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• Not compiled systematically• Assessments out of date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
