1. Scientific Foundations for an IUCN Red List of Ecosystems
- Author
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Ralph Charles Mac Nally, Patrick J. Comer, Tracey J. Regan, Peter G. Fairweather, Sergio Zambrano-Martínez, Richard T. Kingsford, Phil Pisanu, Edmund G. C. Barrow, Kathryn M. Rodríguez-Clark, Mark A. Burgman, Michael Jennings, Melanie J. Bishop, Franz Essl, Jon Paul Rodríguez, Brigitte Poulin, Robert J. Holdaway, Rebecca E. Lester, Alberto Basset, Michael A. McCarthy, Francisco A. Comín, Steven P. Bachman, Emily Nicholson, Kaisu Aapala, María A. Oliveira-Miranda, Uwe Riecken, Ronald Bonifacio, Alfonso Alonso, Justin Moat, Thomas M. Brooks, John Benson, Marianne Asmüssen, David A. Keith, Mark Spalding, Don Faber-Langendoen, Keith, David A, Rodríguez, Jon Paul, Rodríguez Clark, Kathryn M, Nicholson, Emily, Aapala, Kaisu, Alonso, Alfonso, Asmussen, Marianne, Bachman, Steven, Basset, Alberto, Barrow, Edmund G, Benson, John S, Bishop, Melanie J, Bonifacio, Ronald, Brooks, Thomas M, Burgman, Mark A, Comer, Patrick, Comín, Francisco A, Essl, Franz, Faber Langendoen, Don, Fairweather, Peter G, Holdaway, Robert J, Jennings, Michael, Kingsford, Richard T, Lester, Rebecca E, Mac Nally, Ralph, Mccarthy, Michael A, Moat, Justin, Oliveira Miranda, María A, Pisanu, Phil, Poulin, Brigitte, Regan, Tracey J, Riecken, Uwe, Spalding, Mark D, Zambrano Martínez, Sergio, Matteo, Convertino, David A., Keith, Jon Paul, Rodríguez, Kathryn M., Rodríguez Clark, Emily, Nicholson, Kaisu, Aapala, Alfonso, Alonso, Marianne, Asmussen, Steven, Bachman, Edmund G., Barrow, John S., Benson, Melanie J., Bishop, Ronald, Bonifacio, Thomas M., Brook, Mark A., Burgman, Patrick, Comer, Francisco A., Comín, Franz, Essl, Don Faber, Langendoen, Peter G., Fairweather, Robert J., Holdaway, Michael, Jenning, Richard T., Kingsford, Rebecca E., Lester, Ralph Mac, Nally, Michael A., Mccarthy, Justin, Moat, María A., Oliveira Miranda, Phil, Pisanu, Brigitte, Poulin, Tracey J., Regan, Uwe, Riecken, Mark D., Spalding, and Sergio Zambrano, Martínez
- Subjects
Biodiversity ,Endangered species ,HABITAT LOSS ,FOOD-WEB PERSPECTIVE ,Ecosystem services ,Species extinction ,Theoretical Ecology ,Global Change Ecology ,RELATIVE RESILIENCE ,IUCN Red List ,Conservation of Natural Resource ,Conservation Science ,Multidisciplinary ,Ecology ,Environmental resource management ,CONSERVATION BIOLOGY ,EXTINCTION RISK ,Biota ,Multidisciplinary Sciences ,Community Ecology ,BIODIVERSITY LOSS ,Science & Technology - Other Topics ,Medicine ,Ecological risk ,Trophic interactions ,Research Article ,Marine ecosystems ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Ecological Metrics ,General Science & Technology ,Science ,Theoretical ecology ,Biology ,Risk Assessment ,Ecosystems ,ENVIRONMENTAL-CHANGE ,Endangered Specie ,Systems Ecology ,MD Multidisciplinary ,Systems ecology ,VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION ,Marine ecosystem ,Ecosystem ,Theoretical Biology ,Science & Technology ,GLOBAL SYNTHESIS ,business.industry ,ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES ,Endangered Species ,Restoration Ecology ,Models, Theoretical ,Ecosystem functioning ,business ,Ecological Environments - Abstract
25 páginas, 8 figuras, 6 tablas., [EN] An understanding of risks to biodiversity is needed for planning action to slow current rates of decline and secure ecosystem services for future human use. Although the IUCN Red List criteria provide an effective assessment protocol for species, a standard global assessment of risks to higher levels of biodiversity is currently limited. In 2008, IUCN initiated development of risk assessment criteria to support a global Red List of ecosystems. We present a new conceptual model for ecosystem risk assessment founded on a synthesis of relevant ecological theories. To support the model, we review key elements of ecosystem definition and introduce the concept of ecosystem collapse, an analogue of species extinction. The model identifies four distributional and functional symptoms of ecosystem risk as a basis for assessment criteria: A) rates of decline in ecosystem distribution; B) restricted distributions with continuing declines or threats; C) rates of environmental (abiotic) degradation; and D) rates of disruption to biotic processes. A fifth criterion, E) quantitative estimates of the risk of ecosystem collapse, enables integrated assessment of multiple processes and provides a conceptual anchor for the other criteria. We present the theoretical rationale for the construction and interpretation of each criterion. The assessment protocol and threat categories mirror those of the IUCN Red List of species. A trial of the protocol on terrestrial, subterranean, freshwater and marine ecosystems from around the world shows that its concepts are workable and its outcomes are robust, that required data are available, and that results are consistent with assessments carried out by local experts and authorities. The new protocol provides a consistent, practical and theoretically grounded framework for establishing a systematic Red List of the world’s ecosystems. This will complement the Red List of species and strengthen global capacity to report on and monitor the status of biodiversity
- Published
- 2013