869 species extinct, 17,000 threatened with extinction

table align=lefttrtdimg src=http://photos.mongabay.com/09/iucn-birds150.jpg align=left//td/tr/tableNearly 17,000 plant and animal species are known to be threatened with extinction, while more than 800 have disappeared over the past 500 years, reports the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). While these numbers are substantial, they are likely gross underestimates since only 2.7 percent of 1.8 million described species have been assessed. The IUCN report warns that governments will miss their 2010 target for reducing biodiversity loss.

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