Which ecosystem types are assessed?

Reviews of the (Norwegian) Red List of Ecosystems are based on Nature in Norway (NiN 2.2). In addition to the assessment of NiN major and minor types, the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre has developed guidelines that provide for the identification and description of more ambiguous types. These ecosystems are influenced in ways that differ from the relevant major type. All ecosystem types that are assessed are called assessment entities. For each assessment entity, criteria are used to assess the risk of collapse. All nature in Norway, with the exception of strongly altered nature, is assessed.

There are four categories of assessment entities:

Assessment Entities Type 1.1

Red List assessment is to be undertaken for all major types at the ecosystem type level, with the exception of strongly altered nature. This encompasses 71 major types.

They are to be assessed with regard to all Red List criteria.

Assessment Entities Type 1.2

If it is the case that a minor type has as an estimated 20 or fewer occurrences i.e. that it qualifies for the category endangered EN in regard to the B2-criterion, an independent assessment of this minor type must be undertaken i.e. independent of the assessment of the major type. This means that the number of occurrences of each individual minor type must be estimated. In this context, the number of occurrences is defined as the number of 10 x 10 km² grids where the ecosystem type occurs. All minor types that satisfy this condition qualify as assessment entities.

They are to be assessed with regard to all Red List criteria.

Assessment Entities Type 1.3

If it is the case that a major type with variables from the descriptive system, or a minor type with or without variables from the descriptive system, is affected by a qualitatively different impact factor than the major type; and that this combination is also assessed as being able to be placed in a higher Red List category, it shall be assessed independently. The impact factor is qualitatively different when it provides a basis for placement in a Red List category that is at least one grade higher with regard to Red List criteria A, B1, B2, C, D and E.

An assessment entity of type 1.3 will thus be either a major type, or one or more combined minor types, or a major type or minor type(s) combined with variables from the descriptive system.

Variables from the descriptive system that can be used to define an assessment entity type 1.3 are (i) other local environmental variables (uLECs) than those that define the major or minor type or (ii) variables for relative partial species group composition (1AR-A and 1AR-H) or (iii) regional natural landscape variation. Variation in the ecological condition of an ecosystem cannot be used to define assessment entities because changes in ecological condition are included in the criteria for Red List assessment.

For minor types (and possibly also major types) that do not satisfy the requirements for assessment entity type 1.2, a separate assessment is carried out for entity types and combinations of:

1. Subordinate environmental variables (Norwegian only) (uLECs) that are included in the descriptive system for the major type 
2. Relative partial species group composition (Norwegian only) (1AR-A and 1AR-H)
3. Regional natural landscape variation (Norwegian only)

They are to be assessed with regard to all Red List criteria.

Assessment Entities Type 2

The descriptive system includes the main category landform (Norwegian only) that encompasses 100 landform entities. Landforms are more or less distinct terrain formations that can have common characteristics on the basis of qualities that are often due to a single or a combination of geomorphological processes. Landforms describe natural landscape variations or natural processes, and unlike natural system types are not defined on the basis of species composition and environmental variation. Therefore landform entities are not types in the NiN-system.

Red List assessments of the majority of landform entities are to be undertaken by a dedicated group of experts but individual landforms (e.g. mires) will be assessed by other expert committees. Landform entities shall not replace assessment entities type 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 but be regarded as equal assessment entities.

They are to be assessed with regard to Red List criteria A, B and E.