IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is a comprehensive and recognized source of information on the conservation of the threatened status of plant and animal species globally. It is an assessment tool that provides a detailed assessment of the conservation status of thousands of different species.
The list was established by the IUCN in 1963 and is periodically updated to reflect the current status of the species based on available information. The evaluation of a species on the IUCN Red List is based on rigorous scientific criteria, which take into account factors such as population size, geographical distribution, rate of population decline, threats to the survival of the species and other related factors.
IUCN has a mission to “influence, encourage and assist societies worldwide to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable”. The IUCN now has over 1000 members including states, government agencies, non-governmental agencies and international organizations: in Italy, the Directorate for the Protection of Nature of the Ministry of the Environment, the main non-governmental organizations for environmental protection, research institutions and some protected areas. IUCN is affiliated with a network of over 10,000 researchers who contribute as volunteers to scientific and conservation activities.
The maintenance and regular updating of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (http://www.iucnredlist.org) is the most influential activity conducted by the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission. Active for 50 years, the IUCN Red List is the most comprehensive inventory of the global risk of extinction of species. Initially the IUCN Red List collected the subjective assessments of the level of risk of extinction according to the main experts of the different species. Since 1994, the assessments have been based on a system of quantitative and scientifically rigorous categories and criteria, the last version of which dates back to 2001. These categories and criteria, applicable to all living species with the exception of microorganisms, represent the world standard for the assessment of risk of extinction. For application on a non-global scale, including on a national scale, there are official guidelines.
The categories covered by the IUCN Red List are as follows:
– EX: Extinct; when a species is considered extinct and there is no reasonable doubt that the last wild population has disappeared.
– EW: Extinct in nature; when a species survives only in zoos or other captive systems.
– CR: Critically endangered species; when the population of a species has decreased by 90% in ten years or when its range has shrunk below 100 km² or the number of reproductive individuals is less than 250.
– EN: In danger; when the population of a species has decreased by 70% in ten years or when its range has shrunk below 5,000 km² or the number of reproductive individuals is less than 2,500.
– VU: Vulnerable; when the population of a species has decreased by 50% in ten years or when its range has shrunk below 20,000 km² or the number of reproductive individuals is less than 10,000.
– NT: Near Threat; when its values do not reflect but are somewhat close to one of the above descriptions.
– LC: Minimum risk; when its values in no way reflect any of the above descriptions, abundant and widespread species.
– DD: Insufficient data; when there is insufficient data to assess the conservation status of the species.
– NE: Not evaluated; species not valued and often used for domesticated species.
Ultimately the IUCN Red List is an important tool for conservation, helping to identify the most vulnerable species and providing crucial information for management decisions and conservation actions.