Conservation Tool

IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology

The IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology is a comprehensive classification framework for Earth’s ecosystems that integrates their functional and compositional features. This new typology helps identify the ecosystems that are most critical for biodiversity conservation, research, management and human wellbeing into the future.

IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology website

In brief

The Global Ecosystem Typology is intended for policy, media and technical specialists interested in better understanding ecosystem dynamics.
Supported by maps, infographics and pictures, this tool makes ecosystems more accessible to all. It provides summary as well as in-depth information on notions such as realms, biomes, functional groups and more technical notions such as ecological drivers, distribution that can help specialists to assess ecosystems.

The IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology allows to align ecosystem accounting, and ecosystem risk assessment.

The IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology comprises six hierarchical levels.

Graphic from https://global-ecosystems.org/

A six-level hierarchy

The three upper levels go from global to local scales.
The three lower levels of classification are often in use in policy infrastructure at national levels.
Understanding this hierarchy is crucial, as important conservation action occurs at local levels, where most ecosystem-specific knowledge and data reside.

The Global Ecosystem Typology is intended for policy, media and technical specialists interested in better understanding ecosystem dynamics.

Global Ecosystem Typology

Resources

The content of the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology website is drawn from the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (v2.0) and is a useful resource to classify ecosystems especially when assessing ecosystems for the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems.

Publication

2020

IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology 2.0

Ecosystems are critically important components of Earth’s biological diversity and as the…

By Keith, David A., By Ferrer-Paris, Jose R., By Nicholson, Emily, By Kingsford, Richard

Conservation Tool

IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is a tool to assess the conservation status of ecosystems. It is…

Publication

2018

Tools for measuring, modelling, and valuing ecosystem services

Increasing interest in measuring, modelling and valuing ecosystem services (ES), the benefits…

By Neugarten, Rachel A., By Langhammer, Penny F., By Osipova, Elena, By Bagstad, Kenneth J., By Bhagabati, Nirmal, By Butchart, Stuart H.M., By Dudley, Nigel, By Elliott, Vittoria, By Gerber, Leah R., By Gutierrez Arrellano, Claudia, By Ivanić, Kasandra-Zorica, By Kettunen, Marianne, By Mandle, Lisa, By Merriman, Jennifer C., By Mulligan, Mark, By Peh, Kelvin S.-H., By Raudsepp-Hearne, Ciara, By Semmens, Darius J., By Stolton, Sue, By Willcock, Simon, By Groves, Craig

Development of the typology

This typology was developed over more than two years, with an extensive development and review process initiated and co-ordinated by the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management. The initial structure of the typology was developed in May 2017 and funded by the PLuS Alliance. The review of the typological hierarchy was co-ordinated by the lead author (David Keith, University of New South Wales).

This consultation and review process was an extensive community effort, with “ecosystem leaders” engaged for all realms and biomes in the world, representing the collective views of global research networks, numbering hundreds of people. In all, some 30 specialists formally reviewed 1-14 ecosystem functional types each, with less formal comment and input received through a much larger group of experts at international conferences, workshops and meetings during 2017- 2019.

Learn more about the consultative process.

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Explore

read accessible descriptions of the 4 core realms
learn about the richness of specific biomes, such as the Tropical-subtropical forests biome
understand what transitioning entails, for instance when there is a marine to terrestrial transition

Benefit from advanced features

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IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology website

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AT A GLANCE

IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology