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  7. Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World - Executive Summary

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Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World - Executive Summary

Numbers of living species in Australia and the World second edition cover

Numbers of living species in Australia and the World
2nd edition
cover

2nd edition

A.D.Chapman
Australian Biodiversity Information Services, Toowoomba, Australia
A Report for the Australian Biological Resources Study September 2009
ISBN (printed) 978 0 642 56860 1 OUT OF PRINT
ISBN (online) 978 0 642 56861 8

  • Next (Detailed discussion by Group: Chordates)
  • Contents
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Executive Summary

Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World was first published in 2006. It was a collation of information from taxonomic literature, online resources and previous compilations, augmented by discussions with systematists. It is updated and revised in this new edition, taking into account newly published species, and refined estimates and corrections, again with considerable input from the taxonomic community. Insects are subdivided further than before, with separate figures being given for the component orders, and the algae and fungi are rearranged in line with more recent classifications.

The total number of accepted described species in the world is estimated to be close to 1 900 000, well above the 1 786 000 given in 2006. Worldwide, about 18 000 new species are being described each year and for the year 2007, 75% of these were invertebrates, 11% vascular plants and nearly 7% vertebrates.

For Australia a figure of 147 579 accepted described species is now determined, below the 2006 figure of 172 200, and the estimate of the number of species overall is 566 398. The reduction in numbers is due in large part to refinement of the estimates of numbers of insects, and feedback on the earlier edition of this report which led to more extensive collaboration to develop revised estimates. In a coarse breakdown of these figures, the estimates for Australia are 8 128 accepted described chordate species, 98 703 invertebrates, 24 716 plants (including plant algae and bryophytes), 11 846 fungi and around 4 186 in other groups. These figures include new records and newly described species for Australia for the past three years, among them approximately 1 184 vascular plants, 48 reptiles, 8 frogs and 8 mammals, 904 arachnids, 148 myriapods and 60 sponges. Endemism is high in some groups. For example, 41.3% of the chordates are endemic (including 87% of mammals, 45% of birds, 93% of reptiles, 94% of frogs) and some 92% of the vascular plants.

Nationally, the number of Australian species under threat are 246 chordates (3% of chordate species, including 20% of mammals and 14% of amphibians), 1 260 vascular plants (6.5%), 32 invertebrates, two algae and one bryophyte.

Chordates

Brusca and Brusca (2003) estimated that there are 49 693 published and accepted vertebrate species for the world, whereas Groombridge and Jenkins (2002) gave an estimate of 52 000 accepted vertebrate species and an estimate of about 55 000 chordate species in total. Adding up the individual estimates documented in the previous report provided a much higher figure of 60 979 published chordate species (Chapman 2006). This report has again increased that figure, to 64 791—an increase of about 6.2%. The group with the greatest increase was the fishes, but all groups have had new species published since the previous report. The number of published species in Australia has increased from 7 561 to ~8 128 (an increase of 7.5%) again with most of the increase in the number of fish species. It is estimated that just over 40% of Australian chordate species are endemic.

Estimates for chordates in Australia and the World
Taxon World Described/
Accepted
Australia Described/
Accepted
Australia Percentage Estimate World Estimate Australia World Threatened
5
World Threatened
Percentage
Australia Threatened
6
Australia Threatened
Percentage
% of World’s Threatened Percentage Endemic
Mammals 5 487 386 7.0% ~5 500 ~390 1 141 20.8% 78 20.2% 6.8% 87%
Birds 9 990 828 8.3% >10 000 ~900 1 222 12.2% 50 6.0% 4.1% 45%
Reptiles 8 734 917 10.5% ~10 000 ~950 423 4.8% 46 5.0% 10.9% 93%
Amphibia 6 515 227 3.5% ~15 000 ~230 1 905 29.2% 31 13.7% 1.6% 94%
Fishes 31 153 ~5 000 16.0% ~40 000 ~5 750 1 275 4.1% 41 0.8% 3.2% 24%
Agnatha 116 5 4.3% unknown ~10 0 0% 0 0% – 60%
Cephalochordata 33 8 24.2% unknown ~8 0 0% 0 0% – 50%
Tunicata 2 760 757 27.4% unknown ~850 0 – 0 – – 50%
TOTAL (2005) 60 979 7 561 12.4% ~71 000 ~8 444 5 188 8.5% 247 3.3% 4.8% 39%
TOTAL (2009) 64 788 ~8 128 12.5% ~80 500 ~9 088 5 966 9.2% 246 3.0% 4.1% 41.3%

Invertebrates

The number of published, accepted invertebrate species in the world has increased since the previous report to 1 359 367—largely due to an increase in the number of insects. In this report I have been able to report on the numbers of insects by Order and this has allowed for a more accurate estimate for the total number of species. By contrast, the estimate for the total number of published insect species in Australia has decreased from approximately 80 000 to 62 000. The estimates for the total numbers of species, however, has altered very little. Estimates for endemism have now been supplied for many more groups, but an overall estimate is still not possible due to the unknowns in most of the larger groups, including the spiders, nematodes and platyhelminths.

Note: Where a range is given in number of species for a group the higher figure of the range is used in this table.

Estimates for invertebrates in Australia and the World
Taxon World Described/
Accepted
Australia Described/
Accepted
Australia Percentage Estimate World Estimate Australia World Threatened
7
World Threatened Percentage Australia Threatened Australia Threatened
Percentage
% of World’s Threatened Percentage Endemic
Hemichordata 108 17 15.7% ~110 22 0 – 0 – – ~25%
Echinodermata 7 003 1 475 21.1% ~14 000 ~2 000 0 – 0 – – 31%
Insecta ~1 000 000 ~62 000 6.2% ~5 000 000 ~205 000 626 0.06% 8 0.01% 1.2% ~70%
Arachnida 102 248 6 615 6.5% ~600 000 31 338 18 0.02% 0 – 0% unknown
Pycnogonida 1 340 215 16.0% unknown unknown 0 – 0 – – ~50%
Myriapoda 16 072 553 3.4% ~90 000 ~3 100 15 0.1% 0 – 0% 86%
Crustacea 47 000 7 266 15.5% 150 000 ~9 500 606 1.3% 9 0.1% 1.5% unknown
Onychophora 165 71 43.0% ~220 ~80 9 5.5% 0 – – 100%
Hexapoda 9 048 338 3.7% 52 000 ~2 070 0 – 0 – – ~17.6%
Mollusca ~85 000 ~8 700 10.2% ~200 000 ~12 250 978 1.2% 14 0.2% 1.4% 38%
Annelida 16 763 2 192 13.1% ~30 000 ~4 230 6 0.04% 1 0.05% 16.7% 67%
Nematoda   ~2 060 8.2% ~500 000 ~30 000 0 – 0 – – unknown
Acanthocephala 1 150 56 4.9% ~1 500 ~160 0 – 0 – – unknown
Platyhelminthes 20 000 1 593 8% (~80 000) ~10 000 0 – 0 – – unknown
Cnidaria 9 795 1 705 17.4% unknown ~2 200 236 2.4% 0 – – unknown
Porifera ~6 000 1 476 24.6% ~18 000 ~3 500 0 – 0 – – 56%
Others 12 673 ~2 371 18.7% ~20 000 ~5 015 30 0.2% 0 – 0% unknown
TOTAL (2005) 1 263 600 114 600 9.1% ~5 500 000 ~250 0008 1 992 0.17% 14 0.01% 0.7% unknown
TOTAL (2009) ~1 359 365 ~98 703 7.3% ~6 755 830 ~320 465 2 524 0.2% 32 0.04% 1.3% unknown

Plants

In this report, I have included plant algae, including the green algae, red algae and glaucophytes, making a direct comparison with the previous report impossible, however I have added a comparison for plants excluding the algae. Estimates for published species of the Magnoliophyta for the world have increased by about 10 000 since the previous edition, but the estimate for the total number of species has dropped considerably from ~422 000 to ~352 000 in line with recent research.

Estimates for plants in Australia and the World
Taxon World Described/
Accepted
Australia Described/
Accepted
Australia Percentage Estimate World Estimate Australia World Threatened
9
World Threatened Percentage Australia Threatened Australia Threatened
Percentage
% of World’s Threatened Percentage Endemic
Bryophyta 16 236 1 847 11.4% ~22 750 ~2 200 82 0.4% 1 0.05% 1.2% 25%
Algae (Plant) 12 272 ~3 545 ~29% unknown ~3 000 9 0.07% 2 0.06% 22% unknown
Vascular Plants 281 621 19 324 6.9% ~368 050 ~21 645 8 366 3.0% 1 260 6.5% 15% 91.8%
Ferns and allies
(~12 000) (498) (4.2%) (~15 000) (~525) (139) (1.2%) (41) (8.2%) (29.5%) (33.8%)
Gymnosperms
(~1 021) (120) (11.7%) (~1 050) (~120) (323) (31.6%) (17) (14.2%) (5.3%) (96%)
Magnoliophyta
(~268 600) (18 706)10 (7.0%) (~352 000) (~21 000) (7 904) (2.9%) (1 202) (6.4%) (15.2%) (93.25%)
TOTAL 2009 ~310 129 ~24 716 7.9% ~390 800 26 845 8 457 2.7% 1 263 5.1% 14.9% ~86%
 
TOTAL 2005 excluding Algae (Plant) 289 000 ~20 000 6.9% ~444 000 23 000 8 321 2.9% 1 195 6.0% 14.4% 84%
TOTAL 2009 excluding Algae (Plant) 297 857 21 171 7.1% ~390 800 23 845 8 448 2.8% 1 261 5.9% 14.9% 86%

Fungi

In the previous report, lichens were included as a separate group to the fungi. In this edition the lichens (or more correctly lichen-forming fungi) have been included under the fungi, although the numbers for lichens are included in the table in brackets. A number of groups previously regarded as fungi but which are now regarded as belonging to either Chromista or Protoctista have been excluded from the fungi and included under those groups respectively—in the previous report they were included in the fungi.

Estimates for fungi in Australia and the World
Taxon World Described/
Accepted
Australia Described/
Accepted
Australia Percentage Estimate World Estimate Australia World Threatened
11
World Threatened Percentage Australia Threatened Australia Threatened
Percentage
% of World’s Threatened Percentage Endemic
Fungi 98 998 11 846 11.9% 1 500 000 50 000 3 >0% 0 0% 0% unknown
Lichens
(17 000) (3 495) (20.6%) (~25 000) (~4 500) (2) (0.01%) (0) 0% 0% (34%)
TOTAL 2009 98 998 11 846 11.9% 1 500 000 50 000 3 >0% 0 0% 0% unknown

Others

This group includes mainly single-celled, heterotrophic, eukaryotic organisms. It includes many species that were previously thought to be fungi or algae, but which are now regarded as belonging to Chromista or Protoctista. In the previous report, fungi and lichens were included within this category, but have now been transferred to a separate section. Algae were also included here, but have now been included under plants except for those species more correctly regarded as belonging to the Chromista, Protoctista or Cyanophyta, which are included here under those groups respectively.

Estimates for all other species in Australia and the World
Taxon World Described/
Accepted
Australia Described/
Accepted
Australia Percentage Estimate World Estimate Australia World Threatened
12
World Threatened Percentage Australia Threatened
13
Australia Threatened
Percentage
% of World’s Threatened Percentage Endemic
Prokaryota 7 643 ~40 0.5% ~1 000 000 40 000 0 – 0 – – unknown
Cyanophyta 2 664 270 10% unknown ~500 0 – 0 – – unknown
Chromista 25 044 2 130 8.5% ~200 500 >15 000 6 0.02% 0 0% 0% unknown
Viruses 2 085 ~400 ~19.2% 400 000 unknown 0 – 0 – – ~50%
Protoctista ~28 871 >1 346 4.7% >1 000 000 ~65 000 0 – 0 – – unknown
TOTAL 2009 ~66 307 >4 186 6.2% ~2 600 500 (~160 000) 6 0.01% 0 0% 0% unknown

All Species

Estimates for all species in Australia and the World
Taxon World Described/
Accepted
Australia Described/
Accepted
Australia Percentage Estimate World Estimate Australia World Threatened
14
World Threatened Percentage Australia Threatened
15
Australia Threatened
Percentage
% of World’s Threatened Percentage Endemic
Chordates 64 788 ~8 128 12.5% ~80 500 ~9 088 5 966 9.2% 246 3.0% 4.1% 41.3%
Invertebrates 1 359 365 98 703 7.3% ~6 755 830 ~320 465 2 524 0.2% 32 0.04% 1.3% unknown
Plants 310 129 24 71616 7.9% ~390 800 26 845 8 457 2.7% 1 263 5.1% 14.9% 86%
Fungi 98 998 11 846 11.9% 1 500 000 50 000 3 >0% 0 0% 0% unknown
Others ~66 307 >4 186 6.2% 2 600 500 ~160 000 6 0.01% 0 0% 0% unknown
TOTAL 2009 1 899 587 147 579 7.8% ~11 327 630 ~566 398 16 956 0.9% 1 541 1.1% 9.1% unknown
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