Sites of Imminent Extinction
The World

Scientists have identified 595 sites with species in critical danger of disappearing. Most represent the last place on Earth where a species lives. Half of these habitats have no protection. Without it, extinction may be inevitable.

Three featured species:

· Marvelous spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis), Utcubamba Valley, Peru:
Fewer than a thousand birds live in a single valley.

· Santa Marta parakeet (Pyrrhura viridicata), Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia:
Despite protection, habitat loss is still a threat.

· Rodrigues fruit bat (Pteropus rodricensis), Rodrigues Island, Mauritius:
Deforestation leaves bats at risk of starvation and cyclone damage.

Researchers
Taylor H. Ricketts, World Wildlife Fund (lead)

Paper
“Pinpointing and preventing imminent extinctions,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Published online before print December 12, 2005
 

Image Credits 
The world—satellite: NASA Terra, sensor: MODIS
Marvelous spatuletail—Heinz Plenge
Utcubamba valley—Mike Parr, American Bird Conservancy
Santa Marta parakeet and Parque Nacional Natural Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Columbia—Fundacion ProAves, www.proaves.org
Rodrigues flying fox—Pam Thomas/Lubee Bat Conservancy