The IUCN Red List has provided the conservation world with an effective framework for assessing species risks, however this has been lacking for ecosystems, despite growing concerns that the habitats of species and the ecological processes that influence species relationships are not adequately considered. Now IUCN has developed a scientifically robust risk assessment framework for ecosystems, applicable to all terrestrial, freshwater, marine and subterranean ecosystems across the globe.
Published in May’s edition of
PLOS One, the model is described in detail, showing how multiple threats to an
ecosystem are assessed, as well as potential synergies between them. Each
ecosystem is ranked against five criteria: how rapidly it is declining, how
restricted is its distribution, the extent of environmental degradation, the
disruption of biotic processes and interactions, and one criterion that allows
multiple threats to an ecosystem to be assessed.
The system has been tested on 20
ecosystem case-studies. IUCN plans to achieve global coverage by 2025.
More information can be found on
the new IUCN RedList of Ecosystems website: www.iucnredlistofecosystems.org/
And an explanatory information
leaflet in French is available for download here: www.iucnredlistofecosystems.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/RLE-Leaflet-French.pdf
Keith DA, Rodríguez JP,
Rodríguez-Clark KM, Nicholson E, Aapala K et al. (2013) Scientific Foundations
for an IUCN Red List of Ecosystems. PLoS ONE 8(5): e62111.
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