The Caucasian hotspot hosts 1 600 endemic species of plants with 17 endemic genera. Among vertebrates, mammals and reptiles host the largest number of endemic species (18 mammals and 20 reptiles). Mammals at risk on the IUCN Red List include the Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica, endangered), the Caspian monk seal (Phoca caspica, vulnerable) and the Armenian birch mouse (Sicista armenica, critical). The endemic Caucasian viper (Vipera kaznokovi, endangered) is also at risk.


The mountains of the Central Asian biodiversity hotspot hosts 1 500 endemic species of plants (and 64 endemic genera), but for the vertebrate groups there is considerably less endemism. Nevertheless, a number of mammal species in this hotspot are classified as endangered or as critically endangered, for example, the Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica), which has suffered dramatically from habitat destruction, hunting pressure and diseases.


The Iranian Anatolic biodiversity hotspot, where just 20 per cent of the original habitat remains, hosts 2 500 endemic plant species. Along the Anatolian Diagonal, a floristic line that crosses Inner Anatolia from the southern foothills of the Eastern Black Sea Mountains in Turkey to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, there are about 400 endemic plants, and another 1 200 other endemic species occur east or west of this line. Among vertebrates there are 10 endemic mammals, including the rodent Dahl’s jird (Meriones dahli, endangered) and a vole that lives in Northern Iran (Microtus quzvinensis). There are 12 species of endemic reptiles, of which four vipers are threatened because of their restricted range: the Darevsky’s viper (Vipera darevskii, critical), mountain viper (Vipera albizona, endangered), Wagner’s viper (Vipera wagneri, endangered) and the Latifi’s viper (Vipera latifi, vulnerable). Two salamanders of the genus Neuregerus are endemic: N. microspilotus (vulnerable) and N. kaiseri (endangered).


The Carpathian Mountains are the largest but most fragmented mountain range in Europe, covering parts of seven countries from the Czech Republic to Ukraine (UNEP 2007). They represent a link between the boreal forest (taiga)


of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean ecosystems of the south and contain the largest pristine forests in Western and Central Europe, and primeval forests found in the Southern and Eastern Carpathians and in the Tatra Mountains. There are a large number of endemic plants and animals, including the richest community of large carnivores in Europe. Many of these endemic, alpine and glacial relict habitats and species are the result of long-term evolution, migration and adaptation processes that existed well before humans came to occupy the Carpathians.


In the pan-European region, current knowledge of biodiversity is still incomplete. Particularly for remote areas like the Iranian or Central Asian mountains and current approximations are likely to underestimate species richness (Ficetola et al. 2013).


46: EU conservation status assessment


There are three categories for assessing the conservation status of species and habitats in EU countries, with one category (unfavourable) split into two classes. Assessment parameters for species are: species range, population, suitable habitat and an evaluation of future prospects. For assessing habitats the parameters are: range, area, structure/ functions and future prospects (EEA 2015h).


1. Favourable: the status of the habitat or species is stable and no imminent change of existing management or policies is needed.


2. Unfavourable: Class a – unfavourable-inadequate: no imminent danger of extinction in the foreseeable future for the specific species/habitat. However, a change in management or policy is required to return to a favourable status. Class b – unfavourable-bad: there is a threat of extinction for the habitat/species, at least regionally.


3. Unknown: species or habitats lacking data and/or having great uncertainty regarding their current conservation status.


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