The Species Status Report 2007 

In the 'LHF Status Report 2007 of the Large Herbivores of the Palaearctic', the actual overview and update of the species is made available for experts and people interested. 

This report states the current taxonomic status according to Wilson and Reeder (2005), the former and current distribution, the status, the population size and trend, and the international conservation status. Most of this information has already been published in other sources and is, as such, not new. The aim of the report is to review this information and present a reference guide, thus combining information on large herbivores in the Palaearctic which is scattered over several different sources.

Similar to the former report, this report functions as a database showing where conservation action is necessary and where data is still lacking. Specialists from within and outside the LHF see it, therefore, as their challenge to fill up these data gaps. The database is part now of a dynamic information gathering process, and will be continuously published in the website and will lead to the Species Overview Report 2010.

The draft Species Status 2007 report is available as pdf-file.

Species Overview Report 2010

Why do we need a Species Overview Report in 2010? It is thought that LHF with its network of experts on species, protection, management and policy is able to make a "knowledge container", an extended overview about large mammals in Eurasia, in all its aspects, in close cooperation with ECNC and IUCN.

The role of large herbivores

In nature large herbivores play(ed) a double role. Firstly as food: forming the basic prey for large carnivores; and as carrion for a myriad of invertebrates (themselves important prey for birds, bats, badgers etc.), for a range of mammals like the wild boar in its role as the European hyena, fox and pine marten, but also for birds including vulture, raven, kite and buzzard. Secondly, at a time when they wandered and migrated in enormous numbers across our regions, they influenced and even created ecosystems and the landscape through continuous browsing, grazing, trampling and even digging. Both aspects, still value - also in smaller populations and at a smaller scale (10 - 100 thousands of hectares) - provide an often forgotten part of our nature (process) management.

Species underway to extinction

A quick-scan of the Species Status Report 2007 showed that only about one third of the circa 60 species seems not to be threatened. The other species are threatened, of which 20 - 25 species heavily. Extinction is a real threat. Of 9 species information is hardly available; they might also be considered as threatened, even at the edge of extinction. In the new Species Overview Report 2010 the number of 60 species will be lower,  as the LHF-region will be restricted to the temperate zone, north of the Himalaya and excluded North Africa (45+). 

Vast ecosytems and landscapes are disappearing and fragmented

Besides the low numbers of the animals (population) their living area is also very reduced and fragmented. In the PAN-European part of the Eurasian Palaearctic region the Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN) has been designed to show where the possibilities are for a coherent, well connected complex of large nature areas, that fulfil the requirements for the habitats for the large mammals on the ecosystem level. 

There is hardly any "holistic" policy on global and international scale

Only as an example, it is surprising that there is no Eurasian field guide for the large mammals. In the CBD-programme for protected animals there is hardly any attention for the Eurasian large mammals. The IUCN Species Specialist Commissions only work on certain species or families. There is hardly any relation on an ecological level. Only for a few species, such as the Saiga antelope there is special interest from international bodies, such as the CMS (Convention on Migratory Species), for which a program of MoU's is in charge. This means that for many species the different countries don't have an obligation to develop a protection policy, let alone to manage them properly (on a population level). IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas could also pay more attention to the coherent Eurasian ecological infrastructure, that is climate change proof too.
We should develop a global and Eurasian interest for the (large) mammals in their ecosystems (and vast landscapes) where is again room for the natural processes, as there is - as an example - BirdLife International for the global and regional protection of birds.

Towards a complete overview of all the large herbivore species in Eurasia

From now on and in the first half of 2010 we will make a complete and holistic overview of all the large herbivore species in Eurasia. These fact sheets of all species will also regard the sub-species, only in specific situations a fact sheet will be made for certain sub-species; an example is the Bukhara deer, for which is also a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) developed under the auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

We have chosen for an interactive website system, experts from all places are invited to post their comments and ideas; we are also very much looking forward to receive photos and other figuires that show the importance of the protection of these species.

Top-down and hands-on appoach

Both top-down and hands-on approaches are necessary: a strong and well-embedded policy on large ecosystems and landscapes and on large species in close relation with the social-economical challenges. And a more project based column of themes on the realisation of large, well-connected ecosystems and species as well, both ex situ (zoos) and in situ (in the wild). Aspects of communication and information, and imbedding in the social-economical structures is of strong importance. This two way approach is visualized in the scheme, below, with two activity columns: the policy awareness, resp. the hands-on approach (ecosystem & species management).

LHF has a role in to take care that the populations of the large herbivore species, in combination with the large carnivores and carrion eaters (including the large birds) can survive and grow in numbers in their own, vital (living) landscapes. This in close combination with its acceptation by and value for local people in a social and economical sustainable way. When these ecosystems can function again for these species, they will also be of high importance (and quality) for lots of other species, and climate-proof as well.

LHF can't do this alone and needs partners, which feel a same kind of responsibility. LHF wants to work in a circle of partnerships, together and in good cooperation with the other international organisations.

LHF's special niche can be found in the different phases through its expert network based on scientific and practical experiences and through the (to develop) country contacts over the continent. These phases are:

• start initiatives to get the issues on the policy agenda (initiating phase),
• advocate and advise during the policy developing phase,
• support during the implementation phase on the level of concrete projects in the field,
• continue the attention for well managed nature protection and management structures.