A threatened species is a type of plant or animal that is at risk of becoming endangered or extinct. This status is often due to factors like habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and overexploitation. Conservation efforts aim to protect these species and their habitats to ensure their survival. Organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assess and categorize threatened species based on their population size and distribution. The categories include vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered, each indicating a different level of risk. Protecting threatened species is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem health.