The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria have several ...

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.The IUCN Red List is applicable to all taxa at the species (sometimes subspecies) level;It applies to resident, nomadic and migrant species;It does not apply to vagrants, but it does apply to peripheral species;It is applicable at the global, continental, regional and national levelshttp://s3.amazonaws.com/iucnredlist-newcms/staging/public/attachments/3101/reg_guidelines_en.pdf
Red Data Categories
Extinct (EX)
Extinct in the Wild (EW)
Critically Endangered (CR)
Endangered (EN)
Vulnerable (V)
Near Threatened (NT)
Least Concern (LC) = secure
Data Deficient (DD)
Not Evaluated (NE)
Threatened categories
Extinction risk
-
+
All species
Adequate data
Evaluated
THE RED DATA CATEGORIES
EXTINCT (EX)A taxon is Extinct when there isno 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 cycle and life form.EXTINCT IN THE WILD (EW)A taxon is Extinct in the Wild whenit is known only to survive incultivation, incaptivityor 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.CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR)A taxon is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria for Critically Endangered (see later), and it is therefore considered to befacing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
THE RED DATA CATEGORIES continued …
ENDANGERED (EN)A taxon is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria for Endangered (see later), and it is therefore considered to befacing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.VULNERABLE (VU)A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria for Vulnerable (see later), and it is therefore considered to befacing a high risk of extinction in the wild.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 oris likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future if pressures continue.LEAST CONCERN (LC)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 included in this category.
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED(CR)A taxon is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the following criteria, and it is therefore considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild:Reduction in population size of ≥80% over the last 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer;Geographic range less than 100 km2, severely fragmented or known to exist at only a single location, isolated subpopulations, habitat degradation, extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of locations or subpopulations, number of mature individuals;Population size estimated to number fewer than 250 mature individuals;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).
ENDANGERED(EN)A taxon is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the following criteria and it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild:Reduction in population ≥50% over the last 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer;Geographic range estimated to be less than 5,000 km2, severely fragmented or known to exist at no more than five locations, habitat degradation, extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence, area of occupancy and number of mature individuals;Population size estimated to number fewer than 2,500 mature individuals;Quantitative analysis showing the probability of extinction in the wild is at least 20% within 20 years or five generations, whichever is the longer (upto amaximum of 100 years).
VULNERABLE(VU)A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the following criteria and it is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild:Reduction in population size of ≥30% over the last 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer;Geographic range estimated to be less than 20,000 km2, severely fragmented or known to exist at no more than 10 locations, habitat degradation and fragmentation, extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence, area of occupancy and number of mature individualsPopulation size estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals;Quantitative analysis showing the probability of extinction in the wild is at least 10% within 100 years.
Additional considerations
Historic distribution (area)Historic population size (numbers)List of current threatsAny future threats on the horizon?Anticipated impact of threatsEndemic status (Namibia, southern Africa, and % of population in Namibia)Is there immigration or emigration – is Namibia a sink or supplierAre conditions in neighbouring countries / thesubregiondeteriorating?Global Red Data status
Order Carnivora– 6 Families, up to 35 species (probably 32 species)
Red Data status of carnivores occurring in Namibia
All other carnivore species are considered to be of “Least Concern” = Secure at global and national levels
Species accounts
Common name and scientific nameAuthors | contributors | reviewersPhoto of speciesSummary – status, global range, Namibian range (area), population estimate, population trend, habitat, main threats.Distribution & abundance (with map(s))EcologyThreatsConservation statusActions (including summary of pertinent actions fromsppmanagement plans / policies
Some key issues to discuss for the RD “Book”
Format of products (book, electronic)Data collation – bringing together existing data from all partners / sourcesAdditional data collection?AuthorshipReviewersMapsEditorOther issues?
Longer term considerations ….
How to improve collaboration for longer term monitoring of RDspp/ carnivores, collection, sharing and curation of info & data?What are the key issues that should go into a national conservation action plan for carnivores?What else?
Conservation actions for carnivores
Reduce HWC (animal husbandry, stock protection, early warning, predator management, economic incentives, etc)Address collateral killing of non-target species (poisons, gin traps, hunting, locust campaigns, species confusion)Provide info on benefits of carnivores – image management, awareness, farmer-to-farmer, video, etcLook at trophy hunting – not suitable for hyaenas, old leopard, etcWays to counter commercial exploitation (illegal trade) – bones, teeth, claws, skins (Asian markets) andmutitradeExplore ways to address road mortalities
Conservation actions for carnivores continues
Data needs – monitoring, research, data sharing, access, links to farmers, conservancies and lodges, etc.Address habitat destruction – mainly woodlands (deforestation), wetland degradation, human settlement and fragmentation by game and electric fencing – promote open landscape approachesCarnivore population management – reintroduction to National Parks (where appropriate), and meta-population management where there is population fragmentation (e.g. privately protected areas).Red Data book on carnivores plus poster onRD species
Species:………………………………………………………..Authors:………………………………………………………………………………………….…….
Endemic status:Southern African distribution and situation in neighbouring countries:Global Red Data status:References:
And finally, Red Data lists and books are important because they …direct attention & resources to the greatest conservation prioritiesprovide guidance for prioritised conservation actionimprove planning and managementhelp direct development via environmental assessmentscreate the framework to monitor the status of species and groups of species over timeare indicators of conservation successes and failureseducate decision-makers, students and the general publicprovide a conservation entry point to politicians and the private sectorare a global common currency and language – not fake news!We could use the impetus to developa national Carnivore Conservation Action Plan