IUCN categories. Red List. Main directions of scientific research

The animal world is incredibly rich and diverse. Nevertheless, the gradual disappearance of many animal species continues every day, every minute.

Since 1600, many living organisms have become extinct. In 1627, the last round was killed near Warsaw, in 1788, the last round was destroyed in the vicinity of the Commander Islands. sea ​​cow, and in 1899 the last passenger pigeon was shot in the USA.

The black market for trade in wild animals and individual parts of their bodies flourished, and the riches of the Earth seemed inexhaustible. Many species died at the hands of poachers or simply because there were no suitable habitats left for them. The destructive process began to manifest itself with the greatest force at the end of the 20th century. and still going on. 1130 species of mammals, 1183 birds, 296 reptiles, 146 amphibians, 751 fish, 938 molluscs, 408 crustaceans, 10 arachnids, 555 insects, and many other species of invertebrates are endangered.

The Beiji river dolphin, the western black rhinoceros, the Mariana mallard, the Pyrenean ibex, the Alaotran grebe, the Caribbean monk seal and some other species have left the world of wildlife forever. Over the past centuries, 83 species of mammals, 128 birds, 21 reptiles, 5 amphibians, 81 fish, 291 molluscs, 8 crustaceans, 72 insects, 3 onychophora and 1 turbellaria have completely disappeared from the face of the planet.

In order for a person to know which living creatures require serious protection measures and need help, it was created.

The Red Book is an official document; it contains systematized information about representatives of flora and fauna that need protection. There are international, national and regional Red Data Books. Usually, each country, and sometimes a region or city, has a Red Book or Red List, because the conservation of a species as a whole directly depends on its position in a particular habitat.

The International Red Book () reflects global trends as much as possible, the threat to the existence of one or another taxon on the scale of the Earth. The local Red Books and lists tell about the state of affairs in a particular population in a certain area.

By the beginning of the XX century. the extinction and decline of many species has become such a serious problem that it is urgently needed to be addressed. In 1928, the International Bureau for the Protection of Nature was established in Brussels, and in 1948 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN; IUCN) was founded. In the second year of IUCN activity, the Commission on rare and endangered species (Species Survival Commission) was organized, the members of which were leading scientists from many countries.

The first pilot edition of the Red Book of the World was published in 1963 in a small edition. The second, more complete, edition, including five volumes, was published from 1966 to 1971. Today IUCN brings together 82 countries, 111 governmental and 800 non-governmental organizations. A huge number of scientists and research teams are working on the development and updating of the Red List, and commissions on Red Books have been established in many countries.

The author of the idea of ​​creating the Red Book was an English researcher, one of the founders of the World Fund Conservation of Wildlife, Chairman of the Commission on rare and endangered species Peter Scott. He suggested choosing red as a symbol of anxiety, danger and, at the same time, the desire for life.

The giant panda was the animal that inspired Peter Scott's iconic WWF emblem.

The third edition of the Red Book began to appear starting from 1972, and the last, fourth, was published from 1978 to 1980. Since 1988 appeared Alternative option- Red List of Threatened Species. The list is constantly updated with new information.

In this list, animals are divided into nine conservation statuses. Let's consider security categories in more detail.

EX (disappeared). The status is assigned to a species or subspecies that does not occur in nature, starting from the last officially recorded sighting. If the last member dies, the species is considered extinct. Unfortunately, the list of species with this status is quite long. This includes white-billed woodpecker, dodos, moas, heather grouse and many others.

EW (disappeared in wild nature). This status is assigned to taxa that have survived only in captivity. This is the last step before the critical line. The category includes blue macaw, deer of David, Saharan oryx, etc.

CR (critically endangered or critically endangered). The highest protection category, which is assigned to species preserved in the wild. Main criterion- reduction of the population by 80% within three generations. This conservation status assigned Amur leopard, Hawaiian monk seal, black rhinoceros, saiga.

EN (endangered or endangered species). This conservation status is assigned to those species and subspecies, the number of which is critically small, and the range is shrinking. These include the Iranian fallow deer, anoa, myriki, spectacled penguin, hyacinth macaw.

VU (in a vulnerable position). This category includes species that may be threatened with extinction in the near future. If the population of a species has decreased by 30% over the past three generations, it is assigned this conservation status. These include the small panda, the paradise crane, polar bear, mandrill and many others.

Over the past 100 years, the number spectacled penguins decreased by more than ten times. The species has been assigned the EN conservation status. This "sweet couple" still inspires hope that the species will not go into oblivion

NT (close to vulnerable). Currently, species or subspecies that have this conservation status are not on the verge of extinction, but in the near future they may be endangered. In the Red Book of the World, this status is assigned to narwhals, gray pelicans, tomato narrow-mouthed.

LC (Least Concern). The most optimistic conservation status. At the moment, these taxa are almost not threatened. But the number of local populations or their range may be reduced. These include the koala, bullfrog, bittern, satin bower and many others.

DD (not enough data)

NE (threat not assessed).

In the essay about a particular species, you can find out its systematic position, current conservation status, read the description appearance, lifestyle and biology, as well as some interesting facts.

IUCN Red List This article is about the Red Book - a list of rare and endangered species. This term has other meanings, see Red Book (meanings)

Red Book- an annotated list of rare and endangered animals, plants and fungi. Red Books are different levels- international, national and regional.

First organizational task protection of rare and endangered species - their inventory and accounting both on a global scale and in individual countries. Without this, it is impossible to proceed either to the theoretical development of the problem, or to practical recommendations to save certain species. The task is not easy, and even 30-35 years ago the first attempts were made to compile first regional and then world reports of rare and endangered species of animals and birds. However, the information was either too concise and contained only a list rare species, or, on the contrary, are very cumbersome, since they included all the available data on biology and presented a historical picture of the reduction in their ranges.

IUCN Red List

Editions of the Red Book of the WSOP

The first edition of the WSOP Red Data Book was published in 2009. It was a "pilot" edition with a small circulation. Its two volumes include information on 211 species and subspecies of mammals and 312 species and subspecies of birds. The Red Book was sent out according to a list of prominent statesmen and scientists. As you accumulate new information, as planned, additional sheets were sent to the addressees to replace the obsolete ones.

Three volumes of the second edition of the book appeared in - years. Now she had a "book" format (21.0 x 14.5 cm), but, like the first edition, she looked like a loose-leaf thick calendar, any sheet of which could be replaced by a new one. The book was still not designed for general sale, it was sent to the list of environmental institutions, organizations and individual scientists. The number of species listed in the second edition of the WSOP Red List has increased significantly, since over the past time has been collected Additional Information. The first volume of the book includes information about 236 species (292 subspecies) of mammals, the second - about 287 species (341 subspecies) of birds, and the third - about 119 species and subspecies of reptiles and 34 species and subspecies of amphibians.

Gradually, the Red Book of the VSOP was improved and replenished. The third edition, whose volumes began to appear in the year, already included information on 528 species and subspecies of mammals, 619 species of birds and 153 species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians. The heading of individual sheets was also changed. The first section is devoted to characterizing the status and state of the art species, subsequent - geographical distribution, population structure and abundance, characteristics of habitats, current and proposed protection measures, characteristics of animals kept in zoos, sources of information (literature). The book went on sale, and in connection with this, its circulation was sharply increased.

The last, fourth "type" edition, published in - years, includes 226 species and 79 subspecies of mammals, 181 species and 77 subspecies of birds, 77 species and 21 subspecies of reptiles, 35 species and 5 subspecies of amphibians, 168 species and 25 subspecies of fish. Among them, 7 restored species and subspecies of mammals, 4 - birds, 2 species of reptiles. The reduction in the number of forms in the latest edition of the Red Book was not only due to successful protection, but also as a result of more accurate information received in recent years.

Work on the Red Data Book of the WSOP continues. This is a document of permanent action, since the living conditions of animals are constantly changing and more and more new species can be in a catastrophic situation. At the same time, the efforts made by a person give good results, as evidenced by its green sheets.

Red List of Threatened Species

The second branch of the “bifurcation” of the idea of ​​the Red Book is the appearance of a completely new form information about rare animals in the form of a publication " Red Lists of Threatened Species" (eng. IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals ). They also come out under the auspices of the IUCN, but officially and practically they are not a version of the Red Book, they are not similar to it, although they are close to it. Such lists were published in , , , and years. The publication is carried out World Monitoring Center environment in Cambridge (UK) with the participation of more than a thousand members of the IUCN Rare Species Commission.

Structural basis new system form two main blocks: a) endangered taxa and b) low risk taxa (LC).

The first block is divided into three categories:

• taxa in critical condition (CR)
• endangered taxa (EN)
• taxa in vulnerability (VU)

In fact, these three categories are the main ones, warning about the seriousness of the loss of representatives of the taxon in the near future. It is they who make up the main array of taxa listed in the red books of various ranks.

The second block includes representatives who do not belong to any of the categories of the first group, and consists of the following categories:

• taxa depending on the degree and measures of protection (CD)
• taxa close to threatened (NT)
• taxa of minimum risk (LC)

Two more categories that are not directly related to protection problems stand somewhat apart:

• taxa completely extinct (EX)
• taxa surviving only in captivity (EW)

The IUCN Red Book, like the Red Lists, is not a legal (legal) document, but is exclusively advisory in nature. She covers animal world on a global scale and contains protection recommendations addressed to countries and governments in whose territories a threatening situation has developed for animals. These recommendations are inevitably, precisely because of the global scope, are of the most general, approximate nature.

• See also IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria

Red Book of the USSR

Red Book of the USSR came out in August. Its release was timed to coincide with the opening of the XIV IUCN General Assembly, held in the USSR (Ashgabat).

The Red Book of the USSR is divided into two parts. The first is devoted to animals, the second - to plants. The plan for heading sheets devoted to animals and plants is different.

For animals, the following headings are accepted:

• name and systematic position of the species
• status category
• geographical distribution
• characteristics of habitats and their current state
• abundance in nature
• characteristics of the reproduction process
• competitors, enemies and diseases
• reasons for the change in numbers
• number in captivity
• captive breeding characteristics
• protection measures taken
• necessary security measures
• information sources

All these rubrics are filled in for each species of rare animals. Thus, information on each species is more diverse than in the IUCN Red List. But in the first edition of the Red Book of the USSR, a more simplified scale of status categories was adopted. Only two categories are considered:

• endangered species ( Category A)
• rare species ( Category B)

Category A included, first of all, the species included in the IUCN Red List (third edition) and living on the territory of the USSR (this principle was preserved later). In total, 62 species and subspecies of mammals were listed in the Red Book of the USSR (25 forms were classified in category A and 37 in category B), 63 species of birds (26 species in category A and 37 in category B), 8 species of amphibians and 21 type of reptile. For each species, there is a drawing and distribution map on the corresponding sheet.

By itself, the Red Book of the USSR did not have the force of a state legal act. At the same time, in accordance with the Regulations on the Red Book of the USSR, the inclusion of any species in it meant the establishment of a ban on its extraction, imposed on the relevant government bodies obligations to protect both the species itself and its habitats. In this aspect, the Red Book of the USSR was the basis for the legislative protection of rare species. At the same time, it should be considered as a scientifically substantiated program of practical measures to save rare species.

The Red Book of the USSR, like the Red Book of the IUCN, had to be replenished and finalized, in accordance with the changes environmental situation in the country, the emergence of new knowledge about animals, the improvement of methods for their protection. Therefore, immediately after the publication of the Red Book of the USSR (and possibly even earlier), the collection of materials for its second edition began. Thanks to the extremely intensive work of a group of highly qualified specialists, the second edition was published six years after the first, in the year. It fundamentally differed from the first one both in structure and in the volume of material.

The difference was primarily in the fact that the range of large taxa of animals included in the new edition has significantly expanded. In particular, in addition to the four classes of terrestrial vertebrates, it included fish, arthropods, molluscs and annelids. The Red Book of Plants was published as a separate volume. In addition, instead of two categories of status, five were singled out, as in the third edition of the IUCN Red Book, and the wording of the categories was practically borrowed from it:

• Category I - endangered species, the salvation of which is impossible without the implementation of special measures.
• Category II - species whose numbers are still relatively high, but declining catastrophically fast, which in the near future may put them under the threat of extinction (that is, candidates for category I).
• Category III - rare species that are currently not yet threatened with extinction, but they are found in such small numbers or in such limited areas that they can disappear if the habitat is adversely changed under the influence of natural or anthropogenic factors.
• Category IV - species whose biology has not been studied enough, the number and condition are alarming, but the lack of information does not allow them to be attributed to any of the first categories.
• Category V - restored species, the state of which, thanks to the conservation measures taken, no longer causes concern, but they are not yet subject to commercial use and their populations require constant monitoring.

In total, 223 taxa were listed in this edition, including species, subspecies and populations of terrestrial vertebrates (the inclusion of subspecies and populations in this edition was also an innovation). By reach species composition fauna, these taxa were distributed as follows: mammals - 96 taxa, birds - 80, reptiles - 37 and amphibians - 9 taxa. In terms of status categories, the distribution was in principle fairly even: of the mammals, 21 taxa were assigned to the first category, 20 to the second, 40 to the third, 11 to the fourth and 4 to the fifth category; from the class of birds, respectively, 21, 24, 17, 14, and 4 taxa; from reptiles - 7, 7, 16, 6 and 1; from amphibians - 1, 6, and 2 (there were no taxa belonging to the fourth and fifth categories among amphibians).

This edition collected significant material on the biology of rare species, which is still used today. The same material to a large extent formed the basis of the Republican Red Data Books, and later in the Red Data Book. Russian Federation. This edition of the Red Book of the USSR was published after the adoption of the Law "On the Protection and Use of Wildlife", which meant the introduction of special measures for the protection of rare species.

Red Book of the Russian Federation

As a result of the collapse Soviet Union many normative legal acts have lost their legitimacy. After the formation of Russia as independent state and reforms of the whole system government controlled in the field of environmental protection, the question arose of preparing the publication of the Red Book of the Russian Federation on a new political and administrative basis. Behind scientific basis The Red Book of the Russian Federation was taken from the Red Book of the RSFSR, although it was a fundamentally new edition. The work of creating the Red Book of Russia was entrusted to the newly created Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. In 1999, a Commission on Rare and Endangered Species of Animals and Plants was established under the ministry, to which leading experts in the field of protection of rare species from various institutions in Moscow and other cities were involved.

Despite the fact that in 1992-1995 the name, structure and personnel of the ministry changed many times, the Commission on Rare Species did a lot of work. For example, it was decided to propose six categories of status:

• 0 - probably disappeared. Taxa and populations previously known from the territory (or water area) of the Russian Federation and whose presence in nature has not been confirmed (for invertebrates - in the last 100 years, for vertebrates - in the last 50 years).
• 1 - endangered. Taxa and populations whose numbers of individuals have decreased to a critical level in such a way that they may soon become extinct.
• 2 - declining in numbers. Taxa and populations with steadily declining numbers, which, with further exposure to factors that reduce abundance, can quickly fall into the category of endangered.
• 3 - rare. Taxa and populations that are small and distributed over a limited area (or water area) or sporadically distributed over large areas (water areas).
• 4 - undetermined by status. Taxa and populations that probably belong to one of the previous categories, but there is currently no sufficient information about their state in nature, or they do not fully meet the criteria of all other categories.
• 5 - recoverable and recoverable. Taxa and populations, the abundance and distribution of which are influenced by natural causes or as a result of measures taken the guards have begun to recover and are approaching a state where they will not need urgent conservation and restoration measures.

Standard rules for compiling essays (lists) by species (subspecies, populations) were developed, illustrative materials were regulated, and the lists of species recommended for inclusion in the Red Book of Russia were revised and supplemented. In total, according to the first option, 407 species (subspecies, populations) of animals were recommended, including 155 species of invertebrates (including insects), 43 species of cyclostomes and fish, 8 species of amphibians, 20 species of reptiles, 118 species of birds and 63 species of mammals. 9 taxa were categorized as extinct and 42 taxa were proposed for exclusion in comparison with the list of the Red Book of the RSFSR. In addition, a list of taxa in need of special control in nature was created. Essays (sheets) on individual taxa have been collected and edited. In general, the preparation of the manuscript by 1995 was almost completed.

Regional Red Books in Russia

Since the second half of the 1980s, the USSR began compiling regional books on rare species of animals and plants on the scale of republics, territories, regions, autonomous regions. This was due to the need for immediate protection of a number of species and forms of animals and plants, perhaps not rare in the country, but rare in certain regions, as well as the independence of local authorities rapidly growing in these years and the desire to independently solve their environmental problems. It was expedient to give such regional books about rare animals the status of regional Red Books. It strengthened them legal status and increased practical impact on society. This was of particular importance for national autonomies.

In essence, there is only one non-regional Red Book on Earth: it is the IUCN Red Book - the only one that provides information on rare species within the entire range. Only in this case we are talking about the planetary conservation of rare species. All other national Red Books are regional, only their territorial scope is different. For example, in the Red Book of the USSR (now it is Russia, the CIS countries and the Baltic States), out of 80 bird species, less than 20 are listed in the IUCN Red Book, and the rest are, therefore, regionally rare.

National Red Books, with rare exceptions, provide information only on parts of the ranges of species and subspecies of animals and plants. Only in cases with narrow-range species can we talk about the preservation of the world gene pool on the scale of a particular national or even regional Red Book. It's good enough for animals. a rare event(for example, Russian desman or endemics of Lake Baikal).

As a rule, the larger the region, the more significant it is for wildlife conservation. The exception is some relatively small areas with exceptional biological diversity, an abundance of endemic species or species that are rare and disappearing on a global scale. These are, for example, the Caucasus, Altai, the south of the Far East, some regions of Central Asia.

In the 1990s-2000s, a number of new regional Red Books of various administrative levels appeared. Moreover, it should be noted that in terms of their scientific, environmental and printing levels, the Red Data Books of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine are significantly superior to their predecessors of the Soviet period.

The following editions were published in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation:

There are several groups in the world international organizations involved in environmental protection:

1. organizations of the UN system;
2. intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations;
3. systems for monitoring and monitoring the state of the environment;
4. scientific and educational establishments involved in the study of this problem.

International Union for Conservation of Nature - IUCN(International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN), founded in 1948 at the initiative of UNESCO, is the world's oldest and largest independent international non-profit organization. supreme body - General Assembly. Since 1979, the official policy document of the IUCN is the World Conservation Strategy. Union unites 82 sovereign states, 111 government agencies, 800 non-governmental organizations, 35 associate members and approximately 11,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries. The Union consists of six scientific commissions and the Secretariat. The IUCN Secretariat employs approximately 1,000 staff, most of whom are located in 60 regional and country offices located in 45 countries around the world. About 100 people work at the IUCN world headquarters located in Gland (Switzerland).

IUCN's mission: to lead and promote the global conservation movement to maintain the integrity and conservation of wildlife diversity and ensure human use natural resources on a sustainable and reasonable basis.

In accordance with the mission of the IUCN is ready for constructive cooperation with any organization that seeks to preserve nature and natural resources.

IUCN Goals:

1. combating the extinction crisis. The extinction crisis and the enormous loss of biodiversity are perceived as a global concern and responsibility leading to action to reduce the loss of intraspecific, interspecific and ecosystem biodiversity;
2. maintaining the integrity of ecosystems. Maintaining and restoring ecosystems, as needed, and ensuring that natural resources are used in a sustainable and prudent manner.

As part of international conventions IUCN has assisted over 75 countries in the preparation and implementation of national environmental strategies and action plans.

The IUCN has developed a forest program aimed at the conservation of forests, which includes the protection, restoration and use forest resources to ensure that forests provide a wide potential range of goods and services.

One of the main areas of work is the development of a coherent and informed policy for the conservation of forests to translate political decisions into effective actions. The IUCN often advises large organizations working on forest issues to ensure that forest conservation priorities are taken into account in their projects and programs. The Forest Program receives financial support from the governments of the Netherlands, Canada, and the USA.

To improve the financing and implementation of environmental projects in Russia and other CIS countries within the framework of the European regional program by decision Director General In 1994, the Moscow Office for the CIS countries was opened in Moscow, and in 1999 - the IUCN Representative Office for the CIS countries. The priority areas of work of the Representative Office were determined:

Conservation of forest biodiversity and rational use forests;

Creation of an ecological network of Northern Eurasia;

Conservation of rare and endangered species;

Development of sustainable agricultural practices;

Arctic program.

Since 1966, the IUCN Species Survival Commission, in cooperation with other conservation organizations, has been publishing issues of the International Red Book dedicated to various systematic groups animals of the world or regional fauna (Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals of America and Australasia, Invertebrates, Butterflies, sailboats, etc.).

Of great importance were the publications of IUCN in 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1996. Red Lists of Endangered Animals (IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals), as well as the Red List of Threatened Species (2000, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species). The MCOII International Red List is a periodically updated global catalog of species, subspecies and populations of animals, categorized by threat of extinction, indicating the main criteria for assessing their status. An analysis of the process of depletion of the world fauna, given in the international Red List (2000), shows that over the past four centuries, 83 species of mammals, 128 birds, 21 reptiles, 5 amphibians, 81 fish, 291 mollusks have completely disappeared from the face of the planet. , 8 - crustaceans, 72 - insects, 3 - onychophora and 1 species of turbellaria. In addition, 33 species of animals (mainly fish and shellfish) have disappeared in the wild and have survived only in cultivation. This destructive process began to manifest itself with the greatest force at the end of the last century. Under the threat of extinction are the ISO species of mammals, 1183 - birds, 296 - reptiles, 146 - amphibians, 751 - fish, 938 - mollusks, 408 - crustaceans, 10 - arachnids, 555 - insects, about 20 other species of invertebrates.

The release of the first issues of the International Red Book gave a powerful impetus to the creation of national and regional Red Books and lists. Now such publications have many states of Europe, Central and South-East Asia, USA, South America, South Africa and also Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, etc.

Red Book- an annotated list of rare and endangered or extinct animals , plants And mushrooms.

The Red Book is the main document that summarizes materials on the current state of rare and endangered species of plants and animals, on the basis of which the development of scientific and practical measures aimed at their protection, reproduction and rational use is carried out.

The Red Book includes plant and animal species that constantly or temporarily grow, or live in natural conditions in a certain territory (mainly the territory of a single country), and are endangered. Species of animals and plants listed in the Red Book are subject to special protection throughout the entire territory taken, which is covered by a specific edition of the Red Book.

Red Books are of various levels - international, national and regional.

IUCN Red List

Gradually, the IUCN Red List was improved and replenished. In the third edition, the volumes of which began to appear in 1972, data were already included on 528 species and subspecies of mammals, 619 species of birds and 153 species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians. The heading of individual sheets was also changed. The first section is devoted to the characteristics of the status and current state of the species, the next - to the geographical distribution, population structure and abundance, characteristics of habitats, current and proposed conservation measures, characteristics of animals kept in zoos, sources of information (literature). The book went on sale, and in connection with this, its circulation was sharply increased.

The last, fourth "typical" edition, published in - 1980s, includes 226 species and 79 subspecies of mammals, 181 species and 77 subspecies of birds, 77 species and 21 subspecies of reptiles, 35 species and 5 subspecies of amphibians, 168 species and 25 subspecies fish. Among them, 7 restored species and subspecies of mammals, 4 - birds, 2 species of reptiles. The reduction in the number of forms in the latest edition of the Red Book was not only due to successful protection, but also as a result of more accurate information received in recent years.

Work on the IUCN Red List continues. This is a permanent document, as the living conditions of animals change and more and more new species can be in a catastrophic situation. At the same time, the efforts made by a person give good results, as evidenced by its green sheets.

Red List of Threatened Species

The second branch of the “bifurcation” of the idea of ​​the Red Book is the emergence of a completely new form of information about rare animals in the form of a publication “ Red Lists of Threatened Species» ( English IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals). They are also issued under the auspices of the IUCN ( International Union Nature Protection), but officially and practically they are not a variant of the Red Book, they are not similar to it, although they are close to it. Such lists are published in , , , and 1998. The publication is carried out World Environmental Monitoring Center V Cambridge (Great Britain) with the participation of more than a thousand members of the Commission on rare species of IUCN.

The structural basis of the new system is formed by two main blocks: a) endangered taxa and b) low risk taxa (LC).

The first block is divided into three categories:

• Taxa on the brink of extinction(CR, from Critically Endangered)
• Endangered taxa(EN, from Endangered)
• Vulnerable taxa(VU, from Vulnerable)

These three categories are the main ones, warning about the seriousness of the loss of representatives of the taxon in the near future. It is they who make up the main array of taxa listed in the red books of various ranks.

The second block includes representatives who do not belong to any of the categories of the first group, and consists of the following categories:

• Taxa close to vulnerable(NT, from Near Threatened)
• Taxa of Least Concern(LC, from Least Concern)

Previously, this block also included the status taxa dependent on conservation efforts(CD, from Conservation Dependent), but as of 2001 this status is no longer given - some taxa have been reclassified as Near Vulnerable (NT), for some the reclassification has not yet taken place and the status is retained.

Two more categories that are not directly related to protection problems stand somewhat apart:

• Extinct taxa(EX, from Extinct)
• Taxa that have disappeared in the wild(EW, from Extinct in the Wild)

• Taxa for which there is insufficient data to assess threat(DD, from Data Deficient)
• Taxa not assessed for threat(NE, from Not Evaluated)

The IUCN Red Book, like the Red Lists, is not a legal (legal) document, but is exclusively advisory in nature. It covers the animal world on a global scale and contains protection recommendations addressed to countries and governments in whose territories a threatening situation has developed for animals. These recommendations are inevitably, precisely because of the global scope, are of the most general, approximate nature.

Red Books of the countries of the world

Unlike most Red Data Books of both world and national levels, the inclusion of species in the Red Data Book of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and other post-Soviet countries automatically entails the emergence of legislative protection for these species. Since the Red Books in the post-Soviet countries are legally significant documents, and practical guides and tools for the protection of rare species. In similar editions of other countries, the inclusion of species in the Red Book does not always mean taking it under state protection.

In the United States, there is no Red Book as such, it is replaced by the Endangered Species Act, adopted in 1973. According to it, the construction of any structures is prohibited if it is proved that as a result of this, the habitat of a rare species will be destroyed. Another difference of the law is that if the species subject to protection are difficult to distinguish from each other, then common species that are similar to rare ones are also subject to protection. The law prohibits trade in rare species, and also provides the United States with the opportunity to encourage, including financially, foreign countries to take measures to protect rare species.

The Red Book of Russia

"Red Book of the Russian Federation" - an annotated list of rare and endangered animals, plants and fungi living in the territory of the Russian Federation.