Politics of National Red List Classifications: Challenging the Reclassification of Araucaria araucana

The IUCN Red List evaluates species’ extinction risk based on quantitative data about population size, distribution, and changes over time. Species are assigned to nine categories representing their conservation status. Using the case of the Pewen tree (Monkey Puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana) reclas...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Robert Petitpas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-04-01
Series:Conservation & Society
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/cs.cs_70_24
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850035999175868416
author Robert Petitpas
author_facet Robert Petitpas
author_sort Robert Petitpas
collection DOAJ
description The IUCN Red List evaluates species’ extinction risk based on quantitative data about population size, distribution, and changes over time. Species are assigned to nine categories representing their conservation status. Using the case of the Pewen tree (Monkey Puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana) reclassification in Chile from Vulnerable to Endangered, I analyse the reactions and negotiations among scientists, government officials, and Indigenous Pewenche people. Through interviews and a review of documents, I describe the discussions and negotiations before and during the reclassification, showing how different meanings of species endangerment affected the process. This research demonstrates that extinction risk categories are not a condition unveiled by data but are negotiated through estimations, assumptions, opinions, and consensus. Furthermore, actors beyond scientists and evaluators can dispute the meaning of a conservation status. Extinction risk lists are not just tools for measuring wild species’ conditions but are complex processes affected by political and cultural issues. Abstract in Spanish: rb.gy/wqghf1
format Article
id doaj-art-847fca8c2f894fab94438b4a9fc74006
institution DOAJ
issn 0972-4923
0975-3133
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Conservation & Society
spelling doaj-art-847fca8c2f894fab94438b4a9fc740062025-08-20T02:57:20ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsConservation & Society0972-49230975-31332025-04-01232637310.4103/cs.cs_70_24Politics of National Red List Classifications: Challenging the Reclassification of Araucaria araucanaRobert PetitpasThe IUCN Red List evaluates species’ extinction risk based on quantitative data about population size, distribution, and changes over time. Species are assigned to nine categories representing their conservation status. Using the case of the Pewen tree (Monkey Puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana) reclassification in Chile from Vulnerable to Endangered, I analyse the reactions and negotiations among scientists, government officials, and Indigenous Pewenche people. Through interviews and a review of documents, I describe the discussions and negotiations before and during the reclassification, showing how different meanings of species endangerment affected the process. This research demonstrates that extinction risk categories are not a condition unveiled by data but are negotiated through estimations, assumptions, opinions, and consensus. Furthermore, actors beyond scientists and evaluators can dispute the meaning of a conservation status. Extinction risk lists are not just tools for measuring wild species’ conditions but are complex processes affected by political and cultural issues. Abstract in Spanish: rb.gy/wqghf1https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/cs.cs_70_24araucaria araucanaconservation politicsextinction risk assessmentiucn red listpewenspecies reclassification
spellingShingle Robert Petitpas
Politics of National Red List Classifications: Challenging the Reclassification of Araucaria araucana
Conservation & Society
araucaria araucana
conservation politics
extinction risk assessment
iucn red list
pewen
species reclassification
title Politics of National Red List Classifications: Challenging the Reclassification of Araucaria araucana
title_full Politics of National Red List Classifications: Challenging the Reclassification of Araucaria araucana
title_fullStr Politics of National Red List Classifications: Challenging the Reclassification of Araucaria araucana
title_full_unstemmed Politics of National Red List Classifications: Challenging the Reclassification of Araucaria araucana
title_short Politics of National Red List Classifications: Challenging the Reclassification of Araucaria araucana
title_sort politics of national red list classifications challenging the reclassification of araucaria araucana
topic araucaria araucana
conservation politics
extinction risk assessment
iucn red list
pewen
species reclassification
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/cs.cs_70_24
work_keys_str_mv AT robertpetitpas politicsofnationalredlistclassificationschallengingthereclassificationofaraucariaaraucana