conservation status

American  

[kon-ser-vey-shuhn stey-tuhs, stat-uhs] / ˌkɒn sərˈveɪ ʃən ˌsteɪ təs, ˌstæt əs /

noun

Biology, Ecology.

1. the designation of a plant or animal species’ likelihood of becoming extinct or having already become extinct: the most consulted global ranking system for conservation status is the IUCN Red List.

   Has the conservation status of the narwhal changed over the past five years?

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Etymology

Origin of conservation status

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conservation status

The international group classifies the cat as having a "near threatened" conservation status.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

He had found the work rewarding, if not lucrative, because it was ultimately successful: In 2024, the cats’ conservation status was upgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

The value we attribute to species has direct implications for how much time and money we allocate to each species and can even impact a species’ designated conservation status.

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2025

"About a third of crayfish are thought to be threatened or endangered, but for another 20-ish percent, we don't have the data available to even assess what their conservation status should be."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024

That’s the same conservation status as raccoons and crows.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2024