Not Evaluated (NE):
The "Not Evaluated (NE)" status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is assigned to species that have yet to undergo assessment against the organization's criteria for evaluating the risk of extinction. This designation points not to an assessment of the species' conservation status but to the fact that these species have not been examined for various reasons. Reasons for not being evaluated can range from a lack of comprehensive scientific data on the species to constraints in funding or prioritization, given the vast number of species across diverse taxonomic groups awaiting review. The NE category thus includes an extensive range of species, from those that might be common and widely distributed to others that could be on the brink of extinction.
The presence of species in the Not Evaluated category highlights the critical need for expanded research and evaluation efforts within the conservation community. With an estimated 8.7 million species inhabiting the Earth and only a small fraction having been assessed, there is a significant gap in our understanding of the planet's biodiversity and the conservation status of many organisms. This gap underscores the importance of increased funding, research, and prioritization to assess more species and better comprehend the full spectrum of global biodiversity. The NE category serves as a call to action, stressing the urgency of identifying and evaluating species at risk to ensure no threatened species remains unnoticed due to the lack of assessment.
Discover Animals that are Not Evaluated (NE):
