IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) is a global framework designed to assess the conservation status of ecosystems. It was developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and serves as a companion to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Read here to learn more.

The primary goal of the RLE is to provide a standardized method for evaluating the risk of ecosystem collapse, guiding conservation efforts, and informing policy and management decisions to preserve ecosystem health and services.

More than half of the world’s mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse, according to the first global mangrove assessment for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Ecosystems.

IUCN Red List of Ecosystems (RLE)

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is a tool to assess the conservation status of ecosystems. It is based on scientific criteria for performing evidence-based analyses of the risk of ecosystem collapse, including changes in geographical distribution and the degradation of the key elements of ecosystems.

Key Features and Objectives:

1. Assessment Criteria:
   • The RLE uses specific criteria to assess ecosystems, similar to the Red List of Threatened Species. These criteria are based on:
     • The decline in distribution.
     • Degradation of the abiotic environment.
     • Disruption of biotic processes and interactions.
     • Quantitative estimates of the risk of ecosystem collapse.

2. Categories of Risk:
   • The RLE categorizes ecosystems into different levels of risk:
     • Collapsed (CO): The ecosystem has undergone a complete loss of its defining features.
     • Critically Endangered (CR): Extremely high risk of collapse.
     • Endangered (EN): Very high risk of collapse.
     • Vulnerable (VU): High risk of collapse.
     • Near Threatened (NT): Close to qualifying for a threatened category.
     • Least Concern (LC): No immediate risk of collapse.
     • Data Deficient (DD): Inadequate information to assess the risk of collapse.

3. Global and Regional Assessments:
   • The RLE can be applied at both global and regional scales, allowing for detailed and context-specific conservation strategies.
4. Ecosystem Services:
   • By assessing ecosystems, the RLE also indirectly evaluates the services they provide, such as water purification, climate regulation, and biodiversity support. This emphasizes the importance of ecosystems not only for biodiversity but also for human well-being.
5. Scientific and Policy Tool:
   • The RLE serves as a critical tool for scientists, conservationists, policymakers, and land managers. It helps prioritize actions, allocate resources efficiently, and develop policies to mitigate risks.

Implementation and Impact

• Guidance for Conservation:
  • The RLE provides valuable insights into ecosystem health, guiding conservation actions and policy decisions to protect and restore ecosystems at risk of collapse.
• Awareness and Education:
  • By highlighting ecosystems at risk, the RLE raises awareness about the importance of ecosystems and the need for sustainable practices.
• Integration with Other Conservation Efforts:
  • The RLE complements other conservation initiatives like the Red List of Threatened Species, facilitating a more holistic approach to biodiversity conservation.

Examples of Ecosystems Assessed

• Forests: Various types of forests, including tropical rainforests, temperate forests, and boreal forests, have been assessed for their risk levels.
• Wetlands: These critical ecosystems, which provide water filtration and flood control, are evaluated for threats like drainage, pollution, and climate change.
• Coral Reefs: Vital for marine biodiversity, coral reefs face threats from warming oceans, acidification, and overfishing.
• Grasslands and Savannas: These ecosystems, important for their biodiversity and role in carbon sequestration, are assessed for threats from agricultural expansion and overgrazing.

Why in the news?

For the first time, an ecosystem group has been assessed entirely across the planet using the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems – a global standard for measuring the health of ecosystems.

• The findings show that 50% of the mangrove ecosystems assessed are at risk of collapse (classed as either Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered).
• According to the assessment, nearly 20% (19.6%) of the assessed mangroves are at high risk, classed as either Endangered or Critically Endangered, reflecting these areas are at severe risk of collapse.
• Mangroves are threatened by deforestation, development, pollution, and dam construction, but the risk to these ecosystems is increasing due to sea-level rise and the increased frequency of severe storms associated with climate change. Climate change threatens one-third (33%) of the mangrove ecosystems assessed.
• This study classified the world’s mangrove ecosystems into 36 different regions called provinces (delineated areas where mangroves exist indicated in the below map) and assessed the threats and risk of collapse in each region.

IUCN Global Mangrove assessment

According to the assessment, without significant changes by 2050, climate change and sea level rise will result in the loss of:

• 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon stored (17% of the total current carbon stored in mangroves), currently valued at a minimum of $13 billion at market prices in voluntary carbon markets and representing a cost to society equal to $336 billion based on the social cost of carbon.
• protection for 2.1 million lives exposed to coastal flooding (14.5% of current lives exposed) and $36 billion worth in protection to properties (35.7% of current property values protected)
• 17 million days of fishing effort per year (14% of current fishing effort is supported by mangroves).

The assessment finds that maintaining mangrove ecosystems across the globe will be key for mitigating the impacts of climate change, with healthy mangroves able to better cope with sea level rise and offering inland protection from the impacts of hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones.

• Preserving existing mangrove forests, and restoring lost areas, for example, will increase their resilience.
• Maintaining sediment flows, and allowing space for mangroves to expand inland, helps mangroves cope with sea level rise

IUCN lists Tamil Nadu mangroves ‘critically endangered’

Mangroves along the South India Coasts, especially the east coast covering Tamil Nadu, are critically endangered, according to The IUCN’s first global mangrove assessment.

• According to the study, the mangrove ecosystems are spread across 36 regions in 44 countries with critically endangered ecosystems in South India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and the North Atlantic (part of North America).
• On the other hand, West India (covering the west coast) and Pakistan region have been categorised as vulnerable and the Bay of Bengal region, which comprises West Bengal and Bangladesh, has been categorised as least concern.

Conclusion

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is a vital tool in global conservation efforts, offering a standardized approach to identifying and mitigating risks to ecosystems.

By doing so, it plays a crucial role in safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring the sustainability of the planet’s natural resources for future generations.

Mangrove ecosystems are exceptional in their ability to provide essential services to people, including coastal disaster risk reduction, carbon storage and sequestration, and support for fisheries.

Their loss stands to be disastrous for nature and people across the globe. That is why this assessment is so important.

The Red List of Ecosystems provides clear pathways on how we can reverse mangrove loss and protect these delicate ecosystems for the future, helping, in turn, to safeguard biodiversity, tackle the effects of climate change and support the realisation of the Global Biodiversity Framework

Related articles

• IUCN classification
• Kunming declaration
• CoP 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity

-Article by Swathi Satish