Species Conservation
The Red List of Ecosystems have the potential to complement the policy successes of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. This is because ecosystems may more effectively represent biological diversity as a whole than individual species and can save time than performing species-by-species assessments. The Red List of Ecosystems methodology may suggest areas in which extirpations are likely to result from extinction debt in response to loss and fragmentation of species’ habitats, because a decline in the extent and status of an ecosystem may precede the loss of its species.
Resources & Human Well-being
Reliable assessments can raise awareness about threats to ecosystems and the resulting impacts on human well-being. At the same time, these demonstrate benefits to human well-being, such as how improved ecosystem management can reduce risks, enhance resilience, and promote adaptation, informing stakeholders on how to better manage finite resources.
Categories & Criteria
The Red List of Ecosystems evaluates whether ecosystems have reached the final stage of degradation (a state of Collapse), whether they are threatened at Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable levels, or if they are not currently facing a significant risk of collapse (Least Concern).