question: Species with naturally small populations are considered endangered?
comment: The key is that the population must be in decline or under threat for it to be endangered. For example, the [Eurasian Lynx]( URL_0 ) is classified Least Concern even though there are only about 8,000 in the wild. Conversely, there are at least about 100,000 [Western Lowland Gorillas]( URL_1 ) in the wild, and they are classified as Critically Endangered.
passages: Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species: for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating protected areas. Population numbers, trends and species' conservation status can be found at the lists of organisms by population.
  
  Section::::Conservation status.
   The conservation status of a species indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Factors are taken into account when assessing conservation status. The number of individuals remaining, the overall increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success rates, and known threats. 
   Although this species could qualify as "endangered" or "vulnerable" because of its small range, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessed it in 2018 as "near threatened". The category was chosen because the overall population is believed to be stable, the species is common, and much of the known range is within a protected area.
   BULLET::::- HYB - Modern interspecific hybrids, typically encountered as isolated individuals, are rarely themselves targets of conservation attention, are generally given a placeholder global rank of HYB, and not ranked at the national or subnational levels.
   While the World Conservation Union (IUCN) mostly only categorizes whole species or subspecies, assessing the global risk of extinction, in some cases it also assesses the risks to stocks and populations, especially to preserve genetic diversity. In all, 119 stocks or subpopulations across 69 species have been assessed by the IUCN in 2006.
  
  Examples of stocks and populations assessed by the IUCN for the threat of local extinction:
  
  BULLET::::- Marsh deer (three subpopulations assessed)
  
  BULLET::::- Blue whale, North Pacific stock and North Atlantic stock
  
  BULLET::::- Bowhead whale, "Balaena mysticetus" (five subpopulations assessed), from Critically Endangered to LR/cd
   BULLET::::3. Depend on a habitat that has shown substantial historical or recent declines in size. This criterion infers the population viability of a species based on trends in the habitats upon which it specializes. Coastal wetlands, particularly in the urbanized San Francisco Bay and south-coastal areas, alluvial fan sage scrub and coastal sage scrub in the southern coastal basins, and arid scrub in the San Joaquin Valley, are examples of California habitats that have seen dramatic reductions in size in recent history. Species that specialize in these habitats generally meet the criteria for Threatened or Endangered status or Special Concern status;
   BULLET::::- SX — Presumed Extirpated Species or community is believed to be extirpated from the province or state. Not located despite intensive searches of historical sites and other appropriate habitat, and virtually no likelihood that it will be rediscovered.
   An extreme example of a population bottleneck is the New Zealand Black Robin, of which every specimen today is a descendant of a single female, called Old Blue. The Black Robin population is still recovering from its low point of only five individuals in 1980.
   In at least one case, scientists have found a local extinction useful for research: In the case of the Bay checkerspot butterfly, scientists, including Paul R. Ehrlich, chose not to intervene in a local extinction, using it to study the danger to the world population. However, similar studies are not carried out where a global population is at risk.
  
  Section::::IUCN subpopulation and stock assessments.
   Additionally 1702 insect species (28% of those evaluated) are listed as "data deficient", meaning there is insufficient information for a full assessment of conservation status. As these species typically have small distributions and/or populations, they are intrinsically likely to be threatened, according to the IUCN. While the category of "data deficient" indicates that no assessment of extinction risk has been made for the taxa, the IUCN notes that it may be appropriate to give them "the same degree of attention as threatened taxa, at least until their status can be assessed."
   The IUCN has only three entries for subpopulations that have become extinctthe Aral Sea stock of Ship sturgeon ("Acipenser nudiventris"); the Adriatic Sea stock of Beluga ("Huso huso"); and the Mexican subpopulation of Wolf ("Canis lupus"), which is extinct in the wild. No plant or fungi subpopulations have been assessed by the IUCN.
  
  Section::::Local extinction events.
  
  Major environmental events, such as volcanic eruptions, may lead to large numbers of local extinctions, such as with the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, which led to a fern spike extinction.
  
  Section::::See also.
  
  BULLET::::- List of extinct animals
  
  BULLET::::- Threatened species
  
  BULLET::::- Genocide
   The rationale used for near-threatened taxa usually includes the criteria of vulnerable which are plausible or nearly met, such as reduction in numbers or range. Near-threatened species evaluated from 2001 onwards may also be ones which are dependent on conservation efforts to prevent their becoming threatened, whereas prior to this conservation-dependent species were given a separate category ("Conservation Dependent").
  
  Additionally, the 402 conservation-dependent taxa may also be considered near-threatened.
  
  Section::::IUCN Categories and Criteria version 2.3.
   Section::::Environmental effects.
  
  The environment can directly affect the survival of a small population. Some detrimental effects include stochastic variation in the environment, (year to year variation in rainfall, temperature) which can produce temporally correlated birth and death rates (i.e. 'good' years when birth rates are high and death rates are low and 'bad' years when birth rates are low and death rates are high) that lead to fluctuations in the population size. Again, smaller populations are more likely to become extinct due to these environmentally generated population fluctuations than the large populations.
   List of endangered insects
  
  As of July 2017, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 343 endangered insect species. 5.7% of all evaluated insect species are listed as endangered. 
  
  The IUCN also lists 21 insect subspecies as endangered.
  
  No subpopulations of insects have been evaluated by the IUCN.
   BULLET::::- "Isoglossa oreacanthoides"
  
  BULLET::::- "Isoglossa variegata"
  
  BULLET::::- "Isoglossa ventricosa"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia beloperonoides"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia breviracemosa"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia euosmia"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia faulknerae"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia leucoxiphos"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia mariae"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia niassensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia obtusicapsula"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia petterssonii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia pinensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia roseobracteata"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia takhinensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia telloensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Justicia tenuipes"
  
  BULLET::::- "Kudoacanthus albonervosus"
  
  BULLET::::- "Lepidagathis madagascariensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Lepidagathis mucida"
  
  BULLET::::- "Lepidagathis plantaginea"
  
  BULLET::::- "Lepidagathis pseudoaristata"
  
  BULLET::::- "Mellera congdonii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Mimulopsis macrantha"
  
  BULLET::::- "Neuracanthus aculeatus"
  
  BULLET::::- "Odontonema laxum"
  
  BULLET::::- "Phaulopsis pulchella"
  
  BULLET::::- "Physacanthus talbotii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Podorungia lantzei"
  
  BULLET::::- "Podorungia serotina"
  
  BULLET::::- "Pseuderanthemum usambarense"
  
  BULLET::::- "Sclerochiton preussii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Staurogyne pseudocapitata"
   BULLET::::- "Asimina tetramera", Four-petal pawpaw
  
  BULLET::::- "Asteranthe lutea"
  
  BULLET::::- "Cymbopetalum mayanum"
  
  BULLET::::- "Desmos yunnanensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Fissistigma cupreonitens"
  
  BULLET::::- "Goniothalamus cheliensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Goniothalamus gardneri"
  
  BULLET::::- "Goniothalamus rhynchantherus"
  
  BULLET::::- "Goniothalamus simonsii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Guatteria jefensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Guatteria pastazae"
  
  BULLET::::- "Hexalobus salicifolius"
  
  BULLET::::- "Isolona cauliflora"
  
  BULLET::::- "Isolona heinsenii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Klarobelia lucida"
  
  BULLET::::- "Klarobelia megalocarpa"
  
  BULLET::::- "Monanthotaxis dictyoneura"
  
  BULLET::::- "Monanthotaxis discolor"
  
  BULLET::::- "Monanthotaxis discrepantinervia"
  
  BULLET::::- "Monanthotaxis faulknerae"
  
  BULLET::::- "Monocyclanthus vignei"
  
  BULLET::::- "Monodora carolinae"
  
  BULLET::::- "Mosannona pacifica"
  
  BULLET::::- "Orophea thomsoni"
  
  BULLET::::- "Polyalthia litseifolia"
  
  BULLET::::- "Polyalthia pingpienensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Polyalthia rufescens"
  
  BULLET::::- "Polyalthia shendurunii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Polyalthia tanganyikensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Polyalthia verdcourtii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Polyalthia verrucipes"
  
  BULLET::::- "Polyceratocarpus scheffleri"
   BULLET::::- "Cycas platyphylla"
  
  BULLET::::- "Cycas riuminiana", Arayat pitogo
  
  BULLET::::- "Cycas taitungensis"
  
  BULLET::::- "Cycas taiwaniana"
  
  BULLET::::- "Dioon califanoi"
  
  BULLET::::- "Dioon caputoi"
  
  BULLET::::- "Dioon holmgrenii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Dioon rzedowskii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Dioon sonorense"
  
  BULLET::::- "Dioon spinulosum"
  
  BULLET::::- "Encephalartos arenarius", Alexandria cycad
  
  BULLET::::- "Encephalartos chimanimaniensis", Chimanimani cycad
  
  BULLET::::- "Encephalartos concinnus", Runde cycad
  
  BULLET::::- "Encephalartos delucanus"
  
  BULLET::::- "Encephalartos eugene-maraisii", Waterberg cycad
  
  BULLET::::- "Encephalartos horridus", Eastern cape blue cycad
  
  BULLET::::- "Encephalartos kisambo", Voi cycad
  
  BULLET::::- "Encephalartos lebomboensis", Lebombo cycad
  
  BULLET::::- "Encephalartos macrostrobilus"
  
  BULLET::::- "Encephalartos umbeluziensis", Umbeluzi cycad
  
  BULLET::::- "Macrozamia cranei"
  
  BULLET::::- "Macrozamia elegans"
  
  BULLET::::- "Macrozamia flexuosa"
  
  BULLET::::- "Macrozamia lomandroides"
  
  BULLET::::- "Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi"
  
  BULLET::::- "Macrozamia plurinervia"
   The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories, depending on the degree to which they are threatened:
  
  BULLET::::- Vulnerable species
  
  BULLET::::- Endangered species
  
  BULLET::::- Critically endangered species
  
  Less-than-threatened categories are near threatened, least concern, and the no longer assigned category of conservation dependent. Species which have not been evaluated (NE), or do not have sufficient data (data deficient) also are not considered "threatened" by the IUCN.
   BULLET::::2. Show marked population declines. Population estimates are unavailable for the vast majority of taxa. Species that show a marked population decline, yet are still abundant, do not meet the Special Concern definition, whereas marked population decline in uncommon or rare species is an inclusion criterion;
   Additionally 1702 insect species (28% of those evaluated) are listed as "data deficient", meaning there is insufficient information for a full assessment of conservation status. As these species typically have small distributions and/or populations, they are intrinsically likely to be threatened, according to the IUCN. While the category of "data deficient" indicates that no assessment of extinction risk has been made for the taxa, the IUCN notes that it may be appropriate to give them "the same degree of attention as threatened taxa, at least until their status can be assessed."
   Additionally 1702 insect species (28% of those evaluated) are listed as "data deficient", meaning there is insufficient information for a full assessment of conservation status. As these species typically have small distributions and/or populations, they are intrinsically likely to be threatened, according to the IUCN. While the category of "data deficient" indicates that no assessment of extinction risk has been made for the taxa, the IUCN notes that it may be appropriate to give them "the same degree of attention as threatened taxa, at least until their status can be assessed."
   BULLET::::2. Population is characterised by an acute restriction in its area of occupancy (typically less than 20 km) or in the number of locations (typically less than five). Such a taxon would thus be prone to the effects of human activities (or stochastic events whose impact is increased by human activities) within a very short period of time in an unforeseeable future, and is thus capable of becoming Critically Endangered or even Extinct in a very short period.
  
  E) Quantitative analysis showing the probability of extinction in the wild is at least 10% within 100 years.
   Conservation efforts for small populations at risk of extinction focus on increasing population size as well as genetic diversity, which determines the fitness of a population and its long-term persistence. Some methods include captive breeding and genetic rescue. Stabilizing the variance in family size is an effective way can double the effective population size and is often used in conservation strategies.
  
  Section::::See also.
  
  BULLET::::- Decline in amphibian populations
  
  BULLET::::- Founder effect
  
  BULLET::::- Functional extinction
  
  BULLET::::- Gene pool
  
  BULLET::::- Genetic erosion
  
  BULLET::::- Genetic pollution
  
  BULLET::::- Minimum viable population
  
  BULLET::::- Muller's ratchet
  
  BULLET::::- Mutational meltdown
  
  BULLET::::- Pollinator decline
  
  BULLET::::- Population genetics
   In other countries, such as Australia, Japan, and the United States, some species of conservation concern are protected under national environmental legislation while others are not.
  
  In Australia, two flying foxes are listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999: the grey-headed and spectacled flying foxes are listed as "vulnerable."
  
  Farmers can apply for permits to kill flying foxes when they are causing crop damage.
   List of critically endangered insects
  
  As of July 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 195 critically endangered insect species, including 46 which are tagged as "possibly extinct". 3.2% of all evaluated insect species are listed as critically endangered. 
  
  The IUCN also lists two insect subspecies as critically endangered.
  
  No subpopulations of insects have been evaluated by the IUCN.
  
presuppositions: A small population means a species is endangered.
corrections: A species is only endangered if the population is in decline or under threat.
raw_presuppositions: A small population means a species is endangered. A small population means a species is endangered.
raw_corrections: A species is only endangered if the population is in decline or under threat. A species is only endangered if the population is in decline or under threat.