Rapid Least Concern: towards automating Red List assessments.

Area of Science:

• Conservation Biology
• Biodiversity Informatics
• Taxonomy and Systematics

Background:

• The IUCN Red List is crucial for conservation but suffers from incomplete species coverage, particularly for plants, fungi, and invertebrates.
• Manual Red List assessments are time-consuming, hindering conservation planning and biodiversity monitoring.
• Updated IUCN standards allow for faster documentation of 'Least Concern' species, presenting an opportunity for automation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a web application, Rapid Least Concern, to expedite the generation and documentation of Least Concern Red List assessments.
• To improve the coverage of the IUCN Red List by streamlining the assessment workflow for plant species.
• To provide a tool that utilizes open-access data to reduce the time and resources required for Red Listing.

Main Methods:

• Developed a web application, Rapid Least Concern, with a user-friendly interface.
• Integrated open-source datasets, including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Plants of the World Online (POWO).
• Enabled single-species or batch assessments using georeferenced occurrence data from GBIF or user-provided data.
• Generated output files (CSV and point map) compliant with IUCN Red List SIS Connect system requirements.

Main Results:

• The Rapid Least Concern application successfully automates the generation of data required for Least Concern Red List assessments.
• The application produces standardized CSV and point map files compatible with the IUCN Red List database submission system.
• Demonstrated a use-case for completing Red List assessments for the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of Bermuda.

Conclusions:

• Rapid Least Concern effectively addresses the bottleneck in generating and documenting Least Concern Red List assessments.
• The application has the potential to significantly expand Red List coverage, starting with plants and extendable to other taxa.
• This tool empowers conservationists by freeing up valuable time and resources for assessing threatened species.