Glossary of terms

Posted on May 3, 2012 | 0 comments

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2001 IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria version 3.1

The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are intended to be an easily and widely understood system for classifying species at high risk of global extinction.  The general aim of the system is to provide an explicit, objective framework for the classification of the broadest range of species according to their extinction risk.  For more information, see http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/categories-and-criteria.

Aichi Biodiversity Targets
A set of 20 specific and measurable targets agreed at the tenth meeting of the CBD Conference of the Parties, held from 18 to 29 October 2010, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, as part of the strategic plan towards 2020.  For more information, see http://www.cbd.int/sp.

BASC
The Biodiversity Assessments Sub-Committee reports to the IUCN Species Survival Commissions’ Steering Committee and oversees and guides the work of SSC on biodiversity assessments.  This includes responsibility for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and advising on the functioning of the Species Information Service (SIS).  (Formerly known as the Red List Committee.)

Biodiversity Databank
A database of national biodiversity including such information as species name, population size, range, habitat and ecology and threats, used to compile all the information required for a National Red List.  Databanks may be public or private, depending on the creators or the relevant projects’ aims, and may not have been developed for the specific purpose of conducting a Red List.

Critically Endangered (CR)
A taxon is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria and it is therefore considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Data Deficient (DD)
A taxon is Data Deficient when there is inadequate information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction based on its distribution and/or population status.  A taxon in this category may be well studied, and its biology well known, but appropriate data on abundance and/or distribution are lacking.  Data Deficient is therefore not a category of threat.

Endangered (EN)
A taxon is endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered in the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria and it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Extinct in the Wild (EW)
A taxon is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized population (or populations) well outside the past range.

Extinct (EX)
A taxon is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.

Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria
Detailed guidance on how to apply the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, including explanations of the terms used in the criteria and advice on applying the criteria to different taxonomic groups.  For more information, see http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/categories-and-criteria.

IUCN Red List Committee
See Biodiversity Assessments Sub-Committee (BASC)

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.  For more information, see www.iucnredlist.org.

IUCN
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature.  For more information see www.iucn.org.

Least Concern (LC)
A taxon is Least Concern when it has been evaluated against the criteria and does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened.  Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are the principal instruments for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the national level.  The Convention requires countries to prepare a national biodiversity strategy (or equivalent instrument) and to ensure that this strategy is mainstreamed into the planning and activities of all those sectors whose activities can have an impact (positive and negative) on biodiversity.  For more information, see http://www.cbd.int/nbsap.

National Red List Network
An open network of individuals and groups working on sub-global Red Lists around the world, created to aid sharing of knowledge and expertise, and foster collaboration.

National Red List
A document or database containing details of a set species’ conservation status at a national scale.

Near Threatened (NT)
A taxon is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

Not Applicable (NA)
Category for a taxon deemed to be ineligible for assessment at a regional level.

Not Evaluated (NE)
A taxon is Not Evaluated when it is has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

NRLWG/NaRLiWoG
The National Red List Working Group reports to the BASC and is responsible for overseeing the use of the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (particularly the Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional Levels) at the national level, and for building linkages between the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and species assessment processes at national levels.  NRLWG is a sub-group of BASC.

Red List Index
The IUCN Red List Index (RLI) measures overall trends in extinction risk for sets of species, based on genuine changes in their status over time.  For further information, see http://www.iucnredlist.org/about/publications-links#Red_List_Index.

Regional Red List workshop
A (normally) multi-day event bringing together species experts to undertake or review Red List assessments of a specific group of species within a region, with the aim of finalising all Red List assessments.

Regional Red List
A document or database containing details of a set species’ conservation status at any sub-global scale.  Most often applies to a region of several countries, but may also be refer to a particular habitat or ecosystem spanning several countries or a sub-national assessment.

Regionally Extinct (RE)
Category for a taxon when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual potentially capable of reproduction within the region has died or has disappeared from the wild in the region, or when, if it is a former visiting taxon, the last individual has died or disappeared in the wild from the region.

SIS
The Species Information Service (SIS) comprises the data management tools/software/services which facilitate the efficient collection and compilation of species biodiversity and Red List assessments.

Species or Summary Conservation Action Plan
A document outlining a specific, measurable and achievable plan for the conservation of one or several species, often based on the results of a Red List assessment. For more information see the IUCN Species Conservation Planning Sub-Committee’s “Strategic Planning for Species Conservation” overview and handbook on their webpage.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty to sustain the rich diversity of life on Earth.  For more information see http://www.cbd.int.

Vulnerable (VU)
A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, and it is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.