Journal article
Scientific Foundations for an IUCN Red List of Ecosystems
DA Keith, JP Rodríguez, KM Rodríguez-Clark, E Nicholson, K Aapala, A Alonso, M Asmussen, S Bachman, A Basset, EG Barrow, JS Benson, MJ Bishop, R Bonifacio, TM Brooks, MA Burgman, P Comer, FA Comín, F Essl, D Faber-Langendoen, PG Fairweather Show all
Plos One | Published : 2013
Abstract
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..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge funding support from the MAVA Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, EcoHealth Alliance, Provita, the Fulbright Program, Tour du Valat, the Australian Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions and Centre de Suive Ecologique. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.