IUCN Categories for the

Conservation Status of Taxa

K. M Sudesh Ruvinda
Lecturer in Zoology
Department of Zoology and Environmental Management, University of Kelaniya
Office: +94 11 2914479 , Mobile: +94 77 644 4161 | E-mail: sudeshr@kln.ac.lk/ srkonara@gmail.com
Learning outcomes

Explain the aims of IUCN red list in

conservation.

Describe the basic principles and goals

of IUCN conservation categories in
conservation biology.
 Introduction
• IUCN red list system first introduced in 1964.

• Set standards for species listing and conservation

assessment efforts.

• The IUCN Red List is set upon precise criteria to

evaluate the extinction risk of species and subspecies.

• These criteria are relevant to all species and all

regions of the world.
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• The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health
of the world’s biodiversity.

• It is a powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for

biodiversity conservation and policy change.

The Red List Index (RLI) was developed to show trends

in overall extinction risk for species and provide an
indicator that is used by governments to track their
progress in achieving targets that reduce biodiversity
loss.

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• It provides information about
– range,
– population size,
– habitat,
– ecology,
– use and/or trade,
– threats,
– conservation actions.

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• The IUCN Red List is used by
– government agencies,
– wildlife departments,
– conservation-related non-governmental
organizations (NGOs),
– natural resource planners,
– educational organizations,
– students,
– business community.

Currently there are more than 105,700 species on The IUCN Red
List, with more than 28,000 species threatened with extinction.
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 Species listed as either
critically endangered,
endangered or
vulnerable on the Red
List) increased by only
21% between 2007 and
2020.
During the same time
period, the number of
endangered insects rose
by 209 %, the number of
endangered mollusks
rose by 135 %, while
endangered fish species
increased by 167 % and
the number of
endangered reptiles
even rose by 245 % 7
©http://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/17122.jpeg
Increase in the number of species assessed and Threatened
Species for The IUCN Red List 2000 to 2022.

All species assessed

Total threatened species

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©https://nc.iucnredlist.org/redlist/content/images/content_2022_2_RL_Fig_1_Changes_Since_2000RL.jpg
• Assessments of the following taxa may be included on
the IUCN Red List.
➢ Species,
➢ Subspecies,
➢ Varieties (only for plants),
➢Subpopulations (provided certain conditions as
described above are met),
➢Undescribed species (provided certain conditions as
described above are met, and they are not listed as
Least Concern or Data Deficient).

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Assessments of the following taxa may NOT be included
on the IUCN Red List
✓Taxa assessed locally, nationally or regionally
unless they are global or subpopulation
assessments.

✓Hybrids (except for apomictic plant hybrids, which

are treated as 'species')

✓Intraspecific ranks such as formas, morphs,

subvarieties, varieties of subspecies, cultivars,
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etc.
✓Domesticated taxa.

✓Taxa known to have gone Extinct before 1500 CE.

✓Undescribed species assessed as Data Deficient or

Least Concern.

✓Undescribed Intraspecific taxa.

✓Assessments of higher taxa (i.e., above the species

level).
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The number of species listed in each IUCN Red
List Category changes over time.

➢ Species are constantly being assessed and added to

The IUCN Red List for the first time
➢ Other species are being reassessed resulting in
some moving into different Red List Categories.
➢ Taxonomic revisions result in the total number of
recognised species within a group changing.

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 IUCN Red List categories
• This latest version of the classification system was
adopted by the IUCN Council in July 2022
(15.1).

• It reflects comments from the IUCN and Species

Survival Commission(SSC) memberships and the final
meeting of the Criteria Review Working Group.

• Most assessments published on The IUCN Red

List use the IUCN categories and Criteria. Version 3.1
(IUCN 2001, 2012).
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• The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria have
several specific aims:
– to provide a system that can be applied
consistently by different people,
– to improve objectivity by providing users with clear
guidance on how to evaluate different factors
which affect the risk of extinction,
– to provide a system which will facilitate
comparisons across widely different taxa,
– to give people using threatened species lists a
better understanding of how individual species
were classified. 14
• The Red List Category may be written out in full or
abbreviated as follows.
– Extinct (EX)
– Extinct in the Wild (EW)
– Critically Endangered (CR)
– Endangered (EN) Threatened categories

– Near Threatened (NT)

– Least Concern (LC)
– Data Deficient (DD)

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 Nature of the Criteria
• A. Population size reduction (past, present and/or
projected)
• B. Geographic range size, and fragmentation, few
locations, decline or fluctuations.
• C. Small and declining population size and
fragmentation, fluctuations, or few subpopulations.
• D. Very small population or very restricted
distribution.
• E. Quantitative analysis of extinction risk (e.g.,
Population Viability Analysis) 17
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 EXTINCT (EX)
• A taxon is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt
that the last individual has died.

• A taxon is presumed Extinct when exhaustive surveys in

known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times
(diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range
have failed to record an individual.

• Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to the

taxon’s life cycles and life form
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• A taxon is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to
survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized
population (or populations) well outside the past
range.

• A taxon is presumed Extinct in the Wild when

exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat,
at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual),
throughout its historic range have failed to record an
individual.

• Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to the

taxon's life cycle and life form. 21
• A taxon is Critically Endangered when the best
available evidence indicates that it meets
any of the criteria A to E for Critically
Endangered, and it is therefore considered
to be facing an extremely high risk of
extinction in the wild.

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• A - An observed, estimated, inferred or suspected
population size reduction of ≥90% over the last 10 years or
three generations
• B- Extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 100 km2
• C - Population size estimated to number fewer than 250
mature individuals ,An estimated continuing decline of at
least 25% within three years or one generation
• D - Population size estimated to number fewer than 50
mature individuals
• E - Quantitative analysis showing the probability of
extinction in the wild is at least 50% within 10 years or three
generations, whichever is the longer (up to a maximum of
100 years)
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• A taxon is Endangered when the best available
evidence indicates that it meets any of the
criteria A to E for Endangered, and it is
therefore considered to be facing a very high
risk of extinction in the wild.

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• A - An observed, estimated, inferred or suspected population
size reduction of ≥70% over the last 10 years or three
generations.
• B- Extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 5,000 km2
• C - Population size estimated to number fewer than 2,500
mature individuals and estimated continuing decline of at
least 20% within five years or two generations
• D - Population size estimated to number fewer than 250
mature individuals.
• E - Quantitative analysis showing the probability of extinction
in the wild is at least 20% within 20 years or five generations,
whichever is the longer (up to a maximum of 100 years).

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• A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available
evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A
to E for Vulnerable, and it is therefore considered to
be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

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• A - An observed, estimated, inferred or suspected population
size reduction of ≥50% over the last 10 years or three
generations.
• B- Extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 20,000 km2
• C - Population size estimated to number fewer than 10,000
mature individuals and estimated continuing decline of at
least 10% within 10 years or three generations
• D - Population size estimated to number fewer than 1,000
mature individuals.
• E - Quantitative analysis showing the probability of extinction
in the wild is at least 10% within 100 years.

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 Near Threatened (NT)
• A taxon is Near Threatened when it has been
evaluated against the criteria but does not qualify
for Critically Endangered, Endangered or
Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for
or is likely to qualify for a threatened
category in the near future.

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• A taxon is Least Concern when it has been
evaluated against the criteria and does not qualify
for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable
or Near Threatened.

• Widespread and abundant taxa are often

included in this category.

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• A taxon is Data Deficient when there is inadequate
information to make a direct, or indirect,
assessment of its risk of extinction based on
its distribution and/or population status.

• A taxon in this category may be well studied, and its

biology well known, but appropriate data on
abundance and/or distribution are lacking.

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• Data Deficient is therefore not a category of
threat.

• Listing of taxa in this category indicates that more

information is required and acknowledges the
possibility that future research will show that
threatened classification is appropriate.

• It is important to make positive use of whatever

data are available.

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• In many cases great care should be exercised in
choosing between DD and a threatened status.

• If the range of a taxon is suspected to be relatively

circumscribed, or a considerable period of time has
elapsed since the last record of the taxon,
threatened status may well be justified.

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A taxon is Not Evaluated when it is has not yet been
evaluated against the criteria.

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Examples
Use the following link and find the examples to each
category.

https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?redListCatego%20%20ry=d
d

You must know at least two examples of species in Sri Lanka

for threaten categories.

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• Please refer the documents uploaded in LMS
– Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories
and Criteria.
– IUCN Red List 2017–2020 Report
– Rules of Procedure for IUCN Red List Assessments
2017–2020.

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 Steps Involved in the IUCN
Red List Process
Step 1: Pre-assessment.
Step 2: Assessment.
Step 3: Review.
Step 4: Submission.
Step 5: Publication.
This is not simple as this five step. Please study the uploaded
document, of IUCN red list process for further information. 36
 Summary
• Introduction to IUCN categories.
• Taxa included and excluded in IUCN red list.
• IUCN red list categories.
• Aims of IUCN red lists.
• Nature of the criteria.
• Steps in red list process.

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38
Presentation and Group
Activity Groups

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 Red list Category Group
Number
1 Extinct and extinct in the wild 2 Tasmanian tiger
2 Critically Endangered 7 Bandula Barb
3 Endangered 8 Asian Elephant
4 Vulnerable 9 Panthera pardus
kotiya
5 Near threatened and Least 1 Emperor Penguin
concern
6 Extinct and extinct in the wild 4 West African Black
Rhino
7 Critically Endangered 6 Gorilla
8 Endangered 5 Slender Loris
9 Vulnerable 3 Giant Panda
10 Near threatened and Least 10 Blue shark
concern 40
 Peer Evaluation
Criteria Marks
Information gathered 30
Correctly summarized 30
Creatively present 20
Quality of the outcome 10
1 minute description 10

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BS/2018/009 Group 01
BS/2018/048
BS/2018/088
BS/2018/125
EM/2017/015
EM/2018/012
EM/2018/024
EM/2018/037
EM/2018/049
42
BS/2018/011 Group 02
BS/2018/050
BS/2018/093
BS/2018/126
EM/2018/001
EM/2018/013
EM/2018/026
EM/2018/038
EM/2018/050
43
BS/2018/015 Group 03
BS/2018/051
BS/2018/103
BS/2018/133
EM/2018/002
EM/2018/014
EM/2018/028
EM/2018/039
EM/2018/051
44
BS/2018/019 Group 04
BS/2018/053
BS/2018/104
BS/2018/142
EM/2018/004
EM/2018/015
EM/2018/029
EM/2018/040
EM/2018/053
45
BS/2018/020 Group 05
BS/2018/058
BS/2018/108
BS/2018/147
EM/2018/005
EM/2018/016
EM/2018/030
EM/2018/042
EM/2018/054
46
BS/2018/023 Group 06
BS/2018/060
BS/2018/109
BS/2018/158
EM/2018/006
EM/2018/018
EM/2018/031
EM/2018/043
EM/2018/055
47
BS/2018/029 Group 07
BS/2018/064
BS/2018/114
BS/2018/168
EM/2018/007
EM/2018/019
EM/2018/033
EM/2018/044
EM/2018/056
48
BS/2018/031 Group 08
BS/2018/066
BS/2018/118
BS/2018/171
EM/2018/008
EM/2018/020
EM/2018/034
EM/2018/045
EM/2018/057
49
BS/2018/035 Group 09
BS/2018/078
BS/2018/120
BS/2018/172
EM/2018/009
EM/2018/021
EM/2018/035
EM/2018/047
EM/2018/058
50
BS/2018/045 Group 10
BS/2018/087
BS/2018/124
BS/2018/176
EM/2018/010
EM/2018/023
EM/2018/036
EM/2018/048
BS/2018/178
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Presentation Topics
Presentation Title Group
1. Climate change risk on biodiversity. 3
2. Conservation of pollinators. 8
3. Conservation of plant animal mutualism. 6
4. Threat of invasive alien species in Sri Lanka. 9
5. Biodiversity conservation urban landscapes. 1
6. Human-monkey conflict. 4
7. Human-crocodile conflict. 2
8. Ecotourism. 10
9. Current status and law enforcement of illegal wildlife trade. 7
10. Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes. 5
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