The IUCN Red List:A tool for monitoring forest health

Dr. Murphy Westwood, Tree Conservation Specialist

12th Meeting of the Continential Dialogue on Non-Native Forest Insects & Diseases

August 17, 2016

• Population size

• Population fragmentation

• Geographic range

• Habitat quality

• Threats

• Level of exploitation

Threat categories are based on demographic & ecological data

The Red List of Threatened Species

What is a “threatened” species?

Balsam woolly adelgid

Trends and drivers of forest threat

Trends and drivers of forest threat

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EX EW CR EN VU NT DD LC

North American tree species on IUCN Red List

229 species of concern

Trends and drivers of forest threat

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EX EW CR EN VU NT DD

North American trees threatened by non-native pests/diseases

All threats

Invasives

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

Invasive species & diseases

Livestock farming & ranching

Fire & fire suppression

Climate change & severe weather

Residential & commercial development

Logging & wood harvesting

Recreational activities

Annual & perennial non-timber crops

Geological events

Pollution

Gathering terrestrial plants

Other

Hunting

Energy production & mining

Wood & pulp plantations

Transportation

Threats to North American tree species

Trends and drivers of forest threat

70% of tree species of concern

Using the IUCN Red List

Limitations Applications

• Species snapshotso Threatso Ecologyo Habitato Population trends

• Advanced query optionso Statuso Threat classo Life formo Date assessedo Taxonomic ranko Geographic region/state

• Analyze trends• Identify gaps in knowledge

• Incomplete informationo 412 tree species

• Not compiled systematically• Assessments out of date

o 42% >10 years old• Slow to react to rapid invasions

o EAB/Fraxinus profunda

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species