IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology 2.0. Descriptive profiles for biomes and ecosystem functional groups

IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology 2.0. Descriptive profiles for biomes and ecosystem functional groups

Ecosystems are critically important components of Earth’s biological diversity and as the natural capital that sustains human life and well-being. Yet all of the world’s ecosystems show hallmarks of human influence, and many are under acute risks of collapse, with consequences for habitats of species, genetic diversity, ecosystem services, sustainable development and human well-being. The IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology is a hierarchical classification system that, in its upper levels, defines ecosystems by their convergent ecological functions and, in its lower levels, distinguishes ecosystems with contrasting assemblages of species engaged in those functions. This report describes the three upper levels of the hierarchy, which provide a framework for understanding and comparing the key ecological traits of functionally different ecosystems and their drivers. An understanding of these traits and drivers is essential to support ecosystem management. La Tipología de Ecosistemas Globales de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza es un sistema de clasificación jerárquica que, en sus niveles superiores, define los ecosistemas por sus funciones ecológicas convergentes y, en sus niveles inferiores, distingue los ecosistemas con conjuntos contrastantes de especies involucradas en esas funciones. Este informe describe los tres niveles superiores de la jerarquía, que proporcionan un marco para comprender y comparar los rasgos ecológicos clave de ecosistemas funcionalmente diferentes y sus impulsores. La comprensión de estos rasgos e impulsores es esencial para respaldar la gestión del ecosistema.