IUCN - Everything you need to know

Image Credit - IUCN Official Website

What is IUCN and its functions? - Everything About IUCN

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a global organization that works to conserve the natural world and promote sustainable use of natural resources. It was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Switzerland.

The IUCN is the world's largest and most diverse environmental network, with more than 1,400 member organizations, including governments, NGOs, and scientific institutions. 

The organization's mission is to "influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable."

The IUCN has several key functions, including:

1. Providing scientific and technical expertise on conservation issues, and developing conservation policies and strategies.
2. Conducting research and providing information on the status of endangered species and ecosystems, and promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
3. Providing technical support and capacity building to governments, NGOs, and local communities to implement conservation programs.
4. Advocating for conservation policies and practices at the national and international levels, and working to influence government policies and decisions.
5. Engaging with stakeholders and the public to raise awareness of conservation issues and promote public participation in conservation efforts.

 

IUCN Red List in Summery

The IUCN is best known for its Red List of Threatened Species, which is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the conservation status of plant and animal species. The Red List assesses the extinction risk of thousands of species and provides information on their distribution, habitat, and ecology. The IUCN also works on a range of other conservation issues, including climate change, protected areas, and sustainable use of natural resources.

In summary, the IUCN is an international organization that works to conserve the natural world and promote sustainable use of natural resources. It provides scientific and technical expertise on conservation issues, conducts research, advocates for conservation policies, and engages with stakeholders to raise awareness and promote public participation in conservation efforts.

 

What is IUCN Red List?

The IUCN Red List is a comprehensive database of the conservation status of species worldwide. It is maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and provides information on the threat level of various species of animals, plants, and fungi, based on a set of criteria that take into account their population size, distribution, and other factors that affect their survival.

The Red List is widely used as a tool for assessing the conservation status of different species, informing conservation decisions and policies, and raising awareness about the urgent need for biodiversity conservation.

The categories used in the Red List range from "Least Concern" to "Extinct," with several levels of threat in between, such as "Endangered," "Vulnerable," and "Critically Endangered."

 

What and How many species of India are mentioned in IUCN Red list?

India is a megadiverse country that is home to a wide range of plant and animal species, many of which are threatened or endangered. According to the latest assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2021, there are a total of 8,417 species of plants and animals in India that have been evaluated for their conservation status. 

Of these, 1,938 species are considered to be threatened with extinction, which represents about 23% of the total evaluated species in India.

The IUCN Red List of India includes a wide range of species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and plants. Some of the most threatened species in India include the Indian rhinoceros, the Bengal tiger, the Asian elephant, the Indian pangolin, and various species of primates, birds, and freshwater fishes. 

The Red List categories assigned to these species range from "Vulnerable" to "Critically Endangered," indicating their high risk of extinction unless urgent conservation measures are taken to protect them and their habitats.

 

Top 50 Plants in India that is included in IUCN Red List – Top 50 Indian Animals that are listed in IUCN Red List

50 animals:

1. Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
2. Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)
3. Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
4. Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata)
5. Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius)
6. Indian Wild Ass (Equus hemionus khur)
7. Himalayan Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus laniger)
8. Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina)
9. Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica)
10. Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)
11. Indian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes)
12. Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica)
13. Indian Gaur (Bos gaurus)
14. Indian Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus)
15. Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock)
16. Dhole (Cuon alpinus)
17. Indian Crested Porcupine (Hystrix indica)
18. Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)
19. Indian Spotted Chevrotain (Moschiola meminna)
20. Asiatic Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus)
21. Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus)
22. Slender Loris (Loris lydekkerianus)
23. Golden Jackal (Canis aureus)
24. Indian Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis)
25. Indian Chinkara (Gazella bennettii)
26. Indian Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia gangetica)
27. Indian Star Tortoise (Geochelone elegans)
28. Indian Python (Python molurus)
29. Indian Cobra (Naja naja)
30. King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)
31. Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus)
32. Indian Rock Python (Python molurus)
33. Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
34. Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura)
35. Blue-capped Rock Thrush (Monticola cinclorhynchus)
36. Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus)
37. Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis)
38. Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus)
39. Indian White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
40. White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis)
41. Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis)
42. White-rumped Spinetail (Zoonavena sylvatica)
43. Black-breasted Parrotbill (Paradoxornis flavirostris)
44. Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus)
45. White-bellied Blue Robin (Myiomela albiventris)
46. Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps)
47. Jerdon's Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus)
48. Forest Owlet (Heteroglaux blewitti)
49. Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)
50. Snowy-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula hyperythra)

 

50 plants:

1. Himalayan Yew (Taxus wallichiana)
2. Indian Sandalwood (Santalum
3. Indian Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
4. Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
5. Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)
6. Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus)
7. White Sandalwood (Santalum album)
8. Wild Pepper (Piper nigrum)
9. Indian Wild Rice (Zizania latifolia)
10. Indian Gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica)
11. Mysore Sandalwood (Santalum album)
12. Indian Barberry (Berberis aristata)
13. Wild Nutmeg (Myristica dactyloides)
14. Ceylon Ironwood (Mesua ferrea)
15. Indian Laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum)
16. Indian Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi)
17. Indian Madder (Rubia cordifolia)
18. Indian Sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus)
19. Indian Medlar (Mimusops elengi)
20. Indian Elm (Holoptelea integrifolia)
21. Himalayan Pine (Pinus roxburghii)
22. Indian Cork Tree (Millingtonia hortensis)
23. Indian Tinospora (Tinospora cordifolia)
24. Indian Kino (Pterocarpus marsupium)
25. Himalayan Cedar (Cedrus deodara)
26. Himalayan Blue Pine (Pinus wallichiana)
27. Indian Trumpet Flower (Oroxylum indicum)
28. Indian Coral Tree (Erythrina variegata)
29. Black Dammar (Canarium strictum)
30. White Dammar (Vateria indica)
31. Indian Redwood (Adina cordifolia)
32. Wild Indigo (Tephrosia purpurea)
33. Asiatic Wild Olive (Elaeocarpus sphaericus)
34. Himalayan Hemlock (Tsuga dumosa)
35. Indian Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans)
36. Indian Kudzu (Pueraria tuberosa)
37. Indian Asparagus (Asparagus racemosus)
38. Himalayan Snowball Tree (Viburnum nervosum)
39. Indian Aconite (Aconitum heterophyllum)
40. Indian Nightshade (Solanum xanthocarpum)
41. Indian Butter Tree (Madhuca longifolia)
42. Himalayan Birch (Betula utilis)
43. Indian Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana)
44. Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa)
45. Wild Tea (Camellia sinensis)
46. Indian Mistletoe (Dendrophthoe falcata)
47. Indian Bael (Aegle marmelos)
48. Indian Elm-leaved Spiraea (Spiraea canescens)
49. Indian Crocus (Crocus sativus)
50. Himalayan Rhubarb (Rheum australe)