Measuring and incentivizing recovery with the

IUCN Green Status of Species

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE

IUCN Green Status of Species Assessing recovery & conservation success

What is the Green Status of Species?

The IUCN Green Status of Species is the first standardized method for assessing species’ progress toward recovery. It was developed in response to Resolution WCC-2012-Res-041-EN, passed at the 2012 World Conservation Congress, which called for objective, transparent and repeatable criteria for systematically assessing successful conservation of species. The Green Status of Species recognises that although preventing extinction is the first critical step toward successful conservation, it is not the end goal. Rather, the true mark of success would be to recover species to the point where they can fulfill their ecological functions throughout their range - resulting in species that are not just surviving, but thriving.

The Green Status of Species has been approved by IUCN Council as a new component of the Red List of Threatened Species, working to tell a more complete conservation story of an individual species.

How does the Green Status of Species work?

The categories are based on the estimation of Green Scores, which range from 0% (representing a species that is Extinct in the Wild) to 100% (representing a Fully Recovered Species).

What does the Green Status of Species tell us?

The Green Status provides new metrics to the Red List, which will be featured on species profiles. • New Species Recovery Category shows how recovery status

compares to extinction risk and reflects depletion in abundance, distribution, and/or function relative to pre-human impact state.• Conservation Legacy indicates the importance of past

conservation for preventing decline or extinction• Conservation Dependence demonstrates how much status

is expected to decline over the next 10 years if conservation stops

• Conservation Gain predicts how much status is expected to improve over the next 10 years if conservation continues

• Recovery Potential reflects the biologically possible change in status over the next 100 years, informing planning

What are the latest developments?

A comprehensive explanation is provided in IUCN Green Status of Species: A global standard for measuring species recovery and assessing conservation impact.

The methods presented in this standard were developed over nearly a decade of discussion and three years of testing and workshopping engaging over 50 specialist groups, key stakeholder interviews, and a consultation of all IUCN members. The Red List website is being updated with Green Status assessment data.Cover and back photos © J. Yong, SLU

California Condor Gymnogyps californianus

The California Condor is currently far from recovery, though it should be celebrated that rigorous conservation efforts successfully saved the species from extinction (high Conservation Legacy). Over the short term, conservation progress will be slow— expected of a slow-breeding species, though conservation action over that time period will be critical to prevent extinction (high Conservation Dependence). But no need to despair- the species has high Recovery Potential, indicating that with continued conservation we could see a big rebound over the next century.

ZERO

MEDIUM

HIGH

LOW

NEGATIVE

CONSERVATION LEGACY

RECOVERY POTENTIAL

CONSERVATION GAIN

CONSERVATION DEPENDENCE

HIGH

ZERO

HIGH HIGH

Story Extinction Avoided

All photos © Wikimedia Commons

Pink PigeonNesoenas mayeri

The Pink Pigeon’s high Conservation Legacy represents how conservation saved this species from extinction — from a low point of around 10 birds across the species’ native range in Mauritius. Since 1990 the species has recovered to Moderately Depleted through sustained action. This success is reflected in the low Conservation Gain and Recovery Potential; future improvements will seem relatively small compared to what has already been achieved. A high Conservation Dependence reflects the continuing threats that must be managed if success is to be maintained.

ZERO

MEDIUM

HIGH

LOW

NEGATIVE

CONSERVATION LEGACY

RECOVERY POTENTIAL

CONSERVATION GAIN

CONSERVATION DEPENDENCE

HIGH HIGH

LOW LOW

Story Sustained Progress

All photos © Wikimedia Commons

Burrowing Bettong Bettongia lesueur

The Burrowing Bettong demonstrates how a species can be at low risk of extinction but also very far from recovery. Despite having one of the largest ranges of any Australian mammal, it disappeared rapidly due to predation by introduced species; by 1950 it survived on only four islands. The species has since been reintroduced to several key sites in predator-proof exclosures and its Red List status has improved. However its Green Status is still Critically Depleted; uncertainty around the development of successful control measures for invasive species makes its Recovery Potential indeterminate.

ZERO

MEDIUM

HIGH

LOW

NEGATIVE

CONSERVATION LEGACY

RECOVERY POTENTIAL

CONSERVATION GAIN

CONSERVATION DEPENDENCE

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

IND.

Story Stark Contrast

All photos © Daniela Parra / Flickr

River Clubtail Stylurus flavipes

The River Clubtail’s recovery is a testament to the power of environmental legislation. This dragonfly is widely distributed across Europe and Asia, but numbers fell in the 1900s as a result of water pollution, particularly in Western Europe. Effective regulation has improved water quality and overall river health, and has resulted in recovery of this species across its range. But caution is needed- if water quality decreases it will disappear again, so range states must maintain water quality regulations if the species and its river habitat are to remain Fully Recovered.

ZERO

MEDIUM

HIGH

LOW

NEGATIVE

CONSERVATION LEGACY

RECOVERY POTENTIAL

CONSERVATION GAIN

CONSERVATION DEPENDENCE

HIGH

ZERO

MEDIUM

ZERO

Story Clean Water, Clear Benefits

All photos © Wikimedia Commons

Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis

The Sumatran rhino has been Critically Endangered since 1996 and continues to decline - when faced with these facts, it can difficult to be optimistic. The low Conservation Legacy indicates conservation efforts so far have not been able to turn the tide. But the Recovery Potential provides hope: if we continue efforts to keep the species from extinction, advances in conservation breeding technology and understanding over the next century could unlock a rhino rebound, bolstering existing populations and even allowing reintroductions into parts of the range where the species has been long absent.

ZERO

MEDIUM

HIGH

LOW

NEGATIVE

CONSERVATION LEGACY

RECOVERY POTENTIAL

CONSERVATION GAIN

CONSERVATION DEPENDENCE

LOW

ZERO

HIGH

MEDIUM

Story Providing Hope

All photos © Bill Konstant

Kandelia obovata

Kandelia obovata is a mangrove native to the eastern Asian coast, ranging from Japan to the northern coast of Vietnam. Prior to World War II, the species was heavily harvested for timber, such that, while it was never in serious danger of complete extinction, in the year 1950 it was highly depleted throughout much of its range. However, a coordinated replanting effort across range countries, combined with introduction of protected areas, prevented further declines and has allowed the species to recover somewhat, a trend projected to continue into the future.

ZERO

MEDIUM

HIGH

LOW

NEGATIVE

CONSERVATION LEGACY

RECOVERY POTENTIAL

CONSERVATION GAIN

CONSERVATION DEPENDENCE

MEDIUMMEDIUM MEDIUMMEDIUM

Story On the Rise

All photos © J. Yong, SLU

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

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