Regional Red List
Encyclopedia
A Regional Red List is a report of the threatened status of species within a certain country or region. It is based on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species, an inventory of the conservation status
of species
on a global scale. Regional Red Lists assess the risk of extinction
to species within a political management unit and therefore may feed directly into national and regional planning. This project is coordinated by the Zoological Society of London
(ZSL), the World Conservation Union
(IUCN) and partners in national governments, universities and organizations throughout the world.
Regional Red Lists may assist countries or regions in:
Recently, Regional Red Lists have been completed for Mongolian Mammals and Fishes. These have also been accompanied by Summary Conservation Action Plans, detailing recommended conservation measures for each threatened species.
In April 2002 at the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD), 188 nations committed themselves to actions to “…achieve, by 2010, a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels…”.
When a Regional Red List is compiled at regular intervals, it can provide information about how the status of the region’s biodiversity
is changing over time. This information may be useful to policy makers, conservationists, and the general public, as it may assist countries in meeting their obligation to the CBD.
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species, an inventory of the conservation status
Conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
of species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
on a global scale. Regional Red Lists assess the risk of extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
to species within a political management unit and therefore may feed directly into national and regional planning. This project is coordinated by the Zoological Society of London
Zoological Society of London
The Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...
(ZSL), the World Conservation Union
World Conservation Union
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an international organization dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges." The organization publishes the IUCN Red List, compiling information from a network of...
(IUCN) and partners in national governments, universities and organizations throughout the world.
Regional Red Lists may assist countries or regions in:
- Determining the conservation status and trends of species
- Identifying species or ecosystems under greatest threat
- Informing conservation planning and priority setting
- Raising awareness of threatened species
Assessing Extinction Risk on a Regional Scale
The IUCN Categories and Criteria were initially designed to assess the conservation status of species globally, however there was a demand for guidelines to apply the system at the regional level. In 2003, IUCN developed a set of transparent, quantitative criteria to assess the conservation status of species at the regional and national level. This approach is now being applied in many countries throughout the world.Recently, Regional Red Lists have been completed for Mongolian Mammals and Fishes. These have also been accompanied by Summary Conservation Action Plans, detailing recommended conservation measures for each threatened species.
The Process of Creating A Regional Red List
A Regional Red List may be created by any country or organisation by following the clear, repeatable protocol. The process is as follows:- All information relevant to a species conservation status is collected, including species distribution, population trend information, habitatHabitat* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
, ecology and life historyBiological life cycleA life cycle is a period involving all different generations of a species succeeding each other through means of reproduction, whether through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction...
information, threats to the species and conservation measures currently in place. - A conservation assessment is made, using the IUCN Regional Categories and Criteria.
- A regional workshop is held in which experts review the assessments, make any corrections necessary and add additional information.
- The assessments are then collated into a Regional Red List document.
- A Summary Conservation Action Plan may also be created.
Towards 2010 Targets
In April 2002 at the Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
(CBD), 188 nations committed themselves to actions to “…achieve, by 2010, a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels…”.
When a Regional Red List is compiled at regular intervals, it can provide information about how the status of the region’s biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
is changing over time. This information may be useful to policy makers, conservationists, and the general public, as it may assist countries in meeting their obligation to the CBD.
Building the Regional Red List Network
Currently, a global network of countries and individuals working on Regional Red Lists is being developed. This will include a centralised online database where Regional Red List assessments and Action Plans can be stored, managed, and made accessible. With this regional network there will be opportunities to learn from each other’s experiences in applying the IUCN Categories and Criteria and in using this information for conservation planning and priority setting.Further reading
- Sharrock, S. & Jones, M. (2009) Conserving Europe's threatened plants Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) ISBN 978-1-905164-30-1 - Red Listing European plants
See also
- Zoological Society of LondonZoological Society of LondonThe Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...
- Institute of ZoologyInstitute of ZoologyThe Institute of Zoology is the research division of the Zoological Society of London in England. It is a government-funded research institute specialising in scientific issues relevant to the conservation of animal species and their habitats...
- World Conservation UnionWorld Conservation UnionThe International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an international organization dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges." The organization publishes the IUCN Red List, compiling information from a network of...
(IUCN) - IUCN Red ListIUCN Red ListThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
- Convention on Biological DiversityConvention on Biological DiversityThe Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
- National University of MongoliaNational University of MongoliaThe National University of Mongolia is the oldest university in Mongolia. It hosts twelve schools and faculties in Ulaanbaatar, and runs branches in the Zavkhan and Orkhon Aimags...