Ecosystem-level management is increasingly the focus of governments, NGOs and scientists, across fisheries, natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. Effective management relies on understanding the risks to... [ view full abstract ]
Ecosystem-level management is increasingly the focus of governments, NGOs and scientists, across fisheries, natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. Effective management relies on understanding the risks to biodiversity at the ecosystem-level. The Red List of Ecosystems was developed over the last decade to provide a set of transparent, repeatable and quantitative rules for assessing the risk of ecosystem collapse. This inclusive and scientific process included development of risk criteria, and their application to a wide range of ecosystems, and culminated in their formal adoption by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) in May 2014. The criteria assess (A) change in distribution, (B) restricted distribution, (C) change in abiotic processes, (D) change in biotic function, and (E) quantitative risk analysis through process-based modelling. Based on quantitative thresholds within each criterion, ecosystems can be placed in threat categories that mirror the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species threat classes: Collapsed (analogous to Extinct for species), Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened or Least Concern, or, if data are insufficient to allow an assessment, Data Deficient. In this presentation, I will give an overview of the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, and how the criteria can be applied, focussing on risk assessment of marine ecosystems. I will present several marine case studies, demonstrating the applicability to the criteria beyond terrestrial ecosystems (where most work has been done), including: the Coorong Lagoon, South Australia; coral reefs; and kelp forest ecosystems. I will discuss future directions and applications of the Red List of Ecosystems, including its integration with ecosystems services, plans for global assessments, and future research needs. The aim of the presentation is to gain feedback on the criteria in the context of marine ecosystems, and to seek further collaboration and input from marine scientists to expand robust assessments of marine ecosystems, to improve methods for tracking biodiversity change and focussing management efforts.
S3 - Monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the health of Australia’s marine environment:
