Threatened.
Populations are considered critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable when there is considerable concern, based on available evidence or a high level of uncertainty, that the population will survive. With any of these classifications, the species or population of concern is considered to be facing a high to very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Conservation Genetics Applications
The practical applications of conservation genetics include analyzing fragmented populations in nature, determining units of conservation in nature, and monitoring captive populations. In general, conservation genetics integrates these types of information on particular species and populations to help prioritize areas for conservation.
Conservation genetics also plays a major role in guiding relocation and reintroduction efforts, in prioritizing species for conservation, and in designing captive-breeding programs. Identifying natural units based on systematics and population genetics allows researchers and wildlife officials to track organisms in the wild and in zoos, and it lets them identify parts or products of endangered and threatened organisms that are used in illegal trade. Conservation geneticists may use genetic techniques to determine, for example, if certain individuals in the pet-trade were illegally taken from the wild versus bred from permitted captive breeding programs.
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