Guidelines for the application of IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Categories and Criteria : version 2.0

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is the global standard for ecosystem risk assessment and a framework for monitoring the status of the world’s ecosystems. It  is part of the growing toolbox for assessing risks to biodiversity and aims to support  conservation, resource use and management decisions by identifying ecosystems  most at risk of biodiversity loss. By targeting a level of biological organisation above  species, the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems complements The IUCN Red List of  Threatened Species™ in supporting biodiversity conservation decision-making and action. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Categories and Criteria are designed to be  widely applicable across ecosystem types and geographical areas, transparent and scientifically rigorous, and easily understood by policy makers and the public.