Article

Delphinium bolosii (Ranunculaceae) and Thymus loscosii (Lamiaceae) are the only two species in Catalan flora listed in the Spanish Catálogo Nacional de Especies Amenazadas (CNEA) as ‘at risk of extinction’ (BOE 1990). In the framework of an agreement with the Department of Environment of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DMA, Catalan Autonomous Government), threeyear studies have been carried out in order to obtain the scientific bases necessary to prepare the conservation strategy for those species. The survey included pollination ecology and genetic diversity as well as chorological and demographic aspects. We also reevaluated their categories using the new IUCN criteria (2001). The results obtained showed that the low level of threat to the gynodioecious species Thymus loscosii (LR, ‘lower risk’ according to IUCN), does not require a strict recovery plan because it has a sufficient number of individuals, proper biological and reproductive functioning and a lack of direct threats, at least in Catalonia. However, some populations may be locally threatened and the species might become rare in some territories. Therefore we simply recommend a management plan and the long-time monitoring of some selected populations. On the other hand, Delphinium bolosii is EN (‘endangered’) given the low number of populations and individuals (three known populations, one of them extinct, and less than 3,500 individuals), low genetic diversity and threats to its habitat (tourism and agricultural activities). For this reason it is necessary to implement a recovery plan that consider both the conservation of the two existing populations and a reintroduction plan for the extinct one.