RAMAS Red List 3.0

RAMAS Red List implements IUCN threatened species criteria (IUCN 2001), which are rules for assigning species into categories representing different level of threat. The IUCN rules are based on information about such characteristics as number and distribution of individuals, fluctuations and decline in abundance and distribution, and risk of extinction. These characteristics are used as input data; the output is a classification into one of the categories, such as Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, or Least Concern. RAMAS Red List implements the rules as used by the IUCN, and also allows explicitly incorporating uncertainties in the input data. Input data such as the number of mature individuals can be specified either as a number, or as a range of numbers, or a range of numbers plus a best estimate. RAMAS Red List propagates these uncertainties. Depending on the uncertainties, the resulting classification can be a single category, or a range of plausible categories.