Using the STAR metric to support nature-positive outcomes : guidance for civil society organizations
Auteur moral
Union mondiale pour la nature
Auteur secondaire
Résumé
"This guidance provides an overview of the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric and the range of ways in which civil society organisations (CSOs) can use it to support their work for biodiversity conservation. The guidance is relevant for any CSO involved in advocating, researching, funding, planning,implementing or monitoring the protection or restoration of nature. This includes among others subnational, national or international Non-government Organisations (NGOs), Indigenous Peoples associations, local community groups, research or policy institutes, foundations, other conservation funders, and any non-state, noncommercial actors working towards nature-positive objectives. This guidance is also relevant for CSOs working in partnership with business or government institutions. Complementary STAR guidance is available for the private and public sectors. STAR datasets, and applications of the metric, continue to develop rapidly. Guidance updates and new examples will be posted on IUCN's conservation tools web page."
Editeur
UICN
Descripteur Urbamet
Descripteur écoplanete
fiscalité environnementale
;incitation fiscale
;impact sur l'environnement
Thème
Administration publique
;Economie
;Environnement - Nature
;Environnement - Paysage
;Ressources - Nuisances
Texte intégral
USING THE STAR
METRIC TO
SUPPORT
NATURE-POSITIVE
OUTCOMES
Powered
by
Guidance for Civil
Society Organizations
Acknowledgments
Cover photograph
Development of this guidance was supported by Global
Affairs Canada through their Partnering for Climate support to
the NAbSA (Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation:
Monitoring & Impact Evaluation) project coordinated by IUCN
We thank the Indigenous Peoples? organizations of Central
America, members of IUCN; Arturo Arreola (IDESMAC);
and the European Union and the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency, whose support made
possible the knowledge dialogue with Indigenous Peoples
presented in this guide.
Credits
Compiled by Leon Bennun (Naturaleon) and Randall Jimenez
Quiros (IUCN), supported by the IUCN Centre for Science and
Knowledge.
© 2025 IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature
and Natural Resources
Design by Colmena Lab
Cite as: IUCN (2025) Using the STAR metric to support
nature-positive outcomes: guidance for civil society
organizations. UICN.
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INDEX
of Sections and
Subsections
STAR Guidance
for Civil Society
Organizations
01 ?
WHO IS THIS
GUIDANCE FOR?
02 ?
The context for STAR
2.1
2.2
Nature Positive and
the KMGBF
Global species goals
and targets
01-03
03 ?
WHAT IS STAR?
3.1
Estimated,
Calibrated, Target,
and Realised STAR
3.2 The STAR global layers
04 ?
HOW STAR CAN SUPPORT CSO
CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES
4.1
4.4
4.2
4.5
4.3
4.6
Prioritise effort and investment
Quantify and aggregate contributions
Map sensitivity and inform spatial planning
Mobilise resources
Plan and target effective interventions
Engagement with business and government
INDEX
3.3 How STAR works to reduce global extinction risk
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
03-05
06 ?
USING AND
INTERPRETING STAR
INDEX
Estimated STAR
Restoration STAR (STARR)
Calibrated and Target STAR
Realised STAR
05-06
5.2
6.1
6.2
6.3
05 ?
HOW ARE STAR SCORES
CALCULATED?
Threat abatement STAR (START)5.1
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Case example: assessing the potential of a suite of
restoration sites to contribute to species extinction
risk reduction
6.4
Case example: using STAR to provide policy
recommendations in Colombia
Case example: calibrating START for San José
Northern Subcatchments landscape, Costa Rica
INDEX 06
6.7
6.8
6.8.1 Context
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Case example: using STAR to identify key threat
types and target intervention approaches across a
suite of project locations in West Africa
Case example: weaving STAR into a new
conservation framework for Indigenous Territories
in Mesoamerica
6.5
6.6
6.8.2 Process
INDEX 07
STAR focuses on threatened species
STAR scores have a skewed distribution
Global STAR only includes fully-assessed
species groups
7.1
7.2
7.3
07 ?
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN
USING STAR
Geographic variation in species life-cycle
stages is not fully reflected in STAR
Estimated STAR makes some
simplifying assumptions
7.4
7.5
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
6.8.3
6.8.4
Results
Lessons
INDEX
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
IUCN Green Status
National Red Lists
Other metrics focused on
species extinction risk
8.1
8.2
8.3
08 ?
OTHER APPROACHES AND
METRICS TO COMPLEMENT STAR
07-08
STAR scores are comparable only
when based on the same datasets
Some threatened species require
additional targeted interventions
7.6
7.7
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
09 ?
GLOSSARY
10 ?
REFERENCES
11 ?
ANNEX I: STAR METHODOLOGY AND
UNDERPINNING DATA
INDEX 09-11
FIGURES
Different elements of the global STAR metric and how Estimated STAR
relates to Calibrated, Target and Realised STAR.
Updated START terrestrial global layer (version July 2025) for threat
abatement, mapped for c. 1-km grid cells.
Outline of the steps in calculating START scores for a
defined Area of Interest.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Conceptual outline of the 'STAR ratchet', an iterative process of
assessment and action to reduce species extinction risk tenfold by 2050.
Figure 3
STAR weighting ranges from 1 to 4 based on a species'
Red List threat status.
Figure 4
Figure 5
Example of START scores disaggregated by threat types, for the
hypothetical Area of Interest and species shown in Figure 5.
Figure 6
Example Estimated START map for a defined Area of Interest
(the Udzungwa Mountains Landscape, in Tanzania).
Figure 7
FIGURES AND TABLES INDEX
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Overview of the START calibration process,
illustrated by a hypothetical example.
Figure 8
FIGURES
A simple example illustrating the approach for setting Target
STAR and assessing Realised STAR.
Key threat types identified using Estimated STAR for
three NAbSA-initiative projects across a suite of spatial
locations in West Africa.
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 12
Figure 11
Figure 13
Results from categorisation of START scores and opportunity
cost for conservation (OCC) across municipalities within different
natural regions of Colombia.
Summary of key recommendations for the effective use of STAR
to support biodiversity conservation in Indigenous Territories in
Mesoamerica.
The global frequency distribution of Estimated START
scores for terrestrial 1-km grid cells.
FIGURES AND TABLES INDEX
The IUCN Red List categories of threat have both a scientific and an
Indigenous Knowledge interpretation in Mesoamerica.
Table 1
TABLESFIGURES AND TABLES INDEX
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
WHO IS THIS
GUIDANCE
FOR?01
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Northern King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)
VULNERABLE © Rohit Giri (CC BY-NC)
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13STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
This guidance provides an
overview of the Species Threat
Abatement and Restoration
(STAR) metric and the range
of ways in which civil society
organisations (CSOs) can use it to
support their work for biodiversity
conservation.
The guidance is relevant for
any CSO involved in advocating,
researching, funding, planning,
implementing or monitoring the
protection or restoration of nature.
This includes among others sub-
national, national or international
Non-government Organisations
(NGOs), Indigenous Peoples
associations, local community
groups, research or policy institutes,
foundations, other conservation
funders, and any non-state, non-
commercial actors working towards
nature-positive objectives.
This guidance is also relevant for
CSOs working in partnership with
business or government institutions.
Complementary STAR guidance
is available for the private and
public sectors.
STAR datasets, and applications
of the metric, continue to develop
rapidly. Guidance updates and
new examples will be posted
on IUCN?s conservation tools
web page.
Who is this guidance for?
Espada's Rocket Frog (Hyloxalus pulchellus) - NEAR THREATENED - © Demian Hiß (CC BY)
https://iucn.org/resources/conservation-tool/species-threat-abatement-and-restoration-star-metric
https://iucn.org/resources/conservation-tool/species-threat-abatement-and-restoration-star-metric
The context
for STAR 02
© Álvaro San José Elizundia
(CC BY-NC)
Diamond Stingray (Hypanus dipterurus)
VULNERABLE
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
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15STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
The concept of Nature Positive,
originating from civil society,
represents an aspirational, inclusive
and intuitive summary of societal
goals for nature.1 The Nature
Positive Initiative, of which IUCN is a
partner, defines Nature Positive as
the global societal goal to halt and
reverse nature loss by 2030 on a
2020 baseline, and achieve full
recovery by 2050.
The Nature Positive goal has been
given formal policy expression,
and a plan of action agreed by
the world?s governments, through
the Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF)
adopted at the 15th meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD COP15) in December 2022.
The KMGBF is structured around
four outcome goals for 2050 and
23 action targets to be urgently
implemented by 2030. The targets
and goals provide a coherent
collective basis for achieving the
KMGBF mission to ?halt and
reverse biodiversity loss and put
nature on the path to recovery?
by 2030, and the vision of ?living
in harmony with nature? by
2050. The targets cover a broad set
of actions to reduce direct threats,
ensure sustainable use, and put in
place the mechanisms for effective
biodiversity conservation.
Section C of the KMGBF, on
considerations for implementations,
stresses the need for a whole-of-
society approach, as ?a framework
for all - (?) the whole of society?,
with success relying on ?actions
and cooperation by all levels of
government and by all actors of
society?. Governments are urged
to foster ?the full and effective
contributions of women, youth,
Indigenous Peoples and local
communities, civil society
organizations, the private
and financial sector, and
stakeholders from all other
sectors.?
Unlike governments, CSOs
have no obligation to plan their
actions and report on outcomes
in relation to the KMGBF?s goals,
targets and indicators. However,
for CSOs focused on biodiversity
conservation the KMGBF provides
a platform for effective advocacy
and resource mobilization, and for
clearly demonstrating their nature-
positive contributions.
The context for STAR
2.1
Nature Positive and
the KMGBF
1 IUCN 2025.
https://www.naturepositive.org/
https://www.naturepositive.org/
https://www.cbd.int/gbf
https://www.cbd.int/gbf
16STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
The CBD recognises genes, species
and ecosystems as the components
of biological diversity. Similarly,
achieving the Nature Positive
goal requires improvement in the
abundance, diversity, integrity and
resilience of species, ecosystems
and natural processes. A key part of
putting nature on a path to recovery
is to safeguard species, and
reducing species? risk of extinction
is fundamental for this.
KMGBF Goal A aims to halt
human-induced extinction of
known threatened species and
reduce the extinction rate and risk
of all species tenfold by 2050.
KMGBF Target 4, which aims to
ensure urgent management actions
to halt human induced extinction of
known threatened species and for
the recovery and conservation of
species, is also highly relevant here.
KMGBF Target 2 on restoration,
Target 3 on protection of important
sites and Targets 5?8 on reducing
threats from unsustainable harvest,
invasive alien species, pollution,
and climate change, respectively,
are also relevant.
STAR was designed to guide
actions to reduce global extinction
risk, and so directly supports
implementation and measurement
of actions towards KMGBF Goal A.
It is relevant also to the strategic
goals of many other multilateral
environmental agreements2,
including the Ramsar Convention,
Convention on Migratory Species,
World Heritage Convention
and UN Convention to Combat
Desertification; and to the
Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), specifically SDG Target 15.5
on halting extinction.
2.2
Global species
goals and targets
The context for STAR
2 More detail of how STAR can support a range of targets in the KMGBF and other MEAs is provided in Annex II of the companion STAR guidance
document for governments.
COSTA RICA / © Pexels Diego Madrigal
WHAT IS
STAR?03
© Wilfredorrh (CC BY-NC-ND)
Ateles hybridus
ENDANGERED
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
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19STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
STAR stands for ?Species Threat
Abatement and Restoration?.
It is a global biodiversity metric
based on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species, calculated in
a standardised way using spatially
explicit data.
STAR combines data on the current
and former presence of threatened
and near-threatened species,
the threats they face and their
risk of extinction, to produce two
complementary global data layers
for threat abatement (START) and
restoration (STARR). The STAR
methodology generates STAR scores,
and for any given Area of Interest
the scores indicate the potential
contribution of relevant actions
in that area to reduce species
extinction risk, through either threat
abatement or restoration.
STAR scores can be broken down
into scores for specific threats,
What is STAR?
based on Red List information
on the intensity of threats facing
individual species. This enables
identification of targeted actions
needed to abate those threats,
and comparison of their potential
contribution to reducing extinction
risk. STAR scores are additive,
comparable and scaleable across
different threats, and across all
geographies, creating a versatile
metric for planning and outcome
assessment.
In the KMGBF Monitoring Framework, STAR supports the
headline Red List Index (RLI) as a complementary indicator.
Both indicators are derived from the IUCN Red List, an
authoritative global biodiversity dataset for species, but
they have quite distinct roles. The RLI tracks changes in the
aggregate extinction risk of species, showing improvements
or deteriorations. The RLI indicates overall progress towards
reducing species extinction risk at a national, regional or
global level. It is not applicable at small scales and responds
relatively slowly to change. In contrast, STAR is fully scalable
and provides a quantitative score that can be broken down by
threat type to help identify and prioritise conservation action.
Mainland Clouded Leopard
(Neofelis nebulosa)
VULNERABLE
© Cloudtail the Snow Leopard
Box A:
STAR
and the
RLI
https://iucn.org/regions/washington-dc-office/our-work/species-threat-abatement-and-recovery-star-metric%22%20/l%20%22:~:text=The%20STAR*%20measures%20the%20contribution,outcomes%20and%20contribute%20to%20global
https://iucn.org/regions/washington-dc-office/our-work/species-threat-abatement-and-recovery-star-metric%22%20/l%20%22:~:text=The%20STAR*%20measures%20the%20contribution,outcomes%20and%20contribute%20to%20global
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
México / © UICN - Eric Ecker
21STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
3.1
3.2
Estimated, Calibrated, Target
and Realised STAR
The STAR global layers
STAR scores in the global layers
are called Estimated STAR
because they provide an estimate
of local STAR values based
on global datasets, under the
assumption that species occur
uniformly throughout their mapped
Area of Habitat, and species-
specific threats are uniform across
their entire range (section 6.1).
Estimated STAR provides a sound
basis for target-setting and
prioritisation. When planning specific
interventions, Estimated STAR
values need to be calibrated using
site-specific data (which might
include local knowledge and further
surveys) to check the presence
of species and threats, and actual
START scores have been generated
globally for the terrestrial,
freshwater and marine realms.
STARR scores have so far been
generated only for the terrestrial
realm. To ensure that STAR scores
from anywhere in the world can be
threat intensity, on the ground
or water, and/or the feasibility of
restoration3. For a particular Area of
Interest, Calibrated STAR provides
a validated measure of the location?s
potential to contribute to global
extinction risk reduction (section 6.2).
To guide their actions, a CSO would
then set a Target STAR (section
6.2). The first step is to set realistic
(but preferably ambitious) targets
for reduced intensity levels of focal
threats, or for habitat restoration
combined with threat prevention.
Which threats to address can be
prioritized based on feasibility,
urgency and those most material
or relevant to the organisation
in question. These operational
validly compared, the STAR global
layers are based on a sub-set
of taxon groups that have been
comprehensively assessed in the
IUCN Red List. This is because to
include incompletely assessed
taxon groups would introduce
targets for reduced threat intensity
are converted into a Target STAR
score that reflects the anticipated
contribution to reducing extinction
risk. A realistic Target STAR
score is usually smaller than the
Calibrated STAR score for an Area
of Interest, since fully addressing
every threat, or complete
restoration, may not be feasible.
Interventions will aim to improve
the status of targeted STAR
species through reducing particular
relevant threats and/or carrying out
habitat restoration. Realised STAR
is an outcome measure calculated
from the measured reduction in
threat intensity and/or success of
restoration.
What is STAR?
significant geographical bias. STAR
focuses on the species at highest
risk of extinction, namely those
assessed as Near Threatened,
Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically
Endangered on the Red List. Least
Concern and Extinct species are
not included in STAR.
3 The calibration methodology for STARR is in development.
22STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Estimated STAR
Red List category and threat data
for globally threatened and
near-threatened species in
comprehensively assessed
taxon groups
Terrestrial vertebrates (amphibians,
reptiles, birds, mammals)
Marine seagrasses, reef
corals, sharks and rays, bony
fishes (certain families),
reptiles, birds, mammals
Freshwater decapod crustaceans,
dragonflies, fishes
Current AoH
Current AoH
Current AoH
Available and updated
2025, trees included
in next version
Available
Available, 2025
update pending
(to include reptiles)
For future
development
For future
development
Available by
end of 2025
Terrestrial START,
(threat abatement)
Marine START,
(threat abatement)
Freshwater START,
(threat abatement)
Terrestrial STARR,
(restoration)
Marine STARR,
(restoration)
Freshwater STARR,
(restoration)
Restorable
former AoH
Restorable
former AoH
Restorable
former AoH
Area of Habitat
(AoH) maps
CALIBRATED STAR TARGET STAR REALISED STAR
Global
spatial layer
Status
of layer
Refined local values
(for START, methodology
for STARR pending).
Presence of species and
threats, and threat intensity,
verified to refine estimated
STAR values.
Planned outcome from
interventions.
Using Calibrated STAR, a target
set for reduction in STAR score
from threat abatement actions.
Result of interventions.
Threat abatement and/or
restoration tracked to quantify
reduction in extinction risk.
What is STAR?
Figure 1 - Outlines the different elements of the global STAR metric and how Estimated STAR relates to Calibrated, Target and Realised STAR.
23STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
What is STAR?
High threat abatement (START) scores show areas that
currently contain high numbers of threatened species,
a large proportion of individual species? ranges, and/or
species that are severely threatened. These are locations
where positive interventions could make a large contribution
to reducing global species extinction risk and where
developments that increase threats to species should be
mitigated. Such locations may include Key Biodiversity Areas,
identified for their global significance for biodiversity. KBAs
collectively cover less than ten percent of the world?s surface
area but include nearly 50% of the global START score.4
High restoration (STARR) scores indicate areas that previously
supported many threatened species, a large proportion of
individual species? ranges, and/or species that are severely
threatened. These are locations where restoration activities
could make a large contribution to reducing species
extinction risk.
Areas with relatively low STAR scores may still include
important biodiversity, including threatened species and
species of national concern, but are likely to have relatively
lower potential for reducing global species extinction risk.
Box B:
What
do STAR
scores
mean?
Himalayan Takin
(Budorcas taxicolor)
VULNERABLE
© Narayan Katel
4 Mair et al. 2021.
https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/
24STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
START
PERCENTILE
CATEGORY 10080604020100
What is STAR?
Figure 2 - Updated START terrestrial global layer (version July 2025) for threat abatement, mapped for c. 1-km grid cells. START marine and STARR terrestrial
layers are currently mapped for c. 5-km grid cells. Map colours show the percentile category of STAR scores relative to the global distribution (cells with zero
STAR scores shown separately, in yellow).
25STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
What is STAR?
Figure 3 - Conceptual outline of the ?STAR ratchet?, an iterative process of assessment and action to reduce species extinction risk tenfold by 2050. The
overall area of the circles reflects overall extinction risk and the coloured area total STAR scores in the global layer (thus the overall circle for STAR 4 is
one-tenth the area of that for STAR 1). Each iteration of the STAR global layer guides threat abatement and restoration actions for the species included in
STAR, reducing extinction risk for those species and also other co-occurring species. With each iteration, more taxon groups are fully assessed and can be
included in STAR, but the overall global extinction risk is reduced.
3.3
How STAR works to reduce
global extinction risk
STAR aims to support a threat abatement and restoration ?ratchet?, where global extinction
risk is driven down through an iterative process of action and assessment, so as to achieve
the global goal of a tenfold reduction in extinction risk for all species by 2050.
A conceptual outline of this process is shown in Figure 3.
2020 2050
STAR 1
STAR 2 STAR 3 STAR 4
Threatened species
in other taxon
group not included
in global estimated
STAR score
Fully assessed taxon
groups included in global
estimated STAR score
Further fully assessed taxon groups included in global
estimated STAR score for the new STAR iteration.
How STAR can
support CSO
conservation
objectives 04
© Nonext(?????) (CC BY-NC)
Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)
VULNERABLE
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
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27STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
STAR is a practical and scientifically robust tool designed to translate ambitious societal conservation goals into
actionable and measurable steps at various scales.
STAR can inform and guide CSO conservation priorities, plans and actions, as well as advocacy and
engagement with governments and the private sector.
STAR provides a standardized, science-based way to measure and aggregate conservation impacts,
enabling CSOs clearly to demonstrate their contributions and how these align with global or national
biodiversity goals and targets.
How STAR can support CSO conservation objectives
4.1
4.2
Prioritise effort and investment
Map sensitivity and inform spatial planning
As a spatially explicit metric, STAR helps direct limited conservation resources to where they can have the
most significant global impact. By considering the cost and feasibility of addressing threats or implementing
restoration alongside STAR scores, CSOs can strategically allocate funds and efforts to areas where they will
yield the greatest reduction in extinction risk.
Where relevant to a CSO?s particular mission and priorities, STAR scores can be calculated for sub-sets of
species and particular threat types.
STAR can be used to map biodiversity sensitivity and identify key locations that should be avoided for damaging
development. Alongside other relevant datasets, STAR can inform integrated land-use and marine spatial planning.
28STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
4.3
4.4
Plan and target effective interventions
Quantify and aggregate contributions
STAR shows potential gains from both threat abatement and restoration and can be broken down by threat type
and by species. This enables CSOs to identify and prioritize effective and cost-effective interventions that are
tailored for a particular location.
The STAR calibration process (section 6.2) generates additional, in-depth information on the species and
threats present in an Area of Interest, providing science-based justifications for action.
STAR provides a transparent and standardised way to account for both planned and realised contributions.
STAR enables quantified prediction (via Estimated and Calibrated STAR), tracking and assessment (via
Realised STAR) of how far CSO actions reduce species extinction risk. Using STAR, these contributions can be
aggregated and compared against targets. The metric thus connects local conservation efforts to national or
global biodiversity goals.
How STAR can support CSO conservation objectives
4.5
Mobilise resources
Geographic and intervention priorities set using STAR provide science-based justifications for fundraising. Using
STAR to demonstrate and quantify progress can demonstrate the effective use of resources and help to scale up
resource mobilisation.
29STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
4.6
Engagement with business and government
There are numerous ways that
CSOs can use STAR in engagement
with the private and public sectors
to achieve better biodiversity
outcomes.
CSOs can advocate for
governments to use STAR to inform
conservation target setting and
National Biodiversity Strategies
and Action Plans, and to monitor
progress towards achieving
biodiversity goals, including for the
KMGBF. STAR scores can be used
to develop national, regional, or
sector-based targets expressed
in measurable STAR units. STAR
is ideally suited to inform updated
National Biodiversity Strategies
and Action Plans to align with
the KMGBF. Where updated
NBSAPs are already developed,
STAR can be applied to help
implement national targets and
actions and track measurable
outcomes. As a standardised,
spatially explicit, additive and
policy-relevant biodiversity metric,
STAR can contribute substantially
to strengthen monitoring,
reporting and accountability for
governments. Similarly, CSOs
can use STAR for transparent
assessment of how governments
are aligning with and achieving
international obligations.
CSOs can further promote the use
of STAR as a data-driven basis for
guiding policy, aligned with KMGBF
Targets 1, 14 and 15. This could
relate to environmental regulation
(including mitigation and offset
requirements), integrated land-use
and marine planning, allocation
of conservation resources and
planning Protected Area networks,
including the designation and
management of new Protected
Areas or other effective area-based
conservation measures (KMBGF
Target 3).
STAR can also provide science-
based evidence to support CSO
advocacy on particular planning
and development decisions.
CSOs can advocate for business to
use STAR in setting science-based
targets, corporate biodiversity
strategy, risk screening and
assessment5, disclosure and
reporting, impact avoidance,
mitigation planning and offset
design, identifying opportunities
for nature-positive action and
assessing nature-positive
contributions.
CSOs could also form partnerships
with companies or public sector
agencies to provide technical
support and capacity development
in areas such as STAR
calibration, intervention planning,
implementation of conservation
and restoration actions, monitoring
of threats and priority species, data
analysis, and management and
compilation of data for sharing.
How STAR can support CSO conservation objectives
5 For example, IUCN member Conservation International worked with The Fashion Pact to develop the Fashion Nature Risk Lens. This combined
website and dashboard includes STAR as a metric to help fashion companies to understand their potential biodiversity risks and impacts, especially
from raw material production.
https://www.thefashionpact.org/the-fashion-nature-risk-lens/
SÉNÉGAL / © Binetou Sonko Joal
How are
STAR scores
calculated?05
© Vojtech Víta
Abronia vasconcelosii
VULNERABLE
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
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32STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
How are STAR scores calculated?
Figure 4 - Species listed as Least Concern are excluded from STAR scores. These weightings align with those used in the Red List Index to ensure
consistency in extinction risk assessment.
For any threatened or near-
threatened species within an Area
of Interest, STAR scores reflect
the amount of Area of Habitat
(see Box C and Glossary) present,
expressed as a percentage of
the species? total current Area of
Habitat. This percentage is used
as a proxy for the proportion of the
species? population in the area,
since detailed population data are
available for relatively few species.
Across a species? entire current
area of habitat, the total score is
thus 100.
START scores are based on the
species? current Area of Habitat,
while STARR scores are based on
potentially restorable areas within
the species? former Area of Habitat.
All STAR scores are then weighted
according to each species?
extinction risk, as defined by
its IUCN Red List category. The
weighting system ranges from 1
for Near Threatened species to 4
for Critically Endangered species
(Figure 4). Species listed as Least
Concern are excluded from STAR
scores. These weightings align with
those used in the Red List Index to
ensure consistency in extinction
risk assessment.
Within a defined Area of Interest,
the individual STAR scores of each
species are summed to calculate
a total STAR score for the area
(Figure 5).
Specifically:
? The total START score
represents the combined,
weighted contributions of each
species? current Area of Habitat
within the area, expressed as a
percentage of its current Area
of Habitat.
? The total STARR score
represents the combined,
weighted contributions of
each species? restorable Area
of Habitat in the area, also
expressed as a percentage of
its current Area of Habitat.
? Global STAR maps are
currently available at a
resolution of c. 1-km for START
and c. 5-km for STARR.
STAR
SCORE
RED LIST CATEGORY
WEIGHTINGSPECIES RED LIST CATEGORY
Critically EndangeredCR
EndangeredEN
VulnerableVU
Near ThreatenedNT
400
300
200
100
TOTAL GLOBAL STAR SCORES PER SPECIES - WEIGHTING ALIGNED WITH RED LIST INDEX
33STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Area of Habitat is defined as ?the area, characterized by its
abiotic and biotic properties, that is habitable by a particular
species?6. In practical terms, Area of Habitat (AOH) is the
area within a species? range with suitable habitat at suitable
elevation.
Within a species' known range, current Area of Habitat
is assessed by combining the species? defined habitat
preferences and elevation range (documented in the IUCN Red
List) with land-cover and topographic maps.
Area of Habitat is thus a sub-set of the species? range where it
is likely (but not certain) that the species in question will occur.
Similarly, restorable Area of Habitat is assessed using the
historical range of the species (areas where it used to occur,
but is not currently found), maps or models of historical land-
cover (showing where Area of Habitat used to be present)
and current land cover (showing areas that are potentially
restorable).
Box C:
What is
?Area of
Habitat??
6 Brooks et al. 2019
Elongated Tortoise
(Indotestudo elongata)
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
© Rejoice Gassah (CC BY-NC)
How are STAR scores calculated?
34STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Figure 5 - Outline of the steps in calculating START scores for a defined Area of Interest.
Area of Interest
% AoH within Area of Interest
Percentage Area of Habitat (AoH) overlap of threatened
species present within the Area of Interest
User defines one or more site(s) such as a
project area, applying an appropriate buffer.
For each species STAR combines % of AoH with an IUCN Red List category
weighting. Summed across all species to calculate Estimated START score.
STAR uses AoH maps derived from Red List data for
CR, EN, VU and NT species. Percentage of AoH is used
as a proxy for percentage of global population.
Area of Interest
Area of Interest
STAR
SCORE
STAR FINAL
SCORE
RED LIST CATEGORY
WEIGHTING
% AOH WITHIN
AREA OF INTEREST
8
15
20
20
Species A - CR2%
Species B - EN5%
Species C - VU
Species D -NT
10%
20%
x
x
=
x
x
63
DEFINE1 CALCULATE2
COMBINE3
5%
SPECIES B
20%
SPECIES D
10%
SPECIES C
2%
SPECIES A
How are STAR scores calculated?
35STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
TOTAL%
FOR EACH
SPECIES
SPECIES
IUCN RED
LIST
CATEGORY
ESTIMATED STAR
SCORE FOR EACH
SPECIES
INVASIVE
SPECIES
0%
0%
0%
10%
10%
ENERGY AND
M
INING
0%
0%
0%
11%
11%
BIOLOGICAL
RESOURCE
USE
2%
16%
14%
31%
0%
AGRICULTURE
8%
12%
18%
38%
0%
CLIM
ATE
CHANGE
3%
0%
0%
7%
4%
POLLUTION
0%
4%
0%
4%
0%
13%
32%
32%
100%
24%
TOTAL STAR
SCORE 6.0 6.8 19.6 23.7 4.4 2.5
MAMMALA
AMPHIBIANB
BIRDD
C REPTILE
ALL SPECIES PERCENT OF TOTAL
STAR SCORE
Critically EndangeredCR
EndangeredEN
VulnerableVU
Near ThreatenedNT
8
20
20
63
15
PERCENT OF THE TOTAL AREA OF INTEREST ESTIMATED
START SCORE FOR EACH SPECIES-THREAT COMBINATION
Figure 6 - Example of START scores disaggregated by threat types, for the hypothetical Area of Interest and species shown in Figure 5.
5.1
Threat abatement STAR (START)
The sum of global START values
across all species theoretically
represents the global threat
abatement effort needed for all
species to be downlisted to Least
Concern (in practice this is a
simplification, as some species
would require additional active
management measures7). For a
given Area of Interest, the overall
START score indicates the potential
contribution towards reduction of
global species extinction risk from
threat abatement actions in that
area. High scores indicate areas
that currently contain relatively
many threatened species, a large
proportion of individual species?
ranges, and/or species that are
severely threatened.
The threats affecting each species
are identified and documented
as part of Red List assessments.
Threats are categorised following
the IUCN Threats Classification
Scheme (version 3.3) and scored
for severity and scope to show
their impact on a species. The
START score incorporates this
information, and can be broken
down to show the relative
contributions of different threats.
This allows the targeting of actions
to address specific threats and
thus to contribute to species
conservation goals. Depending
on the threat type, such actions
could include, for example, better
management of hunting, pollution
or invasive species.
7 Bolam et al. 2022.
How are STAR scores calculated?
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/threat-classification-scheme
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/threat-classification-scheme
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X5aimIyR2odmwfydTHEEtDl3HKoI6VS4/view?usp=sharing
36STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
5.2
Restoration STAR (STARR)
STARR uses a similar approach
to START, but for areas that
previously supported species that
are no longer present. High scores
indicate areas that previously
supported relatively high numbers
of threatened species, a large
proportion of individual species?
ranges, and/or species that are
severely threatened.
For a given Area of Interest, the
STARR score therefore shows the
potential contribution of restoration
actions towards reduction of global
species extinction risk. In addition
to habitat restoration, such action
will involve abatement of potential
threats, including those such
as hunting, pollution or invasive
species that could prevent species?
successful re-establishment. These
scores can be broken down by
species and to show the relative
contributions of different threats
that may need to be addressed,
alongside habitat restoration, in the
restorable area.
Based on restoration studies, a
discounting multiplier (currently
0.29) is applied to STARR scores
in recognition of the fact that
restoration of former Area of
Habitat can be a slower and less
successful process than threat
abatement in existing Area of
Habitat.
START and STARR scores are
in principle fungible (when
calculated using consistent
datasets), in other words a
unit of either represents an
equivalent contribution to
global extinction risk reduction,
whether for a species, a threat
and/or an Area of Interest.
COSTA RICA © Colmena Lab para Fondo de Desarrollo Verde para la región SICA - GIZ
How are STAR scores calculated?
Using and
interpreting
STAR06
© Ignacio Ferre Pérez (CC BY-NC-ND)
Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
ENDANGERED
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
BACK TO INDEX
38STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
6.1
Estimated STAR
The global START and STARR maps
are available through the Integrated
Biodiversity Assessment Tool (see
Box D). CSOs can access the STAR
datasets, and can generate STAR
Reports in IBAT for any particular
Areas of Interest. For a defined
Area of Interest, the report provides
a detailed breakdown of STAR
values, including by species and
threats, and indicates their relative
importance at both national and
global scales. A buffer around the
Area of Interest can also be applied
so as to understand the ecological
context of the wider landscape.
Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) - NEAR THREATENED / © Davide Diana (CC BY-NC)
To aid presentation and
interpretation of STAR values in
IBAT, both START and STARR grid cell
scores are mapped in categories
based on percentile ranges. Note
that important biodiversity (including
threatened species) may be present
even in grid cells with very low
STAR scores.
https://www.ibat-alliance.org/
https://www.ibat-alliance.org/
39STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
The Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT)
provides access to the STAR layer as well as other
key global biodiversity datasets including the
IUCN Red List, World Database on Protected Areas
(WDPA) and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). Access
by government and civil society users is free, with
registration; commercial use is under license. IBAT is
critical to informing risk management and decision-
making processes that address potential biodiversity
impacts. Developed through a partnership of BirdLife
International, Conservation International, International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and United
Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring
Centre (UNEP-WCMC), the vision of IBAT is that
decisions affecting critical natural habitats are
informed by the best scientific information and in
turn decision makers will support the quest to collect
and enhance the underlying datasets and maintain
that scientific information.
Box D: The
Integrated
Biodiversity
Assessment
Tool (IBAT)
Saker Falcon
(Falco cherrug)
ENDANGERED
© Rino Di Noto (CC BY-NC)
http://www.ibat-alliance.org
40STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
Figure 7 - Example Estimated START map for a defined Area of Interest (the Udzungwa Mountains Landscape, in Tanzania), generated within IBAT.
Map colours show the percentile STAR score for each 1-km grid cell, relative to the global distribution of cells, with zero STAR scores categorised
separately in yellow.
Tikiwiki
Ilula
Iringa
Mlimba
Mahenge
Ifakara
Mikumi
UDZUNGWA
MOUNTAINS
NATIONAL PARK
START
PERCENTILE
CATEGORY 10080604020100
To provide a more comprehensive
and accurate picture of the
biodiversity significance of an area,
it is good practice to contextualize
STAR with other biodiversity
metrics, particularly those indicating
ecosystem condition at local and
landscape scales (see IUCN?s
RHINO framework8). Biodiversity
specialists can help interpret
Estimated STAR scores and ensure
they are considered within the
wider ecology and conservation
significance of the area.
Estimated STAR is also integrated
into the IUCN Contributions for
Nature Platform (Box E).
Through this platform, anyone can
explore contributions from IUCN
Members and see their potential
to reduce global species extinction
risk through threat abatement and
restoration actions.
8 IUCN 2025.
41STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
STAR is embedded within the IUCN Contributions
for Nature Platform, an online tool where IUCN
Civil Society and Government Members and
other constituents can document, visualize and
communicate their contributions for nature in
support of global biodiversity targets. The platform
provides a geospatial interface that supports
planning, reporting and collaboration, while
also giving global visibility to local initiatives.
By overlaying the STAR layers with a project
footprint, represented as a spatial polygon, the
platform calculates a project?s Estimated START
and STARR values. Through integration of STAR,
the platform offers a powerful, results-oriented
mechanism that supports practitioners to assess
and communicate the potential conservation and
restoration impact of their work to reduce global
species extinction risk.
Box E:
IUCN
Contributions
for Nature
Platform
Common Pochard
(Aythya ferina)
VULNERABLE
© ??? (CC BY-NC)
https://www.iucncontributionsfornature.org/es/get-started
https://www.iucncontributionsfornature.org/es/get-started
42STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
6.2
Calibrated and Target STAR
Estimated START is based on
the best available global data on
threatened species. As its name
implies, it provides an estimate of
the species and threats expected in
a given Area of Interest. However,
this estimate may not reflect the
situation on the ground or water
with complete accuracy. Although
a species is expected to occur
throughout its defined Area of
Habitat, distributions may in reality
be patchy and uneven. Species
range maps may also be based
on incomplete knowledge, so that
species sometimes are present
in an Area of Interest where they
have not been mapped. The threats
affecting a species may also vary
across its Area of Habitat in type
and intensity, which Estimated
START cannot take into account
in absence of reliable, fine-scale
global threat mapping.
Calculation of Calibrated START
therefore uses location-specific
data to produce a more accurate
estimate for an Area of Interest.
This involves confirming that
species contributing to the site?s
STAR score are indeed present
in the Area of Interest, checking
for the potential presence there
of other threatened or near-
threatened species, and confirming
the presence, severity and scope of
each relevant threat (Figure 8).
The calibration process may
involve consulting with experts,
checking biodiversity databases,
accessing local monitoring data,
harnessing remote sensing,
applying indigenous and local
knowledge, and possibly
additional field surveys if other
data are not sufficient. Clear
documentation of sources is
essential and any taxonomic or
mapping discrepancies need to be
examined and resolved. Threats
should be assessed for their actual
impact on each species locally,
and insignificant threats excluded
from the site?s STAR score, since
attempting to abate such threats
does not contribute to extinction
risk reduction.
A technical description and
example of the START calibration
methodology are in peer review
for publication9. Practical guidance
on information gathering and
recalculation is given in the IUCN
RHINO (Rapid High-Integrity Nature-
positive Outcomes) framework,
and IBAT includes functionality to
calculate Calibrated START based
on user-inputted values.
9 Mair et al. (in review, a and b).
43STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
The results of the calibration
process are a more accurate
assessment for the Area of
Interest of the threatened species
present and the threats that
apply to them. Calibrated START
scores can next be used to
inform establishing a Target STAR
and planning actions for threat
abatement. The calibrated values
help in identifying the threats
that interventions should focus
on, and in setting quantitative
targets for threat reduction. While
Calibrated START scores show the
threats that contribute most to
species extinction risk in the Area
of Interest, other considerations
are also important in identifying
focal threats, including feasibility,
cost-effectiveness, and other
social, economic or ecological
considerations relevant to the site,
stakeholders and actors involved.
The IUCN RHINO framework10
provides additional guidance on
such considerations.
Threat reduction targets should
be quantitative and time-bound.
For example, a target could be
to reduce the area impacted
by invasive plant species in the
Area of Interest from 100 ha to 5
ha over a five-year period. This
represents a reduction of 95%
in threat intensity and can be
expressed as a Target STAR score,
using the Calibrated START score
for the relevant threat type.
For instance, if the Area of Interest
Calibrated START score for the
Invasive Species threat type is 2.4,
the Target STAR would be 95%
of this, or 2.28. Target scores can
be added across threat types to
calculate an overall Target STAR
score for the site.
A methodology for calibration of
STARR has not yet been formalised.
It would involve assessing the
restorability of suitable habitat in
an Area of Interest, the likelihood
of successful recolonisation or
reintroduction of relevant STAR
species, and the feasibility of
addressing relevant threats in the
area restored.
10 IUCN 2025
Red-masked Parakeet (Psittacara erythrogenys) - NEAR THREATENED / © Tom Benson (CC BY-NC-ND)
44STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
STEP 1
Find estimated START for the Area of Interest
Assess the presence of STAR specles
Based on global data layers the Area of
Interest has an estimated START score of 26
? Species C is not present at the site
? An additional threatened Species F (EN) is present, and the site
constitutes an estimated 2% of its AoH
This can be broken down by threat type
Using and interpreting STAR
Figure 8-Part 1 - Overview of the START calibration process, illustrated by a hypothetical example. Threat types: A&A, Agriculture and aquaculture; BRU,
Biological resource use, IAS, Invasive and other problematic species, genes and diseases; CC, Climate change and severe weather; RCD, Residential and
commercial development.
3 5 1 1 2
SPECIES AND THREAT CATEGORY
STAR
SCORE
STAR
SCORE
TOTAL STAR SCORE: 26
%AoH
A - NT B - VU E - CRC - VU D - EN
THREAT TYPE
A&A BRU RCDIAS CC
TOTAL STAR SCORE: 26
EDB CA
SPECIES AND THREAT CATEGORY SPECIES AND THREAT CATEGORY
A - NT B - VU E - CR F - EN C - VUD - EN
3 5 1 2 02
%AoH
+ x
F CEB DA
STEP 2
45STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
STEP 4
STEP 3
Recalculate STAR scores using the calibration formulae, to give a new site
total and a new breakdown by species and threat
Assess the presence and local intensity (scope
and severity) of threats to STAR species
Threat components for species C (not at site) must also be excluded, and threat components for
species F (now known to be at site) must be included.
Based on global data layers the Area of Interest
has an estimated START score of 27.6
? Invasive Alien Species do not threaten any STAR species here, so this component of the
STAR score must be excluded
? Intensity of Biological Resource Use is greater here for species A and E than the average
over their global range, so the STAR score associated with this threat will increase
Assessment of threats at the site shows that:
Calibrate threat components
Using and interpreting STAR
Figure 8-Part 2 - Overview of the START calibration process, illustrated by a hypothetical example. Threat types: A&A, Agriculture and aquaculture; BRU,
Biological resource use, IAS, Invasive and other problematic species, genes and diseases; CC, Climate change and severe weather; RCD, Residential and
commercial development.
3 5 1 22
STAR
SCORE
STAR
SCORE
%AoH
TOTAL CALIBRATED START SCORE: 27.6 TOTAL CALIBRATED START SCORE: 27.6
SPECIES AND THREAT CATEGORY
A - NT B - VU E - CR F - END - EN
THREAT TYPE
A&A BRU RCDCC
B D E FA
+ x
THREAT TYPE THREAT TYPE
IASA&A BRU RCDCC BRU
46STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
6.3
Realised STAR
Once Calibrated START has been
employed to set threat reduction
targets, the next step is to identify
a suitable indicator for the intensity
of each confirmed threat acting at
the Area of Interest. The indicator is
used to measure the baseline level
of threat intensity and how these
change in the Area of Interest over
time. Assessing the proportional
change in threat intensity over time
is the basis for calculating Realised
STAR, which is a measure of progress
towards the threat reduction target,
and of the contribution towards
reducing global species? extinction
risk (Figure 9).
Note that all non-negligible threats
confirmed to be acting at the Area of
Interest need to be monitored, as it is
possible that threats that are not the
focus of interventions may increase
in intensity. Monitoring also needs
to check for new threats that may
emerge over time.
Suitable indicators for threat intensity
will depend on the context of the Area
of Interest, STAR species and threat
types involved. They may use suitable
proxy measures that reliably indicate
threat. For example, the intensity of
threat from unsustainable trapping
could be measured as the density of
snares detected with standard survey
effort, while the intensity of threat
from forest conversion to agriculture
could be measured directly using
satellite imagery.
The methodology for calculating
Realised STAR is outlined in Mair et
al. (in review, a), and further practical
guidance is given in the IUCN RHINO
framework11. Functionality for
supporting these calculations is also
under development in IBAT.
11 IUCN 2025
Sénégal ©Natur?ELLES
47STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
6.4
Case example: assessing the potential of a suite of restoration
sites to contribute to species extinction risk reduction
The Restoration Initiative (TRI)
programme is financed by the
Global Environment Facility (GEF)
and assists nine countries in Asia
and Africa to achieve restoration
goals in support of the Bonn
Challenge. IUCN assessed the
potential of a suite of existing TRI
project sites in Cameroon, Central
African Republic and Kenya to
contribute to reducing species
extinction risk, using the Estimated
STAR metric with updated high-
resolution landcover mapping12.
The assessments provide a range
of information that can support
conservation efforts at project sites.
This includes:
? Overall STAR scores at
each site, which can inform
prioritization of interventions
across the suite of sites.
? Maps showing how STAR
values vary across sites,
which can inform within-site
targeting of conservation
efforts.
12 Schneck et al. 2023, Schneck et al. 2024
Using and interpreting STAR
Figure 9 - A simple example illustrating the approach for setting Target STAR and assessing Realised STAR
Local data confirm which species and threats
are present in the Area of interest and the
estimated STAR score is adjusted. Although
the threat from Roads was included in
Estimated STAR, this threat is not present at
the site.
Total calibrated START score is 90
(agriculture) + 70 (hunting) = 160
Baseline threat intensity is measured using
indicators: the annual rate of forest loss to
agriculture and the number of snares per
survey. Action targets are set to reduce the
threat from agriculture by 50% and the threat
from hunting by 100%, over five years.
Target score for realised STAR
(Target STAR) is
(0.5*90) + (1* 70) = 115
Interventions are implemented and threat
intensity is monitored using the chosen
indicators. The threat reduction target is met
for agriculture (50% reduction). However,
Roads have now emerged as a new threat
impacting species in the Area of Interest,
with a STAR score of 10.
Realised STAR score is
(0.5*90) + (0.7* 70) - 10 = 84
CALIBRATED STAR STAR TARGETS SET REALISED STAR
THREAT THREAT THREAT
Agriculture Agriculture Agriculture
100 100 100
75 75 75
50 50 50
25 25 25
0 0 0
Hunting Hunting HuntingRoads Roads Roads
48STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
6.5
Using STAR to identify key threat types and target intervention
approaches across a suite of project locations in West Africa
Using and interpreting STAR
The NAbSA Initiative (Nature-based
Solutions for Climate Adaptation:
Monitoring & Impact Evaluation),
supported by Global Affairs
Canada, is designed to strengthen
the design and implementation
of nature-based measures
through capacity building and
equitable access to knowledge,
while documenting results and
best practices to highlight the
biodiversity-climate nexus and
societal benefits.
Through the IUCN Contributions for
Nature Platform (Box E), a STAR
assessment was carried out for
three projects across a complex
suite of sites in West Africa.
Site polygons were overlapped
with the Estimated STAR global
layer and the key threat types for
STAR species determined (Figure
9). Although threat-specific STAR
scores were not calibrated at
site level (see section 6.2), this
approach gives an indication
of the relative importance of
different threats, allowing a
check that planned intervention
approaches are appropriately
targeted, and supporting evidence-
based reporting to donors and
stakeholders.
The projects Natur?ELLES (focused
on 10 mangrove ecosystems
protected areas in Senegal)
and Feminist Climate Action in
West Africa (working at multiple
sites across four countries) had
similar threat profiles, with the key
threats being agriculture (?annnual
and perennial non-timber crops?),
hunting (?hunting and collecting
terrestrial animals?) and logging
(?logging and wood harvesting?).
The projects? focus on nature-
based solutions (Natur?ELLES),
improved agro-ecological practices
(Feminist Climate Action) and
sustainable, climate-resilient
alternatives to extractive activities,
as well as awareness and training
programs (both projects), are well
targeted to address these threats.
? Breakdowns of STAR score by
threat, which can help focus
conservation efforts on the most
significant threats, and orient
threat-reduction measures to the
affected species.
? Tables providing a list of
priority threatened species
whose Area of Habitat overlaps
with project sites.
? The assessments also
demonstrated the
complementary roles of
restoration and threat
abatement initiatives in
reducing extinction risk.
This information can be used in
communicating the importance
of these project sites and
conservation measures to
policymakers, local communities,
investors and the broader public,
as well as to inform the design of
effective conservation and related
monitoring work.
https://www.iucncontributionsfornature.org/contributions/10321?lat=12.472355178184543&lng=-13.583657346483847&zoom=5.71525295886824&show-details=true
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49STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
The project Ecosystem Solutions
for Sustainable Adaptation (SEDAD,
focused on three critical Protected
Areas in three different countries)
showed a different threat profile,
with livestock farming & ranching
and droughts featuring alongside
hunting as the top three threat
types, and a broader suite of threats
important overall. This reflects
the project's different operating
environment, in zones with less
rain-fed agriculture, and highlights
the importance of SEDAD's explicit
focus on climate change adaptation
and nature-based solutions.
The project's comprehensive
approach to conservation action,
including site protection, habitat
restoration, training and awareness
campaigns, also directly addresses
the multi-faceted threat profile
identified by STAR.
Sénégal © Natur?ELLES
https://www.iucncontributionsfornature.org/contributions/10319?show-details=true&lat=19.12054215571132&lng=-12.522714896549815&zoom=5.4255419898472255
https://www.iucncontributionsfornature.org/contributions/10319?show-details=true&lat=19.12054215571132&lng=-12.522714896549815&zoom=5.4255419898472255
50STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Figure 10 - Key threat types identified using Estimated STAR for three NAbSA-initiative projects across a suite of spatial locations in West Africa
Using and interpreting STAR
a.
b.
c.
a. Sénégal Lamine Diop © Photo par M.
b. Sénégal Lamine Diop © M.
c. West Africa Selbé Faye © Interpares
Project and geography Intervention focus Key threats to
STAR species
Feminist Climate
Action in West Africa
Côte d'Ivoire,
Guinea-Bissau, Senegal,
and Togo
Agroecology, ecosystem
rehabilitation,
alternative livelihoods
and economic
empowerment
33%
23%
21%
2%
21%
Ecosystem Solutions
for Sustainable
Adaptation (SEDAD)
Three key Protected
Areas in Mauritania,
Gambia and Senegal
Multi-faceted
conservation action,
including
climate-change
adaptation and
nature-based solutions
22%
27%
16%
11%
22%
2%
Ecosystem Natur'ELLES -
Senegal Mangrove
Conservation
Saloum delta and
Casamance, Senegal
Climate-change
adaptation, through
ecosystem conservation,
nature-based solutions,
natural-resources
inclusive governance,
alternative livelihoods and
local community and
economic empowerment.
37%
17%
15%
30%
1%
Livestock farming Drought OtherLoggingHuntingNon-timber crops
51STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
6.6
Weaving STAR into a new conservation framework for Indigenous
Territories in Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a global hotspot
for both biodiversity and culture.
Species diversity and endemism
are high, and the region is home
to numerous Indigenous Peoples
possessing unique environmental
knowledge. However, many
environmental challenges threaten
both ecosystems and indigenous
livelihoods.
The VOCES13 Regional Project,
implemented by the IUCN Regional
Office for Central America, Mexico
and the Caribbean (ORMACC),
aims to identify, understand and
consolidate the contributions of
Indigenous Peoples to conservation
in the region. The project uses
STAR as a key strand in a new
conservation paradigm that
weaves together indigenous and
scientific knowledge14.
The first phase of the initiative
involved three main steps:
1. Geospatial analysis using
STAR to identify conservation
opportunities in Indigenous
Territories.
2. Intercultural dialogue and
participatory evaluation
to integrate indigenous
knowledge.
3. Development of an integrated
conceptual framework that
recognizes the complementarity
of knowledge types.
STAR uses globally standardised
approaches to categorise extinction
risk and describe threats. This is
a scientific strength, but practical
application of STAR in Indigenous
Territories must take into account
the context of indigenous
knowledge and practices. The
study highlighted the importance
of adjusting and contextualising
narratives for threats, to ensure
these are relevant to Indigenous
Peoples' local realities and enable
their contribution to conservation
strategies. Specific threats
that disproportionately impact
Indigenous Territories in this
region, such as organized crime,
illegal mining and drug trafficking,
are not clearly flagged in the
current threat categorisation.
Similarly, threats from ?agriculture?
do not differentiate between
unsustainable expansion of agro-
industrial monocultures and
traditional agricultural systems,
such as the Mesoamerican
milpa15, that are essential for food
sovereignty and environmental
conservation. A more contextual
consideration of threats (which
could be incorporated as part of
the STAR Calibration process)
would enable more effective
targeting of conservation
strategies.
13 ?Voices? in English
14 IUCN 2024
15 Benrey et al. 2024
Using and interpreting STAR
52STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Mapping that incorporates
local scales, intuitive visual
representations and narratives, and
also highlights species particularly
important to Indigenous Peoples,
is another key recommendation
of the study. Such species include
marine fauna (now incorporated in
the global STAR layers) and plants
(to be incorporated in future).
The study expands STAR?s
focus on threat abatement and
restoration opportunities to
include a third key component,
the level of indigenous territorial
governance based on the effective
exercise of Indigenous Peoples'
rights. This approach recognizes
that indigenous governance is
a key determining factor in the
conservation of biodiversity, and
seeks to strengthen it. Detailed
criteria are outlined for evaluating
indigenous territorial governance,
building on established principles
for ?governing the commons?16.
Based on these three components,
a simple categorization provides a
broad overview of each Indigenous
Territory, facilitating appropriate
actions to be prioritized and
resources efficiently allocated.
Using and interpreting STAR
Regional Coastal Biodiversity Project © IUCN
53STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Figure 11 - Summary of key recommendations for the effective use of STAR to support biodiversity conservation in Indigenous Territories in Mesoamerica
(adapted from IUCN 2024, p. 18).
16 Ostrom 1990
Consider STARR as well as START, to ensure opportunities for
ecological recovery are fully incorporated
Integrate STAR into indigenous territorial planning processes
to strengthen autonomy and sustainable management of
natural resources
Enable a fully participatory process where communities have
an active role in decision-making
Establish mechanisms to ensure active involvement of Indigenous
Peoples in biodiversity management and monitoring, and that the
information generated is accessible and locally relevant. This may be
through co-management agreements with scientific institutions.
Develop visual guides and interactive materials to facilitate
understanding and adoption of STAR by communities
Develop participatory methodologies that integrate indigenous and
scientific knowledge on an equal footing in the application ofSTAR
Identify priority
areas for restoration
Strengthen Indigenous
Territory governance
Actively involve Indigenous People
Strengthen understanding
of STAR at local level
Recognise and integrate
traditional knowledge
Ensure participatory
management and monitoring
Using and interpreting STAR
54STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
Table 1. - The IUCN Red List categories of threat have both a scientific and an Indigenous Knowledge interpretation in Mesoamerica.
IUCN Threat Category Simple
description
Example interpretation in
Indigenous Knowledge
EX Extinct Species that
no longer exist.
Spirit that has departed and is present only
in oral memory.
CR Critically Endangered Species at imminent
risk of extinction.
Species with spiritual guardians on alert,
symbolic of imbalance in nature.
EN Endangered Species at very high
risk of extinction.
Species showing severe decline, related to
changed management practices.
VU Vulnerable Species at high risk of
extinction.
Species that needs community protection
and ceremonies.
NT Near Threatened
Species that is
close to becoming
threatened with
extinction.
Species of cultural importance that needs
ongoing monitoring.
LC Least Concern Species is not
currently threatened.
Species in harmony with the territory, an
indicator of ecosystem health.
NANA ANA / © Colmena Lab for Asociación Sotzil
56STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
6.7
Case example: using STAR to provide policy
recommendations in Colombia
For the country of Colombia, a
collaborative University/NGO
study17 applied STAR alongside
other datasets to investigate
trade-offs between conservation
and economic development.
Colombia is a highly biodiverse
country, with an economy mainly
reliant on large-scale agriculture.
Agricultural expansion has
accelerated since 2016 following
the end of five decades of internal
armed conflict.
This study mapped the opportunity
cost of conserving forest
rather than using the land for
agriculture. These results were
combined with START maps to
produce a prioritization map that
guides policy-makers to target
conservation actions toward
regions where conservation
benefits are high and economic
impacts are low.
The approach demonstrates how
to use the STAR metric as a benefit
layer in a return-on-investment
analysis, together with a proxy for
the cost of conservation actions,
to inform biodiversity conservation
spending while ensuring the
economic benefits of agriculture.
The authors developed a predictive
spatial model for the risk of forest
conversion and the probability
of different types of agricultural
activities following conversion.
To assess the opportunity cost
of conservation (OCC), this
model was combined with the
expected annual returns of each
agricultural activity. Opportunity
costs varied widely across different
natural regions of the country,
but relatively small proportions
of currently forested areas were
assessed as having ?medium? or
?high? opportunity costs (14% and
<1%, respectively).
Next, the agriculture-related
threats component of Estimated
START was used to map expected
benefits of conservation
investment. Of areas of the country
that were forested in 2017, 31%
had medium START scores and
6% high START scores, showing
a concentration of potential
conservation benefits in relatively
small regions.
Using a simple classification of STAR
and OCC scores, municipalities could
be identified with high potential
benefits for conservation and low
opportunity costs, and vice versa
(see Figure 11).
17 Guerrero-Pineda et al. 2022
57STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
These findings are directly relevant for policy decisions, as they guide approaches to maximize the biodiversity
benefits from investments using limited conservation funding while ensuring that landowners maintain returns
equivalent to agricultural development. The approach can be adapted and applied in other contexts to optimise
trade-offs between conservation and development objectives.
Figure 12 - Results from categorisation of START scores and opportunity cost for conservation (OCC) across municipalities within different natural
regions of Colombia, redrawn from Guerrero-Pineda et al. 2022. Municipalities with high START score and low OCC show high potential for cost-effective
conservation investment.
Low OCC
Medium OCC
High OCC
Low OCC
Medium OCC
High OCC
Low OCC
Medium OCC
High OCC
HIGH STAR SCORE
0 250
(km)
500
MEDIUM STAR SCORE
LOW STAR SCORE
Orinoquia
Pacific
Andean
Caribbean
Amazon
N
Using and interpreting STAR
COLOMBIA / © Franco
59STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
6.8
Case example: calibrating START for San José Northern
Subcatchments landscape, Costa Rica
The International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) led
a collaborative process to calibrate
global START estimates for the
San José Northern Subcatchments
(SJNS) landscape, an area of 957
km2 located within the central
mountain range of Costa Rica that
includes the northern region of the
country?s capital, San Jose. This
is a key water catchment area
where a water fund, Agua Tica,
is co-ordinating nature-based
solutions for water protection
across public and private actors.
The STAR metric was used to
identify the potential contributions
towards KMGBF Goal A from
specific actions across the SJNS
landscape.
6.8.1
Context
Costa Rica ©Colmena Lab
Using and interpreting STAR
60STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Specialist consultation was used
to validate the presence of species
and the presence and intensity of
threats. A first round of consultation
involved 15 volunteer specialists
selected based on their taxonomic
expertise and relevant research
experience in the landscape, and
working separately to each other.
A second and third consultation
round involved a small number
of paid national specialists, to fill
gaps in data for certain species and
then to combine the consultation
results with additional information
from the literature to compile a
consensus view. In parallel, to
separate out certain threat types
more clearly, a land-use change
analysis was undertaken to
estimate natural habitat loss over
the landscape in the period 1998-
2019 related to different drivers.
The calibration process was robust
and scientifically grounded but was
carried out with relatively limited
resources. External consultants
were engaged to coordinate the
bibliographic review and consolidate
inputs from biologists, while IUCN
staff supported the consultation
process, GIS analysis, calculation
of calibrated scores and review of
outputs. Rather than direct field
verification of species presence
(challenging at the time because of
COVID-19 restrictions) the exercise
relied on expert knowledge and
existing datasets. A key strength
was the strategic engagement
of volunteer biologists affiliated
with the IUCN Species Survival
Commission, whose taxonomic
expertise and familiarity with
the landscape added significant
value. The calibration also built on
recent updates to national Red List
assessments, ensuring alignment
with current conservation status
data. Despite constraints, the
process was completed within
a eight-month timeframe,
demonstrating the feasibility of
conducting high-integrity STAR
calibration using a collaborative
and resource-efficient approach.
6.8.2
Process
Using and interpreting STAR
61STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STAR
Key results of the consultation
process included:
? Eight of the 43 threatened
or near-threatened species
included in Estimated START
were considered unlikely to be
present, either because of local
extirpation or because they did
not in fact occur in this part of
their mapped Area of Habitat
? Relatively low intensity
(compared to global averages
for Estimated START species)
for threats from invasive alien
species, in particular related to
chytrid fungi disease affecting
amphibians
? Identification and intensity
scoring of one or more
new threats (for example,
agricultural and forestry
effluents) for nearly all of
the Estimated START species
thought to be present
? Identification of nine additional
threatened species thought
likely to be present but not
originally included in Estimated
START.
Calibration adjusted the total START
score for the SJNS landscape
from 898 START units to 768
START units. This calibrated score
does not include the additional
threatened species identified, as
the method to incorporate these
had not yet been developed when
this study was carried out.
The calibration process gave a
better understanding of the threats
important in the landscape, with
START scores spread more evenly
across a wider suite of threats than
before calibration. After calibration,
the largest opportunity to reduce
species extinction risk was linked
to land-use change, with livestock
farming and ranching the most
significant threat (14% of the total).
The threat from invasive non-
native species/diseases (related
to chytrid fungi disease) was
13% of the total after calibration
compared to 65% beforehand.
This highlighted the need not
only to address ongoing threats,
but for proactive management to
reduce potential future threats to
amphibians from chytrid fungi.
6.8.3
Results
62STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Using and interpreting STARUsing and interpreting STAR
Other lessons from this exercise for
future Estimated STAR calibration
include:
? For efficiency, information
gathering efforts can be
prioritised for the species
and associated threats that
make the greatest potential
contribution to the Area of
Interest?s Estimated START
score.
? Use of multiple information
sources, from expert input,
geo-spatial analysis and
literature and database
review, generated valuable
complementary information for
calibration.
? Future calibration exercises
could also consider spatial
variation within the landscape
in the presence of species,
and presence and intensity of
threats.
? Using structured expert
elicitation techniques could
have provided clearer
indications of confidence
in the calibration findings.
Documentation of data
sources and uncertainty,
and incorporation of publicly
available species occurrence
records, are also important.
Quantified levels of uncertainty
can help in focusing
interventions on the species
most likely to be present in the
Area of Interest.
? The calibration process can
inform the most appropriate
indicators for monitoring
changes in threat intensity
in response to future
conservation interventions.
? Information collected during
calibration should be fed back
into the Red List, and into
public databases of species
observations.
? Specialists engaged through
the calibration process have
potential to continue to
contribute to target-setting,
intervention planning,
implementation and monitoring
to assess Realised STAR.
6.8.4
Lessons
07
© sharpphotography
(CC BY-SA4.0)
Blue Iguana (Cyclura lewisi)
ENDANGERED
Considerations
when using
STAR
STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
BACK TO INDEX
64STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Biodiversity is complex and multi-
faceted. Similarly, biodiversity
decision-making involves a wide
range of information types and
considerations, including social
and economic aspects. No single
biodiversity metric will be suitable
for every situation, and in some
cases a suite of complementary
metrics may be needed.
STAR is a robust and versatile
biodiversity metric with many
practical applications. Like any
such metric, however, it has
limitations and constraints that
relate either to its design or to
gaps in available data.
It is important to understand
these limitations, both intrinsic
and data-related, so as to ensure
that STAR is used and interpreted
appropriately. Note that work is
actively underway to address
known data gaps and improve and
extend the global STAR datasets.
7.1
STAR focuses on threatened species
STAR gives higher scores to locations
with many threatened species
that have small global ranges. This
follows a well-established approach
to conservation priority-setting that
emphasizes threat (reflecting limited
options in time) and irreplaceability
(reflecting limited options in space).
As the KMGBF goals and targets
illustrate, these are important
aspects to consider when targeting
conservation interventions, but
not the only ones. For instance,
STAR does not directly highlight
opportunities for conserving intact
ecosystems or species communities,
ecological processes, ecosystem
functions and services, economically
or culturally important species, or
the recovery of species that are
depleted but not yet threatened
with extinction. It does not directly
address evolutionary history, although
research is underway to develop
a linkage between STAR and the
?Evolutionarily Distinct & Globally
Endangered? (EDGE) metric18 .
A low STAR score for an Area of
Interest does not necessarily mean
that the Area of Interest lacks current
or potential biodiversity value. It does
show that there is relatively limited
opportunity for interventions there to
reduce global species extinction risk
(for the taxa included in STAR).
18 Gumbs et al. 2023
Considerations when using STAR
65STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Considerations when using STAR
Global patterns of species richness and range-size mean that STAR grid-cell scores have a
distribution that is substantially right-skewed. This means most grid cells have low scores while a
few have very high scores.
0
0.00250.0000 0.0050 0.0075 0.0100
FR
EQ
UE
NC
Y
START SCORE
30 million
20 million
10 million
START SCORE
Figure 13 - The global frequency distribution of Estimated START scores for terrestrial 1-km grid cells (the very small proportion of cells with scores higher
than c. 0.011 form a long 'tail' that is not shown).
7.2
STAR scores have a skewed distribution
This pattern of STAR scores is
generally apparent for any large-
scale geographical unit, whether
globally, regionally, or nationally.
Across the world, very high STAR
scores are concentrated mainly
in the tropics, and especially
in certain tropical mountain,
island and coastal marine areas.
This concentration reflects the
biogeographic distribution of
threatened species, and hence
opportunities to reduce global
extinction risk.
There are, however, few areas
globally with STAR scores of
zero. Even if an area has a low
STAR score, for example in many
high latitude regions, in deserts
and in the high seas, there are
still important opportunities to
implement actions within the area
to reduce extinction risk.
66STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
7.3
7.4
Global STAR only includes comprehensively-assessed
species groups
Geographic variation in species life-cycle stages
is not fully reflected in STAR
Global STAR scores reflect the
status of taxon groups currently
included in the STAR. To ensure
that STAR scores are comparable
across the world, these taxon
groups must be comprehensively
assessed on the Red List. How well
these groups indicate the status
of other, less well-known taxon
groups (for example, terrestrial
higher plants) may vary.
Currently, the Area of Habitat
calculations in STAR do not fully
account for species that spend
different parts of their life-cycle in
different locations, and sometimes
different realms. Such species
include, for example, migratory
terrestrial birds or bats, oceanic
seabirds that nest on islands, or
fish that spend part of the lives
Global STAR scores also do not
consider species threat at national
or regional scale. However, it is
possible to calculate STAR based
on national or regional red lists to
address such species (Section 6.4).
As further taxon groups on the
Red List become comprehensively
assessed, the global STAR layers
in freshwater and part in the sea.
These complex life-cycles are not
yet adequately reflected in Area of
Habitat estimates which could lead
to STAR scores under- or over-
estimating potential for extinction
risk reduction at a location.
The STAR methodology is being
refined so that it better accounts
will be updated. For instance,
terrestrial START has recently
been updated to include reptiles
alongside amphibians, birds and
mammals, and now covers all
terrestrial vertebrates. Freshwater
species and tree species are in
the process of being added into
terrestrial START.
for different life-cycle stages. In the
next iteration, global STAR is also
expected to present a single global
layer across all realms, rather than
separate terrestrial, freshwater and
marine layers.
Considerations when using STAR
67STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
7.5
Estimated STAR makes some simplifying assumptions
To enable calculation of
standardised, comparable scores,
estimated global STAR assumes
that across a species is present, at
uniform densities, and subject to
uniform threat intensities across
its Area of Habitat.
The STAR calibration process
(section 6.2) is applied to
refine STAR estimates using
ground-truthed data. At present,
calibration corrects for species?
presence and the local presence
and intensity of threats. The
calibration methodology is being
further developed to account for
spatial differences in species
population density.
Lemur Leaf Frog (Agalychnis lemur) - CRITICALLY ENDANGERED / © leonardbolte (CC BY-NC)
Considerations when using STAR
68STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Considerations when using STAR
7.6
7.7
STAR scores are comparable only when based on the
same datasets
Some threatened species require additional targeted
interventions
Estimated, Calibrated, Target
and Realised STAR scores are
comparable when calculated in the
same way using the same underlying
datasets.
However, it is not appropriate to
compare STAR scores that are
calculated using different datasets,
for example where different STAR
scores are based on:
? National Red Lists compared to
the global IUCN Red List
Fully addressing the threats
faced by a species, over its entire
range, is expected to reduce
its risk of extinction, so that it
would no longer be assessed in a
threatened category on the Red
List19. However, some species
may require further targeted
? Differently dated versions of the
Red List
? Inclusion of different taxon groups
? Different methodologies
(including land cover datasets)
for Area of Habitat mapping.
The global IUCN Red List is
continually updated and refined as
new information becomes available
and new or revised assessments
are made. Similarly, global STAR
interventions in addition to
reduction of relevant threats20.
These could include, for example,
captive breeding for population
replenishment or re-introduction,
focused habitat management,
or assisted movement. KMGBF
Target 4 is designed to mobilise
estimates are updated (on a less
frequent schedule) to reflect the
latest Red List information. This
results in different versions or
?vintages? of STAR being available
over time.
Assessment of Realised STAR over
time should be based on the STAR
version that was used to calculate
Calibrated STAR for a location, and
not altered to reflect subsequent
versions.
such interventions as needed over
and above threat abatement and
restoration. Potential species-
specific needs should be assessed
when planning interventions after
the STAR calibration process
(section 6.2).
19 Mair et al. 2021.
20 Bolam et al. 2021.
Considerations when using STAR
Other
approaches
and metrics to
complement
STAR08
© 360pixual (CC BY-NC)
Smooth-coated Otter (Lutra perspicillata)
VULNERABLE
STAR Guidance for Governments
BACK TO INDEX
70STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Other approaches and metrics to complement STAR
The global STAR layers provide robust and versatile biodiversity metrics with varied
applications. However, in some contexts other approaches and metrics, outlined below,
may be useful to complement STAR.
8.1
IUCN Green Status
The STAR metric focuses
on reducing extinction risk,
guiding actions that can move
threatened species to the Least
Concern Red List category.
While a Least Concern species
has relatively low risk of near-
term extinction, it may be
far from fully recovered to a
healthy, viable and functional
status. KMGBF Goal A for 2050
recognises this, with the aim
that by 2050 ?the abundance of
native wild species is increased
to healthy and resilient levels?.
The IUCN Green Status of species
complements the Red List by
providing a tool for assessing the
recovery of species? populations
and measuring their conservation
success.
The Green Status assesses species
against three essential facets of
recovery21. A species is considered
to be fully recovered if, across all
parts of its range (including those
previously occupied before major
human impacts) it is all of
1. Present
2. Viable, i.e. not threatened
with extinction
3. Performing its ecological
functions.
These factors contribute towards
a Green Score that ranges from
0?100%, which shows how close a
species is to its fully recovered state.
The Green Status framework
and Green Score can be used
as a complementary measure to
STAR for target-setting and action
planning to achieve the component
of Goal A focused on healthy and
resilient species.
21 Akçakaya et al. 2018
https://www.iucnredlist.org/about/green-status-species
71STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
8.2
National Red Lists
Many countries have developed
National Red Lists using IUCN?s
Guidelines for Application of the
IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional
and National Levels. National Red
Lists assess and categorise the
extinction risk status of species at
the national level.
The STAR metric methodology is
applicable at national (or regional)
scale as well as globally (Section
6.2). Depending on the robustness,
completeness and recency of the
national Red List assessment,
developing a national STAR
dataset may have some practical
advantages:
? National Red Lists may include
additional taxon groups that
are fully assessed (at national
level) and can be incorporated
in the STAR metric. For
example, some National Red
Lists include full assessments
for higher plants and certain
invertebrate groups. National
STAR datasets may thus give
a more broadly representative
view of biodiversity than the
global STAR layer.
? STAR based on National
Red Lists may show greater
differentiation of scores
across grid cells, especially
for countries where there
are relatively few globally
threatened species present.
? National Red Lists can help to
highlight not only global but
national-level responsibilities
and priorities for reducing
species extinction risk.
On the other hand, there may be
practical challenges in assessing
current and former Area of Habitat,
and the relevance, scope and
severity of threats, for nationally
threatened species that are not
already in the STAR global layer.
Mair et al. (2023) provide examples
of applying STAR based on national
Red Lists, focusing on vascular
plants in Brazil, Norway and South
Africa, to identify key opportunities
for reducing extinction risk by
threat type and location.
Other approaches and metrics to complement STAR
https://www.iucnredlist.org/about/regional
https://www.iucnredlist.org/about/regional
https://www.iucnredlist.org/about/regional
72STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
8.3
Other metrics focused on species extinction risk
The recently-developed Land-
cover change Impacts on Future.
Extinctons (LIFE) metric also focuses
on opportunities to reduce extinction
risk. It has similarities to STAR but
can be used for complementary
purposes. The metric estimates
change in species' extinction risk
from land-cover changes22. LIFE uses
a non-linear model to relate past and
present habitat loss to a species?
extinction probability. Global layers
for LIFE show the marginal effect
of converting or restoring natural
habitats to or from arable land.
Like STAR, LIFE is based on Area
of Habitat mapping for species of
terrestrial vertebrates, and LIFE
scores are comparable and scaleable.
Unlike STAR, LIFE is focused on
land-cover change in the terrestrial
realm (not other threats or realms),
but includes Least Concern as well
as threatened species. As with
STAR, LIFE has a range of potential
applications23. It is likely to be
particularly useful for situations
relating to land-use planning for
agricultural development, and where
STAR scores are relatively low and
the larger species complement in
LIFE provides better differentiation
of scores across grid cells in a
landscape.
The LIFE global layers have been
published, with conditions of use
as set out by the custodians of the
underpinning data sets.
Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus) - VULNERABLE - © Kevin Schafer (CC BY-NC-ND)
22 Eyres et al. 2025a
23 Eyres et al. 2025b
Other approaches and metrics to complement STAR
https://zenodo.org/records/14188450
INDIA /© Pexels hfahad
09Glossary
STAR Guidance for Governments
BACK TO INDEX
75STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Glossary
AoH - Area of Habitat
Area of Influence
Area of Interest
Calibrated STAR
CMS - Convention on
Migratory Species
EDGE species
- Evolutionarily
Distinct and Globally
Endangered species
CBD - Convention on
Biological Diversity
Critically Endangered
species
Endangered species
The area within a species? range with suitable habitat at suitable elevation. A species? Area
of Habitat is estimated based on IUCN Red List data on species? ranges, habitat associations
(cross-walked to landcover classes) and elevation limits.
In impact assessment, the Area of Influence is the geographic extent where a project's direct
and indirect environmental and social impacts may potentially occur. It defines the spatial
scale for identifying and managing risks, including both the project's direct operations and any
unplanned but predictable developments that might be caused by the project.
Species identified using a scientific framework that considers both evolutionary uniqueness and
risk of extinction. EDGE species capture significant evolutionary history and are at the brink of
disappearing, so their extinction would result in a disproportionate loss of the planet's unique
evolutionary heritage.
A defined geographic area for potential interventions to reduce species extinction risk. Estimated
STAR scores for an Area of Interest are obtained by overlaying a user-defined location or polygon
on the global STAR map.
A validated measure of an Area of Interest?s potential to contribute to species? extinction risk
reduction. It is based on adjustment of Estimated STAR following further assessment using
location-relevant data on the presence of species, and presence and intensity of threats.
Also known as the Bonn Convention, an international treaty under the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) adopted in 1979 to protect migratory species of wild animals
and their habitats on a global scale.
An international treaty adopted in 1992 with three main goals: the conservation of biodiversity,
the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the
use of genetic resources.
See ?IUCN Red List categories?
See ?IUCN Red List categories?
https://www.edgeofexistence.org/the-edge-metric/
76STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Glossary
Estimated STAR
IUCN Contributions
for Nature Platform
IUCN Green Status
of Species
IUCN Habitats
Classification
Scheme
IUCN Red List
categories
STAR scores mapped as global layers that provide an estimate of local STAR values based on
global datasets, under the assumptions that species occur uniformly throughout their mapped
Area of Habitat, and species-specific threats are uniform across their entire range.
An online tool and geospatial interface where IUCN Government and Civil Society Members and
other constituents can document, visualize and communicate their contributions for nature in
support of global biodiversity targets.
A scientific framework that measures a species? recovery by assessing how close it is to being
ecologically functional and viable across its entire native range.
A hierarchical framework used to standardize the categorization of habitats for international
conservation efforts. It provides the basis for assessing species-habitat associations and mapping
species' area of habitat. The scheme has three levels of organization, moving from 18 broad
categories (Level 1) to more specific habitat classes (Level 2) and specific habitat sub-types (Level
3).
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species divides species into nine categories based on their risk
of global extinction. Species are assessed based on scientific criteria such as population size, rate
of decline, and geographic distribution. The Red List categories used in STAR calculation are:
? Critically Endangered (CR): Highest risk of extinction. A taxon is Critically Endangered when
the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Critically
Endangered, and it is therefore considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction
in the wild.
? Endangered (EN): Very high risk of extinction. A taxon is Endangered when the best available
evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered, and it is therefore
considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
? Vulnerable (VU): Risk of extinction. A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence
indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable, and it is therefore considered
to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
? Near Threatened (NT): A taxon is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against the
criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable now, but is
close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
In addition, Least Concern (LC) species are those that do not qualify or nearly qualify for a
threatened category, because they remain relatively abundant and widespread, and are not
suffering rapid declines. Their inclusion on the Red List helps to track overall biodiversity trends
as well as identify species that may be declining but are not yet threatened with extinction. Least
Concern species may still be a focus for conservation attention to achieve species recovery.
https://www.iucncontributionsfornature.org
https://www.iucncontributionsfornature.org
https://www.iucnredlist.org/about/green-status-species
https://www.iucnredlist.org/about/green-status-species
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/categories-and-criteria
77STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Glossary
KBA - Key
Biodiversity Area
LIFE metric - Land-cover
change Impacts on Future
Extinctions metric
NBSAP - National
Biodiversity Strategy
and Action Plan
Least Concern
species
MEA - Multilateral
Environmental
Agreement
International standard for assessing species extinction risk. The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species is compiled by IUCN?s global network of experts, specialist groups and partners.
A standardized, hierarchical framework used to document and categorize direct threats to
species and ecosystems, and a core component of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
assessment process.
A country's official plan for addressing biodiversity loss that outlines national actions and
strategies to meet international goals, such as the targets set by the global Kunming-Montreal
Biodiversity Framework. NBSAPs identify threats, define conservation and sustainable use
strategies, and promote concerted and cross-sectoral efforts to protect nature and ensure
human well-being.
A site of global significance for the persistence of biodiversity, identified consistently and
rigorously using the set of quantitative scientific criteria in the KBA global standard.
A framework adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on
Biological Diversity in December 2022 that sets out a pathway to halt and reverse nature loss
and reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050. The framework
sets 23 global targets for 2030 and four long-term goals for 2050.
A global metric that considers species? current and past Area of Habitat to map the impact of
land-use changes on extinction risks, currently for terrestrial vertebrates. See.
A legally binding international agreement between three or more countries that addresses
shared environmental problems through collective action and coordinated rules, aiming
to foster international cooperation to manage environmental issues that are global or
transboundary in nature.
See ?IUCN Red List categories?
IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species
IUCN Threats
Classification
Scheme
KMGBF - Kunming-
Montreal Global
Biodiversity
Framework
https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/
https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LuEAC5_0uOqiady7UFxAoW638Qw3MDuT/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LuEAC5_0uOqiady7UFxAoW638Qw3MDuT/view?usp=drivesdk
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/classification-schemes
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/classification-schemes
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/classification-schemes
https://www.cbd.int/gbf
https://www.cbd.int/gbf
https://www.cbd.int/gbf
https://www.cbd.int/gbf
78STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Glossary
OECM - Other
Effective Area-
based Conservation
Measures
Realised STAR
Ramsar Convention
RHINO - Rapid High-
Integrity Nature-
positive Outcomes
The lost direct economic or social benefits arising from alternative land or resource uses that
were forgone to protect biodiversity.
As defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (Decision 14/8), a geographically defined
area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive
and sustained long-term outcomes for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated
ecosystem functions and services and where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio?economic, and
other locally relevant values.
IUCN defines a Protected Area as a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated
and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of
nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. Such areas have the primary
goal of nature conservation, even if other activities, such as sustainable resource use, are
permitted.
Also known as the Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty adopted in 1971 (in
Ramsar, Iran) that provides a framework for nations to conserve and wisely use wetlands and
their resources. The convention?s three main pillars are the designation of important wetlands
as Ramsar Sites, promoting wise use of all wetlands, and fostering international cooperation on
shared wetland systems and resources.
A conservation outcome measure in STAR units, calculated from Calibrated STAR values and
the measured threat intensity reduction and/or restoration success resulting from conservation
interventions in a defined Area of Interest.
An approach developed by IUCN providing science-based pathways for the delivery and
reporting of rapid, high-integrity contributions to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity
Framework (KMGBF) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
See ?IUCN Red List categories?Near Threatened
species
OCC - Opportunity
Cost of
Conservation
Protected Area
https://www.ramsar.org/
https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-14/cop-14-dec-08-en.pdf
79STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Glossary
STARR - Species
Threat Abatement
and Restoration
metric - Restoration
START - Species
Threat Abatement
and Restoration
metric - Restoration
UNCCD - United Nations
Convention to Combat
Desertification
Target STAR
Vulnerable species
WHC - The World
Heritage Convention
A set of 17 interconnected goals to transform the world by 2030. Adopted by all United Nations
Member States, they constitute a universal call to action to end poverty and inequality, protect
the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice, and prosperity.
A metric that tracks the global extinction risk of a group of species by measuring changes in
their IUCN Red List Categories over time, showing whether species are overall becoming more
or less threatened. The RLI is recognized as a key indicator for international biodiversity and
sustainability goals.
A metric to show the potential or achieved contribution to reducing species? extinction risk,
based on actions to restore species? habitat while preventing threats in a defined Area of
Interest.
A metric to show the potential or achieved contribution to reducing species? extinction risk,
based on actions to lower the intensity of specific threats in a defined Area of Interest.
An objective for reduction in species? extinction risk measured in STAR units, calculated from
Calibrated STAR values and targets for reduced threat intensity and/or restoration success
resulting from conservation interventions in a defined Area of Interest.
An international treaty under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organiza-
tion (UNESCO), adopted in 1972, to identify, protect and preserve cultural and natural sites of
?Outstanding Universal Value? around the world. The Convention establishes a framework for
international cooperation, the criteria for inscribing sites onto the World Heritage List and the
duties of States Parties to protect these properties.
An international agreement adopted in 1994 that links land management, environment and
development. It aims to restore degraded land, mitigate the effects of drought, and improve con-
ditions for people in drylands (arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas) through a participatory
approach to sustainable land stewardship.
See ?IUCN Red List categories?
RLI - Red List Index
SDGs - UN
Sustainable
Development Goals
https://www.unccd.int/
https://www.unccd.int/
https://www.unccd.int/
https://whc.unesco.org/en/convention/
https://whc.unesco.org/en/convention/
https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/red-list-index
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
10References
STAR Guidance for Governments
BACK TO INDEX
81STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
References
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Benrey, B., Bustos-Segura, C. and Grof-Tisza, P.,2024. The mesoamerican milpa system: Traditional practices,
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Bolam, F.C., Ahumada, J., Akçakaya, H.R., Brooks, T.M., Elliott, W., Hoban, S., Mair, L., Mallon, D., McGowan, P.J.,
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human?induced extinction. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 21: 64-70.
Brooks, T.M., Pimm, S.L., Akçakaya, H.R., Buchanan, G.M., Butchart, S.H., Foden, W., Hilton-Taylor, C., Hoffmann, M.,
Jenkins, C.N., Joppa, L. and Li, B.V., 2019. Measuring terrestrial area of habitat (AOH) and its utility for the IUCN Red
List. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 34: 977-986.
Dahal, P.R., Lumbierres, M., Butchart, S.H., Donald, P.F. and Rondinini, C., 2022. A validation standard for area of habitat
maps for terrestrial birds and mammals. Geoscientific Model Development Discussions, 2022:1-25.
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Madhavapeddy, A. and Balmford, A., 2025a. LIFE: A metric for mapping the impact of land-cover change on global
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Eyres, A., Arnell, A., Cuthbert, R., Ball, T.S., Dales, M., Guizar-Coutiño, A., Holland, J., Luz-Ricca, E., Madhavapeddy, A.,
Pain, L. and Swinfield, T., 2025b. Informing conservation problems and actions using an indicator of extinction risk: a
detailed assessment of applying the LIFE metric. SSRN Preprint 5343069.
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https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/15/5093/2022/
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Endangered species for practical conservation action. PLoS Biology, 21(2): e3001991.
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11Annex I
STAR Guidance for Governments
BACK TO INDEX
86STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Annex I
11
Annex I: STAR methodology and underpinning data
The STAR methodology and calculation of the first-version terrestrial STAR layer are described in Mair et al. 2021.
Calculation of marine STAR is described in Turner et al. 2024.
The estimated global START layer (version 2) was updated in 2025 and is based on the following datasets:
For Area of Habitat24 estimates (see Box C) in the current START global layer, species? suitable habitat was determined
by applying habitat associations listed in the Red List assessments. To map this, terrestrial habitats in the IUCN habitats
classification scheme were matched to Copernicus Global Land Service Land Cover (CGLS-LC100, version 3.01,
2019 epoch) discrete landcover classes through a crosswalk table25. Elevation thresholds were applied through the
Copernicus GLO-30 Digital Surface Model, considered the most recent and accurate elevation data26, corrected via a
machine learning algorithm to remove forests and buildings27.
For the first terrestrial global STAR layers (v 1), including the current STARR layer, and for Marine START the Red List
datasets used were:
AoH mapping for terrestrial STAR was based on Strassburg et al. 2020, and for marine STAR is described in
Turner et al. 2024.
? The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Version 2025-1
? The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Version 2019-3.
? IUCN Threats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.3)
? IUCN Threats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.2, 2019)
? IUCN Habitats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.1).
? IUCN Habitats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.1).
24 Brooks et al. 2019
25 Dahal et al. 2022, Lumbierres et al. 2022
26 Guth & Geoffroy 2021
27 Hawker et al. 2022
https://www.iucnredlist.org
https://www.iucnredlist.org
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/threat-classification-scheme
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme
Powered
by
INDEX
12P - 01
14P - 02
15_ 2.1
16_2.2
18P - 03
21_ 3.1_3.2
25_3.3
26P - 04
27_4.1_4.2
28_4.3_4.4_4.5
29_4.6
31P - 05
35_5.1
36_5.2
37P - 06
38_6.1
42_6.2
46_6.3
47_6.4
48_6.5
51_6.6
56_6.7_ 6.7.1
59_6.8_6.8.1
60_6.8.2
61_6.8.3
62_ 6.8.4
63P - 07
64_7.1
65_7.2
66_7.3_7.4
67_7.5
68_7.6_7.7
69P - 08
70_ 8.1
71_8.2
72_8.3
74P - 09
80P - 10
85P - 11
22_figura 1
24_figura 2
25_figura 3
32_figura 4
34_figura 5
35_figura 6
40_figura 7
44_figura 8
47_figura 9
50_figura 10
53_figura 11
57_figura 12
65_figura 13
54_tabla 1
45_figura8.2
Section13:
Section14:
Section16:
Section17:
Section41:
Section44:
Section21:
Section18:
Section19:
Section36:
Section74:
Section23:
Section27:
Section28:
Section29:
Section26:
Section22:
Section25:
Section30:
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(ATTENTION: OPTION
https://whc.unesco.org/en/convention/
https://whc.unesco.org/en/convention/
https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/red-list-index
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
10References
STAR Guidance for Governments
BACK TO INDEX
81STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
References
10
References
Akçakaya, H.R., Bennett, E.L., Brooks, T.M., Grace, M.K., Heath, A., Hedges, S., Hilton-Taylor, C., Hoffmann, M., Keith,
D.A., Long, B. and Mallon, D.P., 2018. Quantifying species recovery and conservation success to develop an IUCN Green
List of Species. Conservation Biology, 32:1128-1138.
Benrey, B., Bustos-Segura, C. and Grof-Tisza, P.,2024. The mesoamerican milpa system: Traditional practices,
sustainability, biodiversity, and pest control. Biological Control 198: 105637.
Bolam, F.C., Ahumada, J., Akçakaya, H.R., Brooks, T.M., Elliott, W., Hoban, S., Mair, L., Mallon, D., McGowan, P.J.,
Raimondo, D. and Rodríguez, J.P., 2023. Over half of threatened species require targeted recovery actions to avert
human?induced extinction. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 21: 64-70.
Brooks, T.M., Pimm, S.L., Akçakaya, H.R., Buchanan, G.M., Butchart, S.H., Foden, W., Hilton-Taylor, C., Hoffmann, M.,
Jenkins, C.N., Joppa, L. and Li, B.V., 2019. Measuring terrestrial area of habitat (AOH) and its utility for the IUCN Red
List. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 34: 977-986.
Dahal, P.R., Lumbierres, M., Butchart, S.H., Donald, P.F. and Rondinini, C., 2022. A validation standard for area of habitat
maps for terrestrial birds and mammals. Geoscientific Model Development Discussions, 2022:1-25.
Eyres, A., Ball, T.S., Dales, M., Swinfield, T., Arnell, A., Baisero, D., Durán, A.P., Green, J.M., Green, R.E.,
Madhavapeddy, A. and Balmford, A., 2025a. LIFE: A metric for mapping the impact of land-cover change on global
extinctions. Philosophical Transactions B 380(1917): 20230327.
Eyres, A., Arnell, A., Cuthbert, R., Ball, T.S., Dales, M., Guizar-Coutiño, A., Holland, J., Luz-Ricca, E., Madhavapeddy, A.,
Pain, L. and Swinfield, T., 2025b. Informing conservation problems and actions using an indicator of extinction risk: a
detailed assessment of applying the LIFE metric. SSRN Preprint 5343069.
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13112
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13112
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880924001920
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880924001920
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2537
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2537
https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(19)30189-2?fbclid=IwAR0w-7X7kF9O0zsAnGuh1Ypc-0HRDni_Z9BtETOo02snmo1Lylcbq9jOdSM
https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(19)30189-2?fbclid=IwAR0w-7X7kF9O0zsAnGuh1Ypc-0HRDni_Z9BtETOo02snmo1Lylcbq9jOdSM
https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/15/5093/2022/
https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/15/5093/2022/
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2023.0327
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2023.0327
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5343069
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5343069
82STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
10
References
References
Guerrero-Pineda C., Iacona G.D., Mair L., Hawkins F., Siikamäki J., Miller D. and Gerber L.R., 2022. An investment
strategy to address biodiversity loss from agricultural expansion. Nature Sustainability, 5: 610-618.
Gumbs, R., Gray, C.L., Böhm, M., Burfield, I.J., Couchman, O.R., Faith, D.P., Forest, F., Hoffmann, M., Isaac, N.J., Jetz,
W. and Mace, G.M., 2023. The EDGE2 protocol: Advancing the prioritisation of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally
Endangered species for practical conservation action. PLoS Biology, 21(2): e3001991.
Guth, P.L. and Geoffroy, T.M., 2021. LiDAR point cloud and ICESat?2 evaluation of 1 second global digital elevation
models: Copernicus wins. Transactions in GIS, 25: 2245-2261.
Hawker, L., Uhe, P., Paulo, L., Sosa, J., Savage, J., Sampson, C. and Neal, J., 2022. A 30 m global map of elevation with
forests and buildings removed. Environmental Research Letters, 17: 024016.
IUCN, 2024. Tejiendo un nuevo marco de conservación para Mesoamérica: diálogo intercultural de saberes entre
ciencia y Pueblos Indígenas. UICN ORMACC.
IUCN, 2025. IUCN Rapid High-Integrity Nature-positive Outcomes (IUCN RHINO). Source materials: The IUCN approach
to setting robust targets and implementing rapid, verifiable actions for species and ecosystems. Technical Source
document, Version 2.0. Gland, Switzerland: International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Jones, H.P., Jones, P.C., Barbier, E.B., Blackburn, R.C., Rey Benayas, J.M., Holl, K.D., McCrackin, M., Meli, P., Montoya, D.
and Mateos, D.M., 2018. Restoration and repair of Earth's damaged ecosystems. Proceedings of the Royal Society B:
Biological Sciences, 285: 20172577.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00871-2
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00871-2
https://journals.plos.org/Plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001991
https://journals.plos.org/Plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001991
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/tgis.12825
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/tgis.12825
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4d4f/meta
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4d4f/meta
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2017.2577
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Lumbierres, M., Dahal, P.R., Di Marco, M., Butchart, S.H., Donald, P.F. and Rondinini, C., 2022. Translating habitat class to
land cover to map area of habitat of terrestrial vertebrates. Conservation Biology, 36: e13851.
Mair, L., Bennun, L.A., Brooks, T.M., Butchart, S.H., Bolam, F.C., Burgess, N.D., Ekstrom, J.M., Milner-Gulland, E.J.,
Hoffmann, M., Ma, K. and Macfarlane, N.B., 2021. A metric for spatially explicit contributions to science-based species
targets. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5: 836-844.
Mair, L., Bennun, L., Brooks, T.M., Jimenez, R., Macfarlane, N.B.W., Nello, T., Vergez, A., Butchart, S.H.M., Curet, F.,
Dakmejian, A., Ellis. E., McGowan, P.J.K., Murphy, L., Ridley, F.A., Ross, A., Sneary, M.V., Starnes, T., Stephenson,
P.J., Turner, J.A. and Hawkins, F., In review a. Conceptual framework for the implementation of the Species Threat
Abatement & Restoration metric?s threat abatement component.
Mair, L., Brooks, T.M., Jimenez, R., Macfarlane, N.B.W., Nello, T., Vergez, A., Bennun, L., Curet, F., Dakmejian, A., Ellis. E.,
Gallo, M., McGowan, P.J.K., Murphy, L., Ridley, F.A., Ross, A., Sierra, C., Starnes, T., Turner, J.A. and Hawkins, F. , In review
b. Calibration of the Species Threat Abatement & Restoration metric?s threat abatement component: a landscape-scale
application in Costa Rica.
Ostrom, E., 1990. Governing the commons: The evolution of institutions for collective action. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University Press.
Schneck, J., Hawkins, F., Cox, N., Mair, L., Thieme, A. and Sexton, J. 2023. Species Threat Abatement and Recovery in
Cameroon and Kenya: Findings from a STAR assessment to support biodiversity conservation using high-resolution
data. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13851
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13851
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01432-0
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01432-0
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316423936
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https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2023-005-en.pdf
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Threat Abatement and Restoration in the Central African Republic: Findings from a STAR assessment to support
biodiversity conservation under The Restoration Initiative. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN
Strassburg, B.B., Iribarrem, A., Beyer, H.L., Cordeiro, C.L., Crouzeilles, R., Jakovac, C.C., Braga Junqueira, A., Lacerda,
E., Latawiec, A.E., Balmford, A. and Brooks, T.M., 2020. Global priority areas for ecosystem restoration. Nature 58:
724?729.
Turner, J.A., Starkey, M., Dulvy, N.K., Hawkins, F., Mair, L., Serckx, A., Brooks, T., Polidoro, B., Butchart, S.H., Carpenter, K.
and Epps, M., 2024. Targeting ocean conservation outcomes through threat reduction. npj Ocean Sustainability, 3: 4.
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2024-034-En.pdf
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https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2784-9
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44183-023-00040-8
11Annex I
STAR Guidance for Governments
BACK TO INDEX
86STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Annex I
11
Annex I: STAR methodology and underpinning data
The STAR methodology and calculation of the first-version terrestrial STAR layer are described in Mair et al. 2021.
Calculation of marine STAR is described in Turner et al. 2024.
The estimated global START layer (version 2) was updated in 2025 and is based on the following datasets:
For Area of Habitat24 estimates (see Box C) in the current START global layer, species? suitable habitat was determined
by applying habitat associations listed in the Red List assessments. To map this, terrestrial habitats in the IUCN habitats
classification scheme were matched to Copernicus Global Land Service Land Cover (CGLS-LC100, version 3.01,
2019 epoch) discrete landcover classes through a crosswalk table25. Elevation thresholds were applied through the
Copernicus GLO-30 Digital Surface Model, considered the most recent and accurate elevation data26, corrected via a
machine learning algorithm to remove forests and buildings27.
For the first terrestrial global STAR layers (v 1), including the current STARR layer, and for Marine START the Red List
datasets used were:
AoH mapping for terrestrial STAR was based on Strassburg et al. 2020, and for marine STAR is described in
Turner et al. 2024.
? The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Version 2025-1
? The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Version 2019-3.
? IUCN Threats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.3)
? IUCN Threats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.2, 2019)
? IUCN Habitats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.1).
? IUCN Habitats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.1).
24 Brooks et al. 2019
25 Dahal et al. 2022, Lumbierres et al. 2022
26 Guth & Geoffroy 2021
27 Hawker et al. 2022
https://www.iucnredlist.org
https://www.iucnredlist.org
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/threat-classification-scheme
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme
Powered
by
INDEX
12P - 01
14P - 02
15_ 2.1
16_2.2
18P - 03
21_ 3.1_3.2
25_3.3
26P - 04
27_4.1_4.2
28_4.3_4.4_4.5
29_4.6
31P - 05
35_5.1
36_5.2
37P - 06
38_6.1
42_6.2
46_6.3
47_6.4
48_6.5
51_6.6
56_6.7_ 6.7.1
59_6.8_6.8.1
60_6.8.2
61_6.8.3
62_ 6.8.4
63P - 07
64_7.1
65_7.2
66_7.3_7.4
67_7.5
68_7.6_7.7
69P - 08
70_ 8.1
71_8.2
72_8.3
74P - 09
80P - 10
85P - 11
22_figura 1
24_figura 2
25_figura 3
32_figura 4
34_figura 5
35_figura 6
40_figura 7
44_figura 8
47_figura 9
50_figura 10
53_figura 11
57_figura 12
65_figura 13
54_tabla 1
45_figura8.2
Section13:
Section14:
Section16:
Section17:
Section41:
Section44:
Section21:
Section18:
Section19:
Section36:
Section74:
Section23:
Section27:
Section28:
Section29:
Section26:
Section22:
Section25:
Section30:
Section33:
Section35:
Section31:
Section32:
Section38:
Section37:
Section40:
Section52:
Section42:
Section75:
Section39:
Section76:
Section45:
Section46:
Section47:
Section48:
Section43:
Section49:
Section50:
Section51:
Section53:
Section54:
Section55:
Section56:
Section57:
Section58:
Section59:
Section66:
Section67:
Section62:
Section63:
Section64:
Section68:
Section65:
Section69:
Botón 26:
INDEX 2:
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Botón 27:
Botón 28:
Botón 29:
Botón 30:
Botón 31:
Botón 32:
Botón 33:
Botón 34:
Botón 35:
Botón 36:
INVALIDE) (ATTENTION: OPTION rg/goals
10References
STAR Guidance for Governments
BACK TO INDEX
81STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
References
10
References
Akçakaya, H.R., Bennett, E.L., Brooks, T.M., Grace, M.K., Heath, A., Hedges, S., Hilton-Taylor, C., Hoffmann, M., Keith,
D.A., Long, B. and Mallon, D.P., 2018. Quantifying species recovery and conservation success to develop an IUCN Green
List of Species. Conservation Biology, 32:1128-1138.
Benrey, B., Bustos-Segura, C. and Grof-Tisza, P.,2024. The mesoamerican milpa system: Traditional practices,
sustainability, biodiversity, and pest control. Biological Control 198: 105637.
Bolam, F.C., Ahumada, J., Akçakaya, H.R., Brooks, T.M., Elliott, W., Hoban, S., Mair, L., Mallon, D., McGowan, P.J.,
Raimondo, D. and Rodríguez, J.P., 2023. Over half of threatened species require targeted recovery actions to avert
human?induced extinction. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 21: 64-70.
Brooks, T.M., Pimm, S.L., Akçakaya, H.R., Buchanan, G.M., Butchart, S.H., Foden, W., Hilton-Taylor, C., Hoffmann, M.,
Jenkins, C.N., Joppa, L. and Li, B.V., 2019. Measuring terrestrial area of habitat (AOH) and its utility for the IUCN Red
List. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 34: 977-986.
Dahal, P.R., Lumbierres, M., Butchart, S.H., Donald, P.F. and Rondinini, C., 2022. A validation standard for area of habitat
maps for terrestrial birds and mammals. Geoscientific Model Development Discussions, 2022:1-25.
Eyres, A., Ball, T.S., Dales, M., Swinfield, T., Arnell, A., Baisero, D., Durán, A.P., Green, J.M., Green, R.E.,
Madhavapeddy, A. and Balmford, A., 2025a. LIFE: A metric for mapping the impact of land-cover change on global
extinctions. Philosophical Transactions B 380(1917): 20230327.
Eyres, A., Arnell, A., Cuthbert, R., Ball, T.S., Dales, M., Guizar-Coutiño, A., Holland, J., Luz-Ricca, E., Madhavapeddy, A.,
Pain, L. and Swinfield, T., 2025b. Informing conservation problems and actions using an indicator of extinction risk: a
detailed assessment of applying the LIFE metric. SSRN Preprint 5343069.
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13112
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13112
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880924001920
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880924001920
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2537
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2537
https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(19)30189-2?fbclid=IwAR0w-7X7kF9O0zsAnGuh1Ypc-0HRDni_Z9BtETOo02snmo1Lylcbq9jOdSM
https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(19)30189-2?fbclid=IwAR0w-7X7kF9O0zsAnGuh1Ypc-0HRDni_Z9BtETOo02snmo1Lylcbq9jOdSM
https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/15/5093/2022/
https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/15/5093/2022/
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2023.0327
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2023.0327
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5343069
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5343069
82STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
10
References
References
Guerrero-Pineda C., Iacona G.D., Mair L., Hawkins F., Siikamäki J., Miller D. and Gerber L.R., 2022. An investment
strategy to address biodiversity loss from agricultural expansion. Nature Sustainability, 5: 610-618.
Gumbs, R., Gray, C.L., Böhm, M., Burfield, I.J., Couchman, O.R., Faith, D.P., Forest, F., Hoffmann, M., Isaac, N.J., Jetz,
W. and Mace, G.M., 2023. The EDGE2 protocol: Advancing the prioritisation of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally
Endangered species for practical conservation action. PLoS Biology, 21(2): e3001991.
Guth, P.L. and Geoffroy, T.M., 2021. LiDAR point cloud and ICESat?2 evaluation of 1 second global digital elevation
models: Copernicus wins. Transactions in GIS, 25: 2245-2261.
Hawker, L., Uhe, P., Paulo, L., Sosa, J., Savage, J., Sampson, C. and Neal, J., 2022. A 30 m global map of elevation with
forests and buildings removed. Environmental Research Letters, 17: 024016.
IUCN, 2024. Tejiendo un nuevo marco de conservación para Mesoamérica: diálogo intercultural de saberes entre
ciencia y Pueblos Indígenas. UICN ORMACC.
IUCN, 2025. IUCN Rapid High-Integrity Nature-positive Outcomes (IUCN RHINO). Source materials: The IUCN approach
to setting robust targets and implementing rapid, verifiable actions for species and ecosystems. Technical Source
document, Version 2.0. Gland, Switzerland: International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Jones, H.P., Jones, P.C., Barbier, E.B., Blackburn, R.C., Rey Benayas, J.M., Holl, K.D., McCrackin, M., Meli, P., Montoya, D.
and Mateos, D.M., 2018. Restoration and repair of Earth's damaged ecosystems. Proceedings of the Royal Society B:
Biological Sciences, 285: 20172577.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00871-2
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00871-2
https://journals.plos.org/Plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001991
https://journals.plos.org/Plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001991
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/tgis.12825
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/tgis.12825
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4d4f/meta
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4d4f/meta
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2017.2577
83STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
10
References
References
Lumbierres, M., Dahal, P.R., Di Marco, M., Butchart, S.H., Donald, P.F. and Rondinini, C., 2022. Translating habitat class to
land cover to map area of habitat of terrestrial vertebrates. Conservation Biology, 36: e13851.
Mair, L., Bennun, L.A., Brooks, T.M., Butchart, S.H., Bolam, F.C., Burgess, N.D., Ekstrom, J.M., Milner-Gulland, E.J.,
Hoffmann, M., Ma, K. and Macfarlane, N.B., 2021. A metric for spatially explicit contributions to science-based species
targets. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5: 836-844.
Mair, L., Bennun, L., Brooks, T.M., Jimenez, R., Macfarlane, N.B.W., Nello, T., Vergez, A., Butchart, S.H.M., Curet, F.,
Dakmejian, A., Ellis. E., McGowan, P.J.K., Murphy, L., Ridley, F.A., Ross, A., Sneary, M.V., Starnes, T., Stephenson,
P.J., Turner, J.A. and Hawkins, F., In review a. Conceptual framework for the implementation of the Species Threat
Abatement & Restoration metric?s threat abatement component.
Mair, L., Brooks, T.M., Jimenez, R., Macfarlane, N.B.W., Nello, T., Vergez, A., Bennun, L., Curet, F., Dakmejian, A., Ellis. E.,
Gallo, M., McGowan, P.J.K., Murphy, L., Ridley, F.A., Ross, A., Sierra, C., Starnes, T., Turner, J.A. and Hawkins, F. , In review
b. Calibration of the Species Threat Abatement & Restoration metric?s threat abatement component: a landscape-scale
application in Costa Rica.
Ostrom, E., 1990. Governing the commons: The evolution of institutions for collective action. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University Press.
Schneck, J., Hawkins, F., Cox, N., Mair, L., Thieme, A. and Sexton, J. 2023. Species Threat Abatement and Recovery in
Cameroon and Kenya: Findings from a STAR assessment to support biodiversity conservation using high-resolution
data. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13851
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13851
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01432-0
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01432-0
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316423936
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2023-005-en.pdf
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2023-005-en.pdf
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2023-005-en.pdf
84STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
10
References
Schneck, J., Hawkins, F., Cox, N., Mair, L., Thieme, A., Sexton, J., Gürpinar, Y., Simpson, M. and Vidal, A,. 2024. Species
Threat Abatement and Restoration in the Central African Republic: Findings from a STAR assessment to support
biodiversity conservation under The Restoration Initiative. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN
Strassburg, B.B., Iribarrem, A., Beyer, H.L., Cordeiro, C.L., Crouzeilles, R., Jakovac, C.C., Braga Junqueira, A., Lacerda,
E., Latawiec, A.E., Balmford, A. and Brooks, T.M., 2020. Global priority areas for ecosystem restoration. Nature 58:
724?729.
Turner, J.A., Starkey, M., Dulvy, N.K., Hawkins, F., Mair, L., Serckx, A., Brooks, T., Polidoro, B., Butchart, S.H., Carpenter, K.
and Epps, M., 2024. Targeting ocean conservation outcomes through threat reduction. npj Ocean Sustainability, 3: 4.
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2024-034-En.pdf
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2024-034-En.pdf
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2024-034-En.pdf
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2784-9
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44183-023-00040-8
11Annex I
STAR Guidance for Governments
BACK TO INDEX
86STAR Guidance for Civil Society Organizations
Annex I
11
Annex I: STAR methodology and underpinning data
The STAR methodology and calculation of the first-version terrestrial STAR layer are described in Mair et al. 2021.
Calculation of marine STAR is described in Turner et al. 2024.
The estimated global START layer (version 2) was updated in 2025 and is based on the following datasets:
For Area of Habitat24 estimates (see Box C) in the current START global layer, species? suitable habitat was determined
by applying habitat associations listed in the Red List assessments. To map this, terrestrial habitats in the IUCN habitats
classification scheme were matched to Copernicus Global Land Service Land Cover (CGLS-LC100, version 3.01,
2019 epoch) discrete landcover classes through a crosswalk table25. Elevation thresholds were applied through the
Copernicus GLO-30 Digital Surface Model, considered the most recent and accurate elevation data26, corrected via a
machine learning algorithm to remove forests and buildings27.
For the first terrestrial global STAR layers (v 1), including the current STARR layer, and for Marine START the Red List
datasets used were:
AoH mapping for terrestrial STAR was based on Strassburg et al. 2020, and for marine STAR is described in
Turner et al. 2024.
? The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Version 2025-1
? The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Version 2019-3.
? IUCN Threats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.3)
? IUCN Threats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.2, 2019)
? IUCN Habitats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.1).
? IUCN Habitats Classification
Scheme (Version 3.1).
24 Brooks et al. 2019
25 Dahal et al. 2022, Lumbierres et al. 2022
26 Guth & Geoffroy 2021
27 Hawker et al. 2022
https://www.iucnredlist.org
https://www.iucnredlist.org
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/threat-classification-scheme
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme
https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme
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INDEX
12P - 01
14P - 02
15_ 2.1
16_2.2
18P - 03
21_ 3.1_3.2
25_3.3
26P - 04
27_4.1_4.2
28_4.3_4.4_4.5
29_4.6
31P - 05
35_5.1
36_5.2
37P - 06
38_6.1
42_6.2
46_6.3
47_6.4
48_6.5
51_6.6
56_6.7_ 6.7.1
59_6.8_6.8.1
60_6.8.2
61_6.8.3
62_ 6.8.4
63P - 07
64_7.1
65_7.2
66_7.3_7.4
67_7.5
68_7.6_7.7
69P - 08
70_ 8.1
71_8.2
72_8.3
74P - 09
80P - 10
85P - 11
22_figura 1
24_figura 2
25_figura 3
32_figura 4
34_figura 5
35_figura 6
40_figura 7
44_figura 8
47_figura 9
50_figura 10
53_figura 11
57_figura 12
65_figura 13
54_tabla 1
45_figura8.2
Section13:
Section14:
Section16:
Section17:
Section41:
Section44:
Section21:
Section18:
Section19:
Section36:
Section74:
Section23:
Section27:
Section28:
Section29:
Section26:
Section22:
Section25:
Section30:
Section33:
Section35:
Section31:
Section32:
Section38:
Section37:
Section40:
Section52:
Section42:
Section75:
Section39:
Section76:
Section45:
Section46:
Section47:
Section48:
Section43:
Section49:
Section50:
Section51:
Section53:
Section54:
Section55:
Section56:
Section57:
Section58:
Section59:
Section66:
Section67:
Section62:
Section63:
Section64:
Section68:
Section65:
Section69:
Botón 26:
INDEX 2:
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Botón 27:
Botón 28:
Botón 29:
Botón 30:
Botón 31:
Botón 32:
Botón 33:
Botón 34:
Botón 35:
Botón 36:
INVALIDE)