Background to the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

1. Background to the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Jon Paul Rodríguez Progress towards establishment of the IUCN Red List of EcosystemsIUCN World Conservation Congress 11 September 2012

2. Motivation for a “Red List” categories system for ecosystems • Abundant experience with red list categories for species. Red list “explosion” world-wide (> 100 countries have applied them). • Increased capability of geographical information systems: • more powerful and inexpensive computers. • cheaper and more user-friendly software packages.

3. Motivation for a “Red List” categories system for ecosystems • Increased availability of remotely-sensed data, covering 20-40 years. • Existing threatened ecosystem classification systems confound risk assessment and priority setting.

4. Extinction Risk Conservation Priorities Distributional Factors Weighting system Biological Factors Conservation priorities Societal Values Logistical Factors Economic Factors Other Factors (legal, institutional, etc.)

5. Extinction risk vs. conservation priorities Anopheles sp. http://www.kingsnake.com/westindian/icterusicterusridgwayi2.JPG http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/parasitology/mal8.jpg http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/5434/19394.jpg Least Concern Troupial Icterus icterus

6. Why focus on ecosystem status? • More effectively represent biodiversity as a whole than individual species. • Ecosystem loss more apparent than species loss: clean water, food, fuel. • More time-efficient than species-by-species assessments (<3% species evaluated by IUCN).

7. Why focus on ecosystem status? • Ecosystem loss and degradation might precede species declines (e.g. extinction debt). • Combined with species Red Lists, more powerful assessment of biodiversity status.

8. Mandate of the IUCN World Conservation Congress (Barcelona, 2008) • Resolution 4.020 on Quantitative thresholds for categories and criteria of threatened ecosystems: … initiate a consultation process for the development, implementation and monitoring of a global standard for the assessment of ecosystem status, applicable at local, regional and global levels …

9. Commission on Ecosystem Management of IUCN • Establishment of the Red List of Ecosystems thematic group, with a view of having a concrete proposal for the next World Conservation Congress.

10. By 2025, we aim to assess the conservation status of all of the world’s terrestrial, freshwater, marine and subterranean ecosystems.

11. IUCN Red List of EcosystemsMajor global consultation 2009-2012 18 workshops 17 conferences • 20 countries • 5 continents Note: In cities where more than one workshop or conference took place, only one is shown (Beijing, Bogotá, Dakar, Santiago and Washington DC).

12. Past,presentandfutureof the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems 2008: Process begins at Barcelona WCC. 2009: IUCN Red List Thematic Group established. 2010: Draft red list categories and criteria available. 2011: Global consultation and testing initiated. 2013: IUCN Ecosystem Red List Office and Task Force established. 2013: Proposal for formal adoption of categories and criteria by IUCN. 2012-2014: IUCN Red List of Continental Ecosystems of the Americas. 2012: Synthesis and presentation at Jeju WCC. 2015: Standardized protocols and on-line tools fully available. 2015-2020: Expansion to other biological realms and regions initiated. 2020: Report on progress towards achieving Aichi Biodiversity Target 5. 2025: First IUCN Red List of Ecosystems completed.

13. Data integration and access Ecosystem classification

14. Data integration and access Ecosystem classification Ecosystem classification Taxonomy

15. Data integration and access Ecosystem classification Ecosystem classification Taxonomy

16. Red List Categories for Ecosystems Collapse (CO) CriticallyEndangered (CR) Endangered (EN) Vulnerable (VU) Near Threatened (NT) Least Concern (LC) Data Deficient (DD) Begin here Not Evaluated (NE)

17. Red List Categories for Ecosystems Collapse (CO) Threatened CriticallyEndangered (CR) Endangered (EN) Vulnerable (VU) Near Threatened (NT) Least Concern (LC) Data Deficient (DD) Begin here Not Evaluated (NE)

18. www.iucnredlistofecosystems.org • Documents, support, case studies, communications. • English, Spanish and French.

19. IUCN Red List of Ecosystems @redlisteco

20. Agenda for today • 20 min: Intro to Categories and Criteria (English) • 10 min: Senegal case study (French) • 10 min: French wetlands case study (French). • 10 min: USA case study (English). • 5 min: Intro to worksheet (Spanish, slides in English). • 30 min: Working in Groups: participants and facilitators (Spanish/French/English). • 15 min: Discussion (Spanish/French/English). • 10 min: Future Directions (English).

21. Agenda for today • 13:00-14:30: IUCN Red List of Ecosystems as an input for action priority setting (A Just World Pavillion) • 14:30-16:30: Trends, Priorities and Actions in Ecosystem Management: Key conclusions from CEM’s Journeys (Room 201).

23. Work in groups • Worksheets and categories and criteria available in English, French and English. • Also can be downloaded at (documents tab): http://portals.iucn.org/2012forum/?q=0807

24. Data Fill-in boxes

27. Red List Categories for Ecosystems Collapse (CO) Threatened CriticallyEndangered (CR) Endangered (EN) Vulnerable (VU) Near Threatened (NT) Least Concern (LC) Data Deficient (DD) Begin here Not Evaluated (NE)