Measuring Terrestrial Area of Habitat (AOH) and Its Utility for the IUCN Red List

Abstract

© 2019 The Authors The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species includes assessment of extinction risk for 98 512 species, plus documentation of their range, habitat, elevation, and other factors. These range, habitat and elevation data can be matched with terrestrial land cover and elevation datasets to map the species’ area of habitat (AOH; also known as extent of suitable habitat; ESH). This differs from the two spatial metrics used for assessing extinction risk in the IUCN Red List criteria: extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). AOH can guide conservation, for example, through targeting areas for field surveys, assessing proportions of species’ habitat within protected areas, and monitoring habitat loss and fragmentation. We recommend that IUCN Red List assessments document AOH wherever practical.

Source or Periodical Title

Trends in Ecology and Evolution

ISSN

1695347

Page

977-986

Document Type

Article

Subject

area of habitat, area of occupancy, extent of occurrence, extent of suitable habitat, IUCN Red List, range map

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