File: Status iucn3.1 LC.svg

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Graphic diagram for the IUCN Red List categories.

World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List categories

Lower risk categories

2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1)	Description	1994 Categories & Criteria (version 2.3)
	Least Concern (LC or LR/lc), lowest risk. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.
	Near Threatened (NT or LR/nt), is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
No longer a Red List category	Conservation Dependent (LR/cd), the focus of a continuing taxon-specific or habitat-specific conservation programme targeted towards the taxon in question, the cessation of which would result in the taxon qualifying for one of the threatened categories below within a period of five years.

Threatened categories

2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1)	Description	1994 Categories & Criteria (version 2.3)
	Vulnerable (VU), considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild
	Endangered (EN), considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
	Critically Endangered (CR), facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Other categories

2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1)	Description	1994 Categories & Criteria (version 2.3)
	Extinct in the Wild (EW), known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized population (or populations) well outside the past range.
	Data Deficient (DD), inadequate information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction.
	Not Evaluated (NE), not yet been evaluated against the criteria.
	Possibly Extinct (PE), a category given by BirdLife International. A subcategory of CR.
	Possibly Extinct in the Wild (PEW), A term used within the IUCN Red List. A subcategory of CR.
	Extinct (EX), there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.

See also

• IUCN Red List
• Conservation status

Licensing

Graphic credit: Peter Halasz. (User:Pengo)

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