GBIF Threatened Species
This layer maps the global presence of threatened species — those classed by the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered or Endangered.
Category: Transition risks · Sensitive areas · Endangered species habitats Coverage: Global Format: Raster grid (~10 km) Used in risk analysis: Yes — gates Sensitive areas
What it shows
This layer maps the global presence of threatened species — those classed by the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered or Endangered. It highlights where biodiversity that is at high risk of extinction is concentrated, so that activity in these areas can be screened for its potential impact on the most vulnerable species.
How it is built
The layer is derived from species occurrence records held by GBIF (the Global Biodiversity Information Facility). Records are quality-filtered, and weak signals — such as survey-track artefacts and isolated, unreliable sightings — are pruned to reduce noise. The resulting set covers roughly 20,311 species, of which 6,269 are Critically Endangered and 14,042 Endangered. Presence is summarised onto a roughly 10 km grid, so each cell reflects whether quality-filtered occurrences of threatened species fall within it.
How to read it
Higher values indicate a greater presence of threatened species within a grid cell; cells with no records indicate no detected occurrences. Areas with concentrations of Critically Endangered and Endangered species warrant closer attention when assessing impacts on biodiversity.
Source
GBIF.org occurrence download (DOI 10.15468/dl.4pzna7), filtered to IUCN Red List Critically Endangered and Endangered species. Licensed CC0 / CC-BY.
Comparison with the WWF Risk Filter Suite
This layer relates to WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter indicator S14_6 Range Rarity / biodiversity sensitivity, using IUCN threat status. It is occurrence-based, drawn from observation records, which makes it complementary to WWF's IUCN Red List range-rarity surface (which is built from mapped species ranges rather than point observations).
Risk analysis
A site is flagged on a dimension by combining a proximity trigger (this layer) with an activity trigger (the entity's ENCORE pressure/service). Proximity only → Potentially material; proximity and the matching ENCORE pressure/service is material → Very material; neither → Not material.
| Dimension | ENCORE service / pressure | Proximity trigger (this layer) | Activity trigger (entity) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitive areas | Sensitive area disturbance | Site overlaps / is near the feature | impact ratio ≥ 10%; “Disturbances (e.g noise, light)” pressure ≥ 4; “Introduction of invasive species” pressure ≥ 4; “Area of freshwater use” pressure ≥ 4; “Area of seabed use” pressure ≥ 4; “Area of land use” pressure ≥ 4; “Other biotic resource extraction (e.g. fish, timber)” pressure ≥ 4; “Volume of water use” pressure ≥ 4; “Emissions of non-GHG air pollutants” pressure ≥ 4; “Generation and release of solid waste” pressure ≥ 4; “Emissions of toxic soil and water pollutants” pressure ≥ 4; “Emissions of nutrient soil and water pollutants” pressure ≥ 4 |
Generated from darwin/layers/layer-gbif-threatened-species.toml and risk_indicator_pairs.toml (develop).