From raw data to Red List: The Red List assessment process and role of the Red List Assessor

WHAT IS A RED LIST ASSESSMENT? From raw data to Red List WHAT IS A RED LIST ASSESSMENT? First of all, what is a Red List assessment?

IUCN Red List assessment: an estimate of extinction risk Illustration copyright Bob Diven What is the likelihood of a species becoming extinct in the near future, given current knowledge about population trends, range, and recent, current or projected threats? It is not a list of species that are priorities for conservation action An IUCN Red List assessment is an estimate of EXTINCTION RISK. The IUCN Red List classifies species by extinction risk, highlighting those species that are most likely to become extinct in the near future given current knowledge of population trends, range and habitat availability, population size and structure, and recent, current or projected threats acting on the species. However, the Red List is not a list of species that are high priorities for conservation action. A species with a high risk of extinction may not necessarily be a priority for receiving conservation action. Clearly extinction risk is a very important factor to consider when determining which species to invest in, but it is not the only factor to consider. When establishing conservation priorities, it is important to consider financial, cultural, logistical, biological, ethical, social and other factors in addition to extinction risk, to maximize the effectiveness of conservation actions. It’s important to keep this in mind when doing Red List assessments, and not to have a preconceived notion of how threatened a species “should” be or in which category it should be listed.

Red List assessments are published on the IUCN Red List website Red List assessments are published on the IUCN Red List website. They include the category of threat and the criteria under which the species has been listed, but also a wealth of information about the species, including a range map and supporting documentation. This includes taxonomic information, a rationale that justifies the assessment...

…information on geographic range (including the map), population, habitat and ecology…

…threats, conservation actions, and a complete bibliography.

Components of a Red List assessment Red List category and criteria Purple Skimmer Libellula jesseana Vulnerable A2a;B2ab(iii) Documentation supporting the category and criteria Population size, trend and status; range; threats; conservation measures; etc. Map of species’ distribution A Red List assessment has 3 main components: The Red List category and criteria Documentation supporting the assessment and justifying the category and criteria assigned. A map of the species’ distribution

What can be assessed? IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are used to assess: All described taxa (species, subspecies, varieties), except micro- organisms Undescribed taxa, only if they are: A clearly distinct species Museum/herbarium voucher references are provided Distribution information is available There is clear conservation benefit to assessing the species At the global level At the regional/national level only with the Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional Levels Wild populations inside their natural range (including populations resulting from benign introductions) All described taxa can be assessed using the IUCN system, and in some cases we will accept assessments of undescribed taxa, but only if these are clearly distinct species (e.g., a description may already by underway), voucher references are supplied with the assessment, information is available on the range of the species and there is a conservation benefit to including the taxon on the Red List (i.e., DD and LC undescribed species are not accepted for inclusion on the Red List). The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria were developed for use at the global level (i.e., to assess the risk of taxa becoming globally extinct). The criteria can be applied at sub-global levels, but it is essential to note that they were not originally designed for this purpose. However, IUCN have developed a set of guidelines to help national and regional red listers to apply the criteria at these levels. Only the status of wild populations in the natural range are considered when assessing taxa (i.e., captive populations and populations introduced for reasons other than conservation are NOT included in the assessment). The assessment reflects the status of taxa in their natural habitat.

Essential tools for Red List assessments www.iucnredlist.org Before beginning a Red List assessment, there is a range of documents that you need to know and refer to: The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. This is the basic rule book for carrying out IUCN Red List assessments. It also provides definitions for all of the terms used throughout the criteria and gives a summary of the minimum documentation standards for Red List assessments. Guidelines for Application of the IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional Levels. The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria were originally developed for use at the global scale (i.e., to assess the extinction risk for a species at the global level). However, all around the world countries increasingly want to use the IUCN system for their own national assessments. This document provides guidance on how to use the categories and criteria at the regional and national level. Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. The main categories and criteria rule book will not change for some time: if they did then it would be very difficult to compare Red List assessments over time. However, it can sometimes be difficult to know how to translate raw data across to the criteria. This document (also referred to as the User Guidelines) explains the criteria and all the terms in more detail and provides examples of different situations to help assessors. One-page criteria summary sheet. The IUCN Red List uses five different criteria, each with a range of rules and thresholds that must be met before a species can be placed into one of the Red List Categories. After learning the basic rules and terms used in the system and begin to assess species, it is useful to have a quick reminder of the rules and thresholds to refer to. This one-page document serves as a quick reference tool. It does not replace the categories and criteria booklet; assessors should always refer to the booklet and the User Guideliens for further information as they need it. Documentation Standards and Consistency Checks for IUCN Red List Assessments and Species Accounts. All assessments on the IUCN Red List must be supported by documentation that fully justifies why the species has been placed in a particular category. The documentation also allows the Red List data to be analysed to inform us of the status of the world’s biodiversity. This document provides and outline of the standards used for documenting species assessments. The Red List web site (www.iucnredlist.org). The Red List web site itself is a very useful resource. As well as being able to check the current global status of the species you want to assess, the web site has lots of useful materials to use in the assessment process. It also allows users to exports the results of searches on the site.

RED LIST ASSESSMENT PROCESS Clearly a lot goes into publishing a Red List assessment, but how does the process work?

Who is involved in producing a Red List assessment? Project Managers Coordinate assessment projects; finalize assessments; liaise between assessors/reviewers/IUCN RLU Assessors Provide data; apply the Red List Categories and Criteria considering all relevant data Contributors (optional) Provide data and contribute knowledge to the assessment, but do not apply the Red List C&C Reviewers Review each assessment before publication to ensure data is comprehensive and accurate IUCN Red List Unit Final assessment sign-off; manage Red List database/website; field petitions and enquiries There are many people involved throughout this process: Project Managers: If the assessments are being done as part of a larger project, one or more Project Managers will coordinate the process, liaise between the various other people involved, and sign off on the assessments before they are submitted to the IUCN Red List Unit. Assessors: Assessors are the experts that provide data and knowledge to inform the Red List assessment. They apply the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria to the data to come up with the Red List assessment. Anyone with sufficient knowledge of a taxon and the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria can carry out a Red List assessment. Assessors come from both within the IUCN network and outside parties. Contributors: Sometimes other experts will provide data and knowledge, but may not be involved in applying the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (i.e., they do not assess the species). Or someone may only be involved in a period of literature research and compiling existing information ready for the assessment to be carried out. These people are acknowledged as Contributors. Reviewers: Each Red List assessment must go through a review process before being published, to ensure that all the relevant data have been included and the assessment is as accurate as possible. Reviewers generally are experts from within the Red List Authority network, part of an IUCN SSC Specialist Group. However, where no Specialist Group is available, organisations from outside of IUCN may act as Red List Authorities. Members of an assessment project team may also review assessments (i.e., a technical review of how the Red List Criteria have been used for the assessment based on the information provided by the assessors). IUCN Red List Unit: The IUCN Red List Unit manages the IUCN Red List database and coordinates the publication of assessments on the IUCN Red List website (www.iucnredlist.org). The Red List Unit checks the quality of all submitted assessments before final publication on the IUCN Red List.

Red List assessment process: Pre-assessment (Project Managers or Assessors): convene experts and compile data, draft supporting documentation + range map Assess species (independently/at workshop): Red List Category and Criteria + range map + supporting documentation Review & Consistency Check Final review by RLU Publish on Red List Rigorous process ensures high quality assessments supported by strong data Before an assessment can be published on the Red List, it goes through a rigorous approval process, which is one of the reasons the Red List is respected and valued for informing conservation decisions. This process differs slightly depending on who is doing the assessments, but the basic process involves: First convening experts who will complete the assessments and compiling the data for all the species that will be assessed through a given project. This information often comes from published books, articles and reports, but information from grey literature (unpublished material) and scientists’ personal experience and observations are also used. Experts then discuss the data and assign a Red List category and criteria to the species (often working with project staff). They also complete a range map and provide supporting documentation that justifies the assessment. These draft assessments are then sent to 2 independent reviewers, who check to make sure all relevant data has been included in the assessment and that the assessment is the most appropriate given the available data. If there are any problems, it is returned to the assessors with an explanation of what needs to be improved. If everything is in place, the reviewers approve the assessment and let the assessor know it is ready for submission. The assessor then checks all the assessments for consistency, proofreading and formatting before submitting to the IUCN Red List Unit. The Red List Unit scans the assessments for obvious errors and quality checks. If there are problems, the assessment goes back to the assessor for improvement. If the assessments are accepted, they will be published on the next Red List update.

Assessment Review Process Within IUCN network Specialist Groups, Red List Authorities Global Biodiversity Assessment projects IUCN-led regional projects Reviewers At least 1 for every assessment Unreviewed assessment Reviewed assessment Reviewed Assessment Assessors Quality-checked, reviewed assessments The general assessment process at the global level: All assessments have (1) Assessors (there may only one named assessor, or there may be more than one person involved in the assessment); and (2) Reviewers (there are at least two named Reviewers who review the assessment and agree that it is an appropriate assessment based on all data currently available for the species). Assessors fall into two categories: (1) those within the IUCN network (SGs, RLAs, assessment projects managed IUCN staff (including regional offices) and Red List Partner organizations); and (2) those from outside the IUCN network. Anyone with sufficient knowledge of a species and the IUCN criteria can carry out an assessment. Reviewers are generally from the network of Red List Authorities, which are mostly IUCN Specialist Groups, but where there are gaps, other organisations act as RLAs (e.g., Project Seahorse, BirdLife International, etc). Assessments coming to the IUCN Red List Unit from within IUCN should already have been through the review process (the RLAs nest within the SGs). These are checked by Red List Unit staff to ensure the criteria have been applied correctly and to pick up on any errors. If anything is wrong with the assessment, it is returned to the assessors. If the assessments are sound, they are added to the IUCN Red List for the next update. Assessments coming from outside the IUCN network need to go through the peer review process. Red List Unit staff check them and, if there are no problems, forward the assessments onto the appropriate RLA; the RLA then evaluates the assessment and returns it to the Red List Unit. If evaluators agree with the assessment, it is included in the next Red List update. If the evaluators disagree, the assessment is returned to the assessors with an explanation of the problem. Outside IUCN Regional/national assessments (endemic species) Other external assessors Unreviewed assessment IUCN Red List Unit

ROLE OF A RED LIST ASSESSOR

What does a Red List Assessor do? Compile all currently available data on population status, distribution, ecology, use/trade, threats & conservation measures: Across the species’ entire global range Data may come from published studies, unpublished reports, grey literature, personal knowledge, etc. Assign a Red List category and criteria based on the available information Justify the assessment following the documentation requirements Prepare a range map following the mapping standards Know who to submit the assessment to for review and submission to the IUCN Red List Unit. As this is a Red List assessor training workshop, you will all be wondering what exactly a Red List assessor does. A Red List assessor is responsible for: Learning the rules for applying the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria and understanding all the terms used in the criteria Compiling all currently available information related to population declines, threats, range, population size, etc. for the species they are assessing i.e., published data, unpublished reports they know of, personal knowledge of the species, threats affecting it, and its biology and habitat, etc. ensuring that they consider all information available from across the entire range of the species Assigning an appropriate Red List assessment based on the available information Documenting the assessment, following the appropriate documentation requirements Preparing a range map or arranging for a range map to be prepared Knowing who to submit the assessment to for review and submission to the Red List. Some of these tasks may be carried out by a project manager (e.g., the review and submissions process), or by consultants (e.g., literature searches to compile all the available information and enter this into the appropriate data storage system), but the assessor should at the very least be able to provide good knowledge of the species and its situation and understand the Categories and Criteria and documentation and mapping standards to be able to carry out the assessment.

Red List Assessors are vital to listing species on the IUCN Red List! A Red List Assessor: Documentation standards Range Map Categories & Criteria Red List assessors are crucial to listing species on the IUCN Red List. We consider a Red List assessor to be someone that: Is dedicated to the study and/or conservation of biodiversity Is an expert on a species or taxonomic group Has current knowledge of threats, habitat conditions and conservation actions needed to protect a species Understands the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria Knows the Red List assessment tools, including how to use the User Guidelines, documentation and mapping standards, and how to use the Species Information Service (SIS) Understands the Red List assessment process Can provide complete, high-quality assessments that meet IUCN Red List standards

How can Red List Assessors ensure assessments are rigorous and defensible? Understand the Categories & Criteria and apply them properly Justify the assessments with thorough supporting data Follow the documentation standards Provide relevant references Submit a good map Double check for consistency and for errors Work with other relevant groups doing Red List assessments How, then, can you as Red List assessors help to streamline the assessment process and ensure your assessments are high quality? Understand the Categories & Criteria and apply them properly Justify the assessments with thorough supporting data Follow the documentation standards Provide relevant references Submit a good map Double check for consistency and for errors Work with other relevant groups doing Red List assessments Following these steps will make the assessment process more efficient and get your assessments published more quickly, which is best for ensuring this important data can be used for conservation. High quality assessments get published more quickly – better for conservation!