Four-hundred-thirteen Plant species are endangered in Israel, including 36 species that have been extinct since the 1960s. Many of these plants are very rare, some are endemic to Israel, and others have been declining due to habitat destruction. The Red Data Book presents all the information about these endangered species, including a detailed description, global and local distribution, biogeographical and systematic aspects, present conservation status, and recommedations for management. A distribution map and a photograph of the plant accompany the text. Each "red plant" is charecterized by the "Red Number", determined by six quantative criteria based on extensive field surveys: rarity, vulnerability, endemism, attractiveness, peripherality, and disjunctiveness. The Red Number grades the extinction risk of each plant, where 0 denotes no risk and 10 the highest. The data and the information included in the two volumes provide a scientific basis for determining management policy and setting priorities for conservation.
