The IUCN red list of ecosystems: Motivations, challenges, and applications

摘要: In response to growing demand for ecosystem-level risk assessment in biodiversity conservation, and rapid proliferation of locally tailored protocols, the IUCN recently endorsed new Red List criteria as a global standard ecosystem assessment. Four qualities were sought design criteria: generality; precision; realism; simplicity. Drawing from extensive consultation, we explore trade-offs among these when dealing with key challenges, including classification, measuring dynamics, degradation collapse, setting decision thresholds delimit ordinal categories threat. Experience countries national lists threatened ecosystems demonstrates well-balanced current potential applications Lists Ecosystems legislation, policy, environmental management education. The should be judged by whether it achieves conservation ends improves natural resource management, its limitations are outweighed benefits, performs better than alternative methods. Future development will benefit history Threatened Species which was trialed adjusted iteratively over 50 years rudimentary beginnings. We anticipate promote policy focus on outcomes situ across whole landscapes seascapes.