| The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
(2127) |
| THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION, THROUGH ITS SPECIES SURVIVAL COMMISSION |
| The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species provides taxonomic, conservation status and distribution information on taxa that have been globally evaluated using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. |
This system is designed to determine the relative risk of extinction, and the main purpose of the IUCN Red List is to catalogue and highlight those taxa that are facing a higher risk of global extinction (i.e. those listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable).
The IUCN Red List also includes information on taxa that are categorized as Extinct or Extinct in the Wild; on taxa that cannot be evaluated because of insufficient information (i.e. are Data Deficient); and on taxa that are either close to meeting the threatened thresholds or that would be threatened were it not for an ongoing taxon-specific conservation programme (i.e. Near Threatened).
Taxa that have been evaluated to have a low risk of extinction are classified as Least Concern. These Least Concern assessments have not appeared on IUCN Red Lists produced before 2003 (except for 225 cases in 1996) because the main focus has been on threatened species. However, for the sake of transparency and to place threatened assessments in context, all Least Concern assessments are now included. Unfortunately, there has not been a formal reporting process in place to capture all Least Concern assessments; hence the list provided is incomplete. A process to capture the Least Concern listings has begun (at the species level only), but this is likely to take several years to complete.
The list of threatened taxa is maintained in a searchable database by the SSC Red List Programme as part of the SSC´s Species Information Service (SIS). A subset of the records (for all the categories described above) is provided here through the Search and Expert Search functions on the home page. Taxa not included are species that went extinct before 1500 AD, Least Concern species that have not yet been data based, species that have not yet been assessed (i.e. Not Evaluated), and taxonomic names that are treated as synonyms.
The only taxonomic groups, that have been comprehensively assessed, are the amphibians, birds, mammals, conifers and cycads. The vast majority of plant taxa listed in the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants have not yet been evaluated against the revised Red List Criteria and are therefore not included here. To find out the conservation status of plants, users must search both this database and the UNEP-WCMC Threatened Plants database.
An in depth analysis of the data contained in the 2004 IUCN Red List has been undertaken and the results are presented in a separate publication:
* 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a Global Species Assessment...
The link above takes one to the full media release web page for the 2004 IUCN Red List, which highlights the key results, includes numerous species stories, and a link to a downloadable PDF of the Global Species Assessment (GSA). A copy of the Global Species Assessment can also be purchased from the IUCN World Conservation Bookstore...
* Web The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species...
Contact: info@books.iucn.org.
| Insertado
por: elenafernandez (25/01/2005) |
| Fuente/Autor:
redlist@ssc-uk.org |
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