电子垃圾拆解区氯化石蜡和多氯联苯的分布特征——以广东清远龙塘镇为例

采用GC/MS法测定了广东清远龙塘镇电子垃圾拆解区电子垃圾、电子垃圾焚烧后残渣、当地池塘沉积物和对照区沉积物24种短链氯化石蜡(SCCPs)、24种中链氯化石蜡(MCCPs)和29种多氯联苯(PCBs)的浓度水平.结果显示,氯化石蜡(CPs)和PCBs大量存在于电子垃圾中.电子垃圾、残渣和池塘沉积物SCCPs和MCCPs浓度范围(干重)分别为1.6—46.8μg·g-1和7.3—215μg·g-1,PCBs的浓度范围(干重)为0.15—370.6μg·g-1,明显高于对照区,对周边造成了极大环境风险.SCCPs、MCCPs和PCBs均呈现低碳低氯同系物的相对含量在电子垃圾、电子垃圾焚烧残渣、拆解区池塘沉积物、对照区沉积物中依次递增的现象,表明CPs和PCBs在由电子垃圾向沉积物迁移过程中可能存在脱碳脱氯的降解过程.     

我国典型电子垃圾循环地区人体血清中多溴联苯醚浓度与特征的时间变化趋势

多溴联苯醚(polybrominated diphenyl ethers,PBDEs)是一种传统的溴系阻燃剂,已逐渐被禁止使用.但是,由于其持久性、生物累积性和潜在的生物毒性,PBDEs相关的环境影响依然被关注.本文采集了2014年和2018年浙江省LQ地区普通人群和电子垃圾拆解工人的血清样本,对7种常见的多溴联苯醚同系物进行了检测.研究结果与本研究组2006年开展的LQ地区普通人群血清结果进行对比,以了解该地区人群PBDEs随时间的变化趋势.2014年和2018年普通人群血清中的∑PBDEs平均浓度分别为48.0 ng·g~(-1) lw(lipid weight)和44.2 ng·g~(-1) lw,虽然比当地电子垃圾拆解职业工人血清水平(269 ng·g~(-1) lw)低1个数量级,但远高于其他非电子垃圾拆解区域普通人群水平,说明电子垃圾拆解活动对LQ普通人群PBDEs负荷具有重要影响.从时间尺度上看,人群血清PBDEs水平,2014年和2018年两年均显著低于2006年(P0.05),这可能归因于PBDEs商业产品的限制和禁用,以及LQ当地政府近年来对该地区电子垃圾拆解活动的规范化管理.2014年和2018年PBDEs水平呈现出男性大于女性的特征(P0.05),这可能与男女饮食习惯和代谢能力的差异有关.本研究对LQ地区人群血清中的PBDEs负荷进行调研,可为电子垃圾拆解活动的管理提供数据基础.     

城市和电子垃圾拆解区室内灰尘中溴代阻燃剂(BFRs)的浓度和生物有效性

本文以广州市区和电子垃圾拆解区室内灰尘为研究对象,分析不同粒径(50—2000μm)灰尘中溴代阻燃剂(brominated flame retardants, BFRs)的浓度、组成和生物有效性.广州市区灰尘中BFRs以十溴二苯乙烷(decabromodiphenyl ethane, DBDPE)(4930—7280 ng·g~(-1))为主,电子垃圾拆解区以十溴联苯醚(polybrominated diphenyl ether 209, BDE209)(5570—602600 ng·g~(-1))为主.对比研究结果发现,城市灰尘中BFRs的分布无粒径差异,而电子垃圾拆解区最细粒径灰尘中BFRs含量最高.广州市区灰尘中BFRs生物有效性随化合物的lg K_(ow)增加而降低.电子垃圾拆解区灰尘生物有效性显著低于市区灰尘,表明在电子垃圾拆解区灰尘中电子垃圾碎片的存在很大程度上降低了BFRs的生物有效性.人体暴露评估结果显示,广州市区人体暴露风险低于电子垃圾拆解区暴露风险.     

双酚A对斑马鱼不同发育阶段的毒性及机理

对双酚A(BPA)暴露下的斑马鱼胚胎、仔鱼和成鱼三个发育阶段进行对比研究,并从代谢和DNA损伤两个角度对其致毒机理进行初步探讨.结果显示: 斑马鱼成鱼24h的LC50(8.00-10.00mg·l-1)比胚胎(16.4±0.40mg·l-1)低,表明斑马鱼成鱼更适用于急性毒性试验,而胚胎更能体现出亚急性效应和遗传效应;在5.00mg·l-1 的BPA中连续暴露48h后,胚胎和成鱼体内的BPA含量分别为373.57±39.76μg·g-1和155.78±17.97μg·g-1,即胚胎在5.00mg·l-1 BPA溶液中的蓄积能力大约是成鱼的两倍; DNA断裂检测表明BPA对斑马鱼胚胎的DNA造成了一定程度的损伤.     

饮水型砷中毒病区人群砷暴露量及尿砷的季节变化

地下水高砷暴露的健康危害是环境与健康领域面临的巨大挑战。水砷含量及暴露人群饮水量参数的季节性变化可能影响饮水砷暴露评估的准确性。本研究选择内蒙古饮水砷中毒病区为研究区,测定丰水期(2013年5月)和枯水期(2013年12月)居民饮用水和尿液各形态砷(三价无机砷iAs~(3+)、五价无机砷iAs~(5+)、一甲基砷MMA~(5+)和二甲基砷DMA~(5+)+)含量,研究砷暴露量和尿砷的季节变化。结果表明,丰水期水砷含量(134.4±25.8)μg·L~(-1)显著低于枯水期的(163.2±38.1)μg·L~(-1),且丰水期水中iAs~(3+)的含量(58.9±51.2)μg·L~(-1)也显著低于枯水期的(100.1±49.0)μg·L~(-1)。研究人群丰水期通过饮水的摄砷量为313.1μg·d~(-1),低于枯水期的378.6μg·d~(-1)。此外,丰水期居民尿液总砷含量(218.6μg·L~(-1))显著低于枯水期(283.1μg·L~(-1))。丰水期女性居民尿液iAs、MMA~(5+)和总砷含量随当季饮水iAs~(5+)含量的升高而显著降低,枯水期女性尿液MMA5+含量随当季饮水iAs~(3+)及iAs含量的升高而显著升高。可见,病区居民饮水砷暴露量与尿砷含量具有明显的季节差异性,饮水砷与尿砷的关系受饮水砷形态、季节变化及性别等因素影响。     

珠江入海口海产品中总汞与甲基汞含量特征及食用风险

为了解珠江入海口不同种类海产品中汞和甲基汞的分布特征,并评估此区域内海产品的食用人群的暴露风险,于2015年春季在珠江入海口海域捕捞11种不同种类的海产品,利用直接燃烧-原子吸收法和KOH/H2O消解-气相色谱(GC)-冷原子荧光(CVAFS)法分别分析其肌肉中总汞(THg)和甲基汞(Me Hg)含量。结果表明,THg质量分数范围为27.1~231.4μg·kg-1(干质量,下同),Me Hg质量分数范围为21.7~197.0μg·kg-1(干质量,下同),不同种类的海产品THg和Me Hg质量分数均值排序为:鱼类(152±75.1μg·kg-1,127±58.0μg·kg-1)甲壳类(87.7±44.2μg·kg-1,63.4±34.1μg·kg-1)贝类(29.7±7.2μg·kg-1,24.3±3.2μg·kg-1),处于食物链不同营养层级解释了这种含量差异。与国内其它地区海产品相比,珠江入海口鱼类THg和Me Hg明显高于其它地区野生捕捞或市售鱼,贝类THg和Me Hg含量与其它地区相差较大,而甲壳类相差甚微。海产品中汞绝大多数以Me Hg形式存在,Me Hg占THg的比例范围为70.2%~92.9%。同种类不同生物体内Me Hg和THg的含量与其捕食水层有关,以中下层或底层生物为食的鱼类体内Me Hg和THg含量明显高于以中上层生物为食的枪乌贼(Loligo chinensis)。所有海产品中Me Hg含量均低于国内外相关标准限值。通过对人群食用暴露风险评估表明,人群食用该区域内海产品Me Hg最大摄入量为0.20μg·g-1·d-1远低于美国EPA颁布的Me Hg摄入量参考限值(1.1μg·g-1·d-1)和WHO/FAO制定的临时性周可承受摄入量(0.23μg·g-1·d-1),食用人群的暴露风险在安全范围内。     

台州电子垃圾循环区域母乳中多氯联苯的污染现状

本文对浙江省台州市路桥和温岭两个电子垃圾循环区域母乳中多氯联苯(PCBs)污染现状进行了研究.路桥本地人群(n=16)、温岭本地人群(n=27)及在台州居住不足5年的外地人群(n=9)母乳中PCBs的中值浓度分别为195 ng·g-1脂重(lw)、138 ng·g-1lw和59.1 ng·g-1lw.路桥和温岭人群母乳中PCBs浓度显著高于在台州居住不足5年的外地人群(P<0.001),也远高于浙江省及中国背景区域水平.CB-118、CB-153和CB-138是台州母乳中最主要的3种同类物,与台州膳食样本中PCBs的指纹特征类似.路桥本地人群婴儿通过饮用母乳日摄入的PCBs量(EDI)(1024 ng·kg-1bw·d-1)略高于加拿大卫生部建议的成人对PCBs日耐受量(1000 ng·kg-1bw·d-1),温岭本地人群乳儿的EDI值(491 ng·kg-1bw·d-1)远高于我国12个省市EDI的均值(54.6 ng·kg-1bw·d-1),表明台州本地人群母乳喂养的婴儿处于较高的PCBs暴露风险中.母乳中PCBs浓度与母亲年龄、孕前体重指数、产次和婴儿的体重及性别无显著相关性.     

电子垃圾拆解区及其周边大气中得克隆的污染和呼吸暴露研究

添加型高氯代阻燃剂得克隆(dechlorane plus,DP)因为在环境中表现出普遍存在性、持久性、生物富集性、长距离迁移性和毒性,近年来迅速引起各国环境科学家的关注和重视。DP广泛应用于电线电缆等电子产品塑料中,粗放式电子垃圾拆解活动已被证实是环境中DP的重要污染来源之一。为探讨电子垃圾拆解区及其周边地区大气中DP的污染特征、呼吸暴露剂量和影响因素,对典型电子垃圾拆解区贵屿(GY)及其周边地区陈店(CD)和对照市区(广州市天河区,TH)进行大气采样和DP分析,并运用Monte Carlo模拟计算其日呼吸摄入剂量,同时对暴露参数进行了灵敏度分析。结果表明:受当地粗放式电子垃圾拆解活动的影响,GY大气中的DP平均浓度(范围)高达(1 119±1 021)pg·m-3(410~3 381 pg·m-3),远高于CD(52.2±30.2,20.9~102 pg·m-3)和TH(5.04±2.73,0.967~9.43 pg·m-3);受GY大气污染扩散迁移的影响,CD大气中的DP浓度也显著高于TH(t-test,P=0.006);GY大气中反式DP的比例(fanti)与DP商业品(fanti=0.70)无显著差异(t-test,P=0.08),这与其存在本地排放源一致,而TH大气中的fanti显著低于DP商业品(t-test,P=0.000);3个地区居民的DP日均呼吸摄入剂量(pg·kg-1·d-1)分别为:GY成人1 888,儿童1 912;CD成人60.9,儿童62.8;TH成人5.16,儿童5.25;呼吸速率是DP日呼吸摄入剂量的主要贡献因子,其次为大气中的DP浓度和体重,体重对于儿童的影响远高于成人。上述研究结果表明GY及其周边地区居民均处于较高DP呼吸暴露风险中。     

双酚A对斑马鱼精巢性激素生成酶基因表达的影响

为了解环境雌激素对鱼类精巢发育的影响,将成年雄性斑马鱼(Danio rerio)暴露于不同浓度双酚A(0、500、1 000、2 000、4 000μg·L-1)下21 d,并在此基础上,进一步研究了暴露在相同浓度(BPA2 000μg·L-1)不同暴露时间下各基因表达的动力学模式。用荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)方法检测试验鱼精巢性激素合成相关细胞色素P450酶类基因(CYP17、CYP11B和CYP19A)以及雌、雄激素受体和促卵泡激素受体(ERα、ERβ、AR和FSHR)基因的表达,用常规组织学方法研究试验鱼精巢结构的变化。结果表明,BPA促进了精巢内源雌激素合成相关酶类基因CYP19A和雌激素受体ERαmRNA、ERβmRNA的表达,且BPA浓度为2 000μg·L-1时3者的表达量显著上调,同时随着暴露时间的延长,具有明显的时间累积效应。1 000μg·L-1BPA可导致斑马鱼精巢CYP17 mRNA的表达量显著下调,BPA2 000μg·L-1暴露12 d引起了CYP11B mRNA表达下调,而随着暴露时间的延长有所回升,但它对精巢AR mRNA的表达却无明显影响。同时,BPA 500μg·L-1引起了FSHR基因的显著上调,在时间动态学上,呈上升趋势。在组织学上,2 000μg·L-1BPA引起斑马鱼精巢生精小管内精子浓缩严重,精原细胞(Sg)和精母细胞(PS和SS)数目都有所减少,BPA 4 000μg·L-1组斑马鱼精巢退化。因此,BPA可诱导精巢内源雌激素合成和雌激素受体的表达,提高雌激素效应,通过抑制CYP17基因的表达,一定程度上抑制雄激素的合成,从而引起斑马鱼精巢组织的破坏。同时,据实验数据推测,雄激素的下调可能启动了下丘脑-垂体-性腺(HPG)轴的负反馈调节机制,而此作用机制还有待进一步研究。     

电子垃圾拆解地翠鸟对多氯联苯的累积及风险评估

粗犷的电子垃圾拆解活动已造成当地野生生物多氯联苯(PCBs)严重污染,但PCBs在野生鸟类中的生物累积特征及潜在的毒害作用研究较少。本研究采集了广东省某电子垃圾拆解地翠鸟(Alcedo atthis)及其食物(各种小型鱼类)样品,研究翠鸟对PCBs的累积特征、生物放大效应及毒性风险。翠鸟肌肉中PCBs中值含量为220μg·g~(-1)脂重,比其他报道值高1~3个数量级。计算的生物放大因子(BMF)显示,大部分PCB单体的BMF值都大于1,表明翠鸟对PCBs具有生物放大效应。计算的共面PCBs毒性当量(TEQs)范围为39~23 600 pg·g~(-1)湿重,已经达到或超过了影响某些鸟类生殖或发育障碍的报道值。上述结果表明,电子垃圾拆卸活动已经造成了当地翠鸟PCBs严重污染,PCBs污染物对电子垃圾拆解地翠鸟及其他野生生物的毒性效应尚需进一步研究。     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

Threats to intact tropical peatlands and opportunities for their conservation

Large, intact areas of tropical peatland are highly threatened at a global scale by the expansion of commercial agriculture and other forms of economic development. Conserving peatlands on a landscape scale, with their hydrology intact, is of international conservation importance to preserve their distinctive biodiversity and ecosystem services and maintain their resilience to future environmental change. We explored threats to and opportunities for conserving remaining intact tropical peatlands; thus, we excluded peatlands of Indonesia and Malaysia, where extensive deforestation, drainage, and conversion to plantations means conservation in this region can protect only small fragments of the original ecosystem. We focused on a case study, the Pastaza‐Marañón Foreland Basin (PMFB) in Peru, which is among the largest known intact tropical peatland landscapes in the world and is representative of peatland vulnerability. Maintenance of the hydrological conditions critical for carbon storage and ecosystem function of peatlands is, in the PMFB, primarily threatened by expansion of commercial agriculture linked to new transport infrastructure that is facilitating access to remote areas. There remain opportunities in the PMFB and elsewhere to develop alternative, more sustainable land‐use practices. Although some of the peatlands in the PMFB fall within existing legally protected areas, this protection does not include the most carbon‐dense (domed pole forest) areas. New carbon‐based conservation instruments (e.g., REDD+, Green Climate Fund), developing markets for sustainable peatland products, transferring land title to local communities, and expanding protected areas offer pathways to increased protection for intact tropical peatlands in Amazonia and elsewhere, such as those in New Guinea and Central Africa which remain, for the moment, broadly beyond the frontier of commercial development.     

Parasitic wasps orient to green leaf volatiles

Summary Undamaged plants emit low levels of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), while caterpillar-damaged and artificially damaged plants emit relatively higher levels of certain GLVs. Female braconid parasitoids,Microplitis croceipes, oriented to both damaged plants and to individual GLVs in no-choice tests in a wind tunnel, but seldom oriented to undamaged plants. Female ichneumonid parasitoids,Netelia heroica, also oriented to individual GLVs in a wind tunnel. Males of both wasp species failed to orient to the GLVs. These data show that leaf-feeding caterpillars can cause the release of GLVs, and that parasitic wasps can respond to these odors by flying upwind (chemoanemotactic response), which brings the wasps to their caterpillar hosts. This supports the hypothesis that plants communicate with members of the third trophic level,i.e., plants under herbivore attack emit chemical signals that guide natural enemies of herbivores to sites of plant damage. In this interaction, the GLVs serve as tritrophic plant-to-parasitoid synomones. That parasitoids from two different wasp families oriented to GLVs suggests that the response may be widespread among the Hymenoptera.Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture     

Human Influence and Classical Biogeographic Predictors of Rare Species Occurrence

Biogeographic theory predicts that rare species occur more often in larger, less‐isolated habitat patches and suggests that patch size and connectivity are positive predictors of patch quality for conservation. However, in areas substantially modified by humans, rare species may be relegated to the most isolated patches. We used data from plant surveys of 81 meadow patches in the Georgia Basin of Canada and the United States to show that presence of threatened and endangered plants was positively predicted for patches that were isolated on small islands surrounded by ocean and for patches that were isolated by surrounding forest. Neither patch size nor connectivity were positive predictors of rare species occurrence. Thus, in our study area, human influence, presumably due to disturbance or introduction of competitive non‐native species, appears to have overwhelmed classical predictors of rare species distribution, such that greater patch isolation appeared to favor presence of rare species. We suggest conservation planners consider the potential advantages of protecting geographically isolated patches in human‐modified landscapes because such patches may represent the only habitats in which rare species are likely to persist. Influencia Humana y Predictores Biogeográficos Clásicos de la Ocurrencia de Especies Raras     

Seasonal dynamics of macro-algae in the South Lake of Tunis

The macro-algae communities observed in the south lake of Tunis are characterized by the predominance of nitrophilous algae which are in the order of biomass importance:Ulva, Cladophora andEnteromorpha. We have noted seasonal changes of alga distribution. The wind appears to be one of the most important factors influencing this distribution. The total biomass reaches a maximum in the spring. Rapid decomposition of the biomass leads to a severe ecological imbalance, resulting in crises of anoxia and fish death. A restoration project has already started. It aims at removal of contaminated muds and the introduction of a new circulation system. The main objectives of this work were to collect information on the distribution and biomass of the phytobenthic communities as a first step in the constitution of a database for further comparison.     

Patterns and biases of climate change threats in the IUCN Red List

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments rely on published data and expert inputs, and biases can be introduced where underlying definitions and concepts are ambiguous. Consideration of climate change threat is no exception, and recently numerous approaches to assessing the threat of climate change to species have been developed. We explored IUCN Red List assessments of amphibians and birds to determine whether species listed as threatened by climate change display distinct patterns in terms of habitat occupied and additional nonclimatic threats faced. We compared IUCN Red List data with a published data set of species’ biological and ecological traits believed to infer high vulnerability to climate change and determined whether distributions of climate change‐threatened species on the IUCN Red List concur with those of climate change‐threatened species identified with the trait‐based approach and whether species possessing these traits are more likely to have climate change listed as a threat on the IUCN Red List. Species in some ecosystems (e.g., grassland, shrubland) and subject to particular threats (e.g., invasive species) were more likely to have climate change as a listed threat. Geographical patterns of climate change‐threatened amphibians and birds on the IUCN Red List were incongruent with patterns of global species richness and patterns identified using trait‐based approaches. Certain traits were linked to increases or decreases in the likelihood of a species being threatened by climate change. Broad temperature tolerance of a species was consistently related to an increased likelihood of climate change threat, indicating counterintuitive relationships in IUCN assessments. To improve the robustness of species assessments of the vulnerability or extinction risk associated with climate change, we suggest IUCN adopt a more cohesive approach whereby specific traits highlighted by our results are considered in Red List assessments. To achieve this and to strengthen the climate change‐vulnerability assessments approach, it is necessary to identify and implement logical avenues for further research into traits that make species vulnerable to climate change (including population‐level threats).