The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is the most detailed directory on the conservation status of plants and animals in the world. It is also called the Red Data Book, and was introduced in 1964.
The Red List is prepared on the basis of an assessment system that uses certain criteria to understand the risks of a given species. The criteria include the rate of population decline, geographical range, the surviving population size etc.
After a thorough study using these tools, the status of a species is determined. They could belong to any of the categories – extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, vulnerable, near threatened, least concern, data deficient or not evaluated.
Every five years, scientists check the conservation status. The Red List is subsequently updated with new data. This way, the information gathered helps governments and other agencies to prioritize their conservation efforts.
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