The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

Mapping standards for IUCN Red List assessments

Vineet Katariya

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• Visual representation of the species’ distribution• To inform Red List assessments

EOO/AOO• To identify conservation priorities

A first step in identifying priority areas for protection (KBAs, PAs)

Purpose of including species maps on the Red List

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Known or inferred limits of the species’ distribution range

• Distribution depicted as polygons

• Means species probably only occurs within the polygon

• Does not mean species is distributed equally within the polygon or occurs everywhere in the polygon

What are we mapping?

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Mapping Protocols

The protocols differ slightly for species in different ecosystems:

Terrestrial Marine Freshwater

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1. Plot observation / locality data points

2. Expand the distribution considering knowledge of habitat preferences

3. Remove unsuitable/unoccupied habitat based on availability of suitable habitat, elevation limits, climate/temperature restrictions, other expert knowledge

Mapping terrestrial species

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Mapping terrestrial species

Preferred habitat is broadleaved, evergreen and deciduous forest.

Dark green: Tree cover, broad leaved and ever green

Light green: Tree cover, broadleaved, deciduous & closed

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Consider other factors that may limit the distribution (e.g. elevation, temperature, natural physical barriers)

Mapping terrestrial species

Extrapolation of observation records and expert knowledge suggeststhat the species is limited to these 2 habitat types.

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Mapping terrestrial species

Purple: Managed an cultivated land

Exclude unsuitable habitat

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EOOAOO

Extent of Suitable Habitat (ESH)

Mapping terrestrial species

Inferred range ?

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Mapping terrestrial species

Final Species distribution map

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Examples of unacceptable maps

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10 km

If there are less than 3 points, a minimum convex polygon cannot be created.

• Use habitat information to inform the mapOR

• If no habitat data is available and experts have no idea where the species might be found, draw a circle with a 10 km (radius) buffer as a polygon around the points.

• For coastal species, must exclude the sea (clip to the coastline).

• For small islands, capture the whole island

Mapping terrestrial species

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Mapping Marine species

1. Mapped using essentially the same process as terrestrial species

2. Bathymetry can be used to delineate species ranges limited by depth (much as elevation is used for terrestrial species).

3. For coastal species: draw a buffer of 50 km around the coastline.

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Mapping Freshwater SpeciesSpecies are mapped to catchments as they are considered to be the minimum management unit for freshwater conservation.

1. Add known observation/ locality points to map

2. Intersect points with catchment layer to identify “Extant” catchments

3. Use expert knowledge to identify presence codes for other catchments

4. Redefine range to take into account environmental factors, if necessary, and to buffer around rivers and estuaries.

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Base layer : WWF Hydrosheds (average basin size of 100 km2)

Mapping Freshwater Species

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1. Plot known observation/location point data on the basins.

Mapping Freshwater Species

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2. Select those basins as “native extant”.

Mapping Freshwater Species

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3. Use expert opinion and published data to define probably extant (inferred) basins.

Mapping Freshwater Species

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Mapping Freshwater Species

For species found only in a main river channel and not in the tributaries: use a 10 km buffer (20 km wide).

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Mapping Freshwater Species

For species only found in brackish water, estuaries and costal lagoons: add a 10 km buffer (10 km in width).

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Requirements for all maps:

• Data required in GIS format (Shapefile, Mapinfo, KMZ)• Files are named by the scientific name: genus_species• All polygons should be smoothed and checked for irregularities before

being submitted.• Attributes are required with spatial data.• GIS data required in Geographic coordinates

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Extent of occurrence (Criteria A and B)

• The area contained within the shortest continuous imaginary boundary which can be drawn to encompass all the known, inferred or projected sites of present occurrence of a taxon, excluding cases of vagrancy.

• This measure may exclude discontinuities or disjunctions within the overall distributions of taxa (e.g. large areas of obviously unsuitable habitat).

• Extent of occurrence can often be measured by a minimum convex polygon (the smallest polygon in which no internal angle exceeds 180 degrees and which contains all the sites of occurrence).

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Area of occupancy (Criteria A, B and D)

• The area within its 'extent of occurrence‘ which is occupied by a taxon, excluding cases of vagrancy.

• The measure reflects the fact that a taxon will not usually occur throughout the area of its extent of occurrence, which may contain unsuitable or unoccupied habitats.

• In some cases (e.g. irreplaceable colonial nesting sites, crucial feeding sites for migratory taxa) the area of occupancy is the smallest area essential at any stage to the survival of existing populations of a taxon.

• The size of the area of occupancy will be a function of the scale at which it is measured, and should be at a scale appropriate to relevant biological aspects of the taxon, the nature of threats and the available data.

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Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy

• (A) is the spatial distribution of known, inferred or projected sites of occurrence.

• (B) shows one possible boundary to the EXTENT OF OCCURRENCE, which is the measured area within this boundary.

• (C) shows one measure of AREA OF OCCUPANCY which can be measured by the sum of the occupied grid squares.

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Data attributes requirements

Field ESRI Field Type Description

ID_NO Integer Internal Record ID

BINOMIAL String Scientific name of the species

PRESENCE ShortInt Is/Was the species in this area, codes listed below

ORIGIN ShortInt Why/ How the species is in this area, codes listed below

SEASONAL ShortInt What is the seasonal presence of the species in the area, codes listed below

COMPILER StringName of the individual/s or institution responsible for generating the polygon, if not IUCN.

YEAR ShortInt Year in which the polygon was mapped or compiled, or modified

CITATION String Individual/s or institution responsible for providing the data

SOURCE String Source of distribution range given.

DIST_COMM String Distribution comments that refer directly to the polygon.

ISLAND String Name of the island the polygon is on

SUBSPECIES String Epithet

SUBPOP String Epithet

TAX_COMMEN StringTaxonomic comments that refer directly to the polygon. Includes notes on polygons pertaining to subspecies or subpopulations.

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Coded values for Presence, Origin & Seasonality

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Presence

1. Extant – The species is known or thought very likely to occur presently in the area, usually encompassing current or recent (post 1980) localities where suitable habitat at appropriate altitudes remains.

2. Probably Extant – The species’ presence is considered probable, either based on extrapolations of known records, or realistic inferences (e.g., based on distribution of suitable habitat at appropriate altitudes and proximity to areas where it is known or thought very likely to remain Extant). ‘Probably Extant’ ranges often extend beyond areas where the species is Extant, or may fall between them.

3. Possibly Extant: The species may possibly occur, and should be searched for, but there are no known records and less than probably occurrence. ‘Possibly Extant’ ranges often extend beyond areas where the species is Extant (q.v.) or Probably Extant (q.v.), or may fall between them.

4. Possibly Extinct – The species was formerly known or thought very likely to occur in the area, but it is most likely now extirpated from the area because habitat loss/other threats are thought likely to have extirpated the species and/or owing to a lack of records in the last 30 years.

5. Extinct – The species was formerly known or thought very likely to occur in the area, but there have been no records in the last 30 years and it is almost certain that the species no longer occurs, and/or habitat loss/other threats have almost certainly extirpated the species.

6. Presence Uncertain – The species was formerly known or thought very likely to occur in the area but it is no longer known whether it still occurs (usually because there have been no recent surveys).

Notes:• 1. These codes are mutually exclusive; a polygon coded as “Extant” cannot also be coded as “Extinct”.• 2. To obtain the total historical range of a species, one would sum polygons for Extant, Probably Extant,

Possibly Extinct, Extinct and Presence Uncertain, but not Possibly Extant.

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1. Native – The species is/was native to the area2. Reintroduced - The species is/was reintroduced through either direct

or indirect human activity.3. Introduced – The species is/was introduced outside of its historical

distribution range through either direct or indirect human activity.4. Vagrant – The species is/was recorded once or sporadically, but it is

known not to be native to the area.5. Origin Uncertain - The species’ provenance in an area is not known (it

may be native, reintroduced or introduced)

Notes:• These codes are mutually exclusive; a polygon coded as “Native” cannot also be

coded as “Introduced”.

Origin

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1. Resident – the species is/was known or thought very likely to be resident throughout the year

2. Breeding Season – The species is/was known or thought very likely to occur regularly during the breeding season and to breed.

3. Non-breeding Season – The species is/was known or thought very likely to occur regularly during the non-breeding season. In the Eurasian and North American contexts, this encompasses ‘winter’.

4. Passage – The species is/was known or thought very likely to occur regularly during a relatively short period(s) of the year on migration between breeding and non-breeding ranges.

5. Seasonal Occurrence Uncertain – The species is/was present, but it is not known if it is present during part or all of the year.

Seasonality