assessment of the Red List status of Europe’s saproxylic beetles, that is beetles depending on wood decay. It has evaluated a selection of 436 species present in Europe.This study shows us that nearly 11% of saproxylic beetles are threatened. Almost 14% of the assessed beetles (60 species) are thought to have significantly declining populations. Unfortunately, the drivers for these declines are mostly still in place. The loss and decline of their habitat poses the main threat, either in relation to logging and wood harvesting in forests or due to a general decline in veteran trees throughout the landscape.
