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Posted 09 Apr 2025

2 min read

The Green Status complements the IUCN Red List by providing a tool for assessing the recovery of species and measuring their conservation success.

First Green Status assessment for the lion (Panthera leo)

  • Lion’s Green Status: Largely depleted, while the species remains Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
  • Human Impact: Human activities are preventing the lion from being ecologically functional across its range.
  • Extinct Regions: The lion is extinct in North Africa and Southwest Asia.
  • Conservation Success: Efforts in parts of West and Southern Central Africa, South Africa, and India have helped prevent likely extinctions.

IUCN Green Status of Species

  • Background of IUCN Green Status of Species: IUCN called for the creation of "Green Lists" to measure conservation success for species, ecosystems, and protected areas, at 2012 World Conservation Congress.
  • Purpose: 
  • Complementing the Red List: While the Red List focuses on extinction risk, Green Status adds insight into how species can recover and what conservation actions are required.
  • Highlighting Conservation Success: Even species with low extinction risk (e.g., Saltwater Crocodile) might still need recovery across their historical range, showing that conservation isn’t just about extinction prevention.
  • There are eight Green Status Categories: Extinct in the Wild, Critically Depleted, Largely Depleted, Moderately Depleted, Slightly Depleted, Fully Recovered, Non-Depleted and Indeterminate.
    • There are now over 100 IUCN Green Status of Species assessments on the IUCN Red List.

How Green Status Defines Species Recovery?

  • A species is fully recovered if:
    • It is present in all parts of its historical range (including areas lost due to human impact).
    • It is viable (not at risk of extinction) across its range.
    • It performs its ecological functions in all parts of its range.
  • These factors together give a "Green Score" (0–100%), indicating how close a species is to full recovery.
  • Tags :
  • Red List
  • Green Status
  • Panthera leo
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