Section 3

Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria at

Regional Levels

From Global to Sub-global• Continents

• Countries

• States

• Provinces

• Biogeographical or ecological areas

Africa

USA states

Afghanistan provinces

THAILAND

VIET NAM

CAMBODIA

LAO PDR

Lower Mekong River basin area

East African countries

• The region may hold a very small proportion of the global population

• The survival of the regional population may depend on immigration from outside the region (i.e. the regional population is a sink)

• The regional population may range across political borders

• The taxon may be highly mobile and individuals may move between populations within and outside the region

• The taxon may be a non-breeding seasonal visitor to the region

summer summer

winter

• Introduced taxa?

• Regionally Extinct taxa?

Categories at regional

level

Not Evaluated (NE)

(Evaluated)

(Threatened)

Data Deficient (DD)

Least Concern (LC)

Near Threatened (NT)

Endangered (EN)

Critically Endangered (CR)

Vulnerable (VU)

Extinct in the Wild (EW)

Extinct (EX)

Not Applicable (NA)

Regionally Extinct (RE)

3.3. Which taxa can be 3.3. Which taxa can be assessed at the regional assessed at the regional level?level?

The categorization process should only be applied to wild populations inside their natural range,, and to populations resulting from benign introductions.

The same rule for global assessments applies at the

regional level:

Taxa eligible for regional assessments

• Indigenous breeding taxa - All indigenous taxa that breed, or can potentially breed, within the region.

• Re-colonizing taxa - Taxa that were formerly Regionally Extinct but have now naturally re-colonized the area may be assessed after the first year of reproduction in the region.

• Reintroduced taxa - Taxa that have been reintroduced after becoming Regionally Extinct may be assessed as soon as at least part of the population has successfully reproduced without direct support and the offspring are shown to be viable.

• Taxa only marginally within the region - Taxa that occur mostly outside the region, but a small part of the population occurs within the region.

The regional authority may decide to apply a filter, e.g. if <1% of the global population occurs within the region, it may decided that the taxon is not suitable for regional assessment.

If such a filter is used, it must be clearly stated in the regional Red List and the taxon should be assigned the Not Applicable (NA) category.

Taxa eligible for regional assessments

• Visiting taxa - Taxa that do not breed within the region but regularly visit and use resources there.

Taxa eligible for regional assessments

summersummer

winter

The regional authority may decide to apply a filter, such as the proportion of the global population using the region. Again, if such a filter is used it must be clearly stated in the regional Red List and the taxon should be assigned the Not Applicable (NA) category.

Taxa notnot eligible for regional assessments

• Introduced taxa - Taxa that are not indigenous to the region and have been introduced for reasons other than conservation (i.e. not benign introductions).

The delimitation between “wild” and “introduced” taxa in the region may be based on a preset year or event, but this decision is left to the regional authority and should be clearly explained in the regional Red List.

• Occasional breeders - Taxa that breed within the region only under unusually favourable circumstances, but then quickly become Regionally Extinct.

• Taxa expanding into the region - A taxon that is known to be expanding its range outside the region and appears to be in a colonization phase within the region should not be assessed unless it has successfully reproduced within the region for several years (typically at least 10 consecutive years).

Taxa notnot eligible for regional assessments

• Vagrant taxa - A taxon that occurs only occasionally and irregularly within the region.

The regional authority should decide the boundary between visitors and vagrants. For example, using a preset percentage of the global population found in the region, or predictability of occurrence in the region.

Taxa notnot eligible for regional assessments

3.6. Procedure for using IUCN 3.6. Procedure for using IUCN Red List Criteria at Red List Criteria at regional levelsregional levels

At the regional level, the assessment should be carried out in a two-step process that is slightly different for breeding and non-breeding populations

If the region holds both breeding and non-breeding populations of the same taxon, these

should be treated as different taxa.

Yes Do not know

No / Do not know

1. Assess regional population according to the Red List Criteria

No change from step 1

No

Do not know

2c. Is the immigra-tion expected to decrease?

Yes

2b. Does the re-gional population experience any significant immigra-tion of propagules capable of reprodu-cing in the region?

No

Do not

know

Upgrade category

from step 1

Yes2d. Is the regional population a sink?

Yes / Do not know

Downgrade category

from step 1

No

Bre

edin

g

Yes

2e. Are the conditions outside the region deteriorating?

Non

-bre

edin

g

2g. Can the breed-ing population res-cue the regional population should it decline

No

No change from step 1

Yes Do not know

2f. Are the con-ditions within the region deteriorating?

No Yes Downgrade category

from step 1

No Do not know

Regional assessment procedure

2a. Is the taxon a non-breeding visitor?

• Downgrading - If the regional population experiences a “rescue effect” through immigration from outside the region, the preliminary category from step one may be downgraded:

e.g. CR downgraded to EN; EN downgraded to VU; VU downgraded to NT

Upgrading and Downgrading

EX, EW, RE, DD, NA, NE and LCEX, EW, RE, DD, NA, NE and LC categoriescategories cannotcannot be downgradedbe downgraded

• Upgrading - If the regional population is a demographic sink and the extra-regional source population is expected to decline, the preliminary category from step one may be upgraded:

e.g. EN upgraded to CR; VU upgraded to EN; NT upgraded to VU

EX, EW, RE, CR, DD, NA and NEEX, EW, RE, CR, DD, NA and NE categories cannotcategories cannot be upgradedbe upgraded