What is Red Data Book?

What is Red Data Book?

The Answer to the question "What is Red Data Book? is that the Red Data Book is a public document that was created to record endangered and rare plant, animal, and fungi species, as well as some local subspecies that are present in a specific region.

• The Red Data Book assists us in providing comprehensive information for research, studies, and programme monitoring of rare and endangered species and their habitats.
• This book was written primarily to identify and protect species that are on the verge of extinction.

History of the Red Data Book

The name of this book comes from Russia; it was previously known as the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation, or RDBRF. The book is based on research conducted by Russian biologists between 1961 and 1964. As a result, it is also known as the Russian Red Data Book. The Red Data Book contains data of endangered species. 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently maintains the Red Data Book. The IUCN is the world's most comprehensive inventory of biological species' global conservation status. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was established in 1948 with the goal of keeping a complete record of every species that has ever existed.

• The Red Data Book includes the entire list of threatened species. The primary goal of this documentation is to provide comprehensive information for research and analysis of various species.
• The Red Data Book contains color-coded information sheets organized by extinction risk for many species and subspecies.

Objectives of maintaining the Red Data Book as given by the IUCN 1996 are mentioned below:

• "To provide scientifically based information on the global status of species and subspecies.”
• "To highlight the magnitude and significance of threatened biodiversity."
• "To have an impact on national and international policy and decision-making."
• "To provide information to guide conservation actions for biological diversity."

Red Data Book of India

The Red Data Book of India contains information on the conservation status of animals and  plants native to the Indian subcontinent. The data for this book came from surveys conducted by the Zoological Survey of India and the Botanical Survey of India, both of which are overseen by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.

Critically Endangered Species in India

• Pygmy Hog
• Malabar Civet
• Podophyllum
• Spoon Billed Sandpiper
• Kondana Rat
• Kashmir Stag
• River Dolphins

Endangered Species

• Red Panda
• Blue Whale
• Lion Tailed Macaque
• Asiatic Wild Ass
• Siberian Crane
• Lemur

Critically Endangered Arthropods

• Rameshwaram Parachute spider
• Peacock Tarantula
• Critically Endangered Fish
• Pookode Lake barb
• Ganges River shark
• Pondicherry shark

Critically Endangered Amphibians and Reptiles

• Gharial
• White-spotted bush frog
• Toad-skinned frog

Vulnerable Species

• Black Buck
• Clouded Leopard
• Nilgiri Marten

Advantages of Red Data Book

• It aids in the identification of all animals, birds, and other species as well as their conservation status.
• It is used to assess the population of a specific species.
• The data in this book can be used to evaluate taxa on a global scale.
• We can estimate the risk of taxa becoming globally extinct with the help of this book.
• Provides a framework or guidelines for implementing endangered species protection measures.

Disadvantages of Red Data Book

• The documentation regarding the sources of the data has not always been properly maintained, and as a result, the data's validity is sometimes called into question.
• The Red Data Book is a work in progress, and not all of the endangered or extinct species have yet been identified or entered, so it may not provide the most up-to-date information at any given time.
• The book contains no information on the status of microbes.
• Because of the lack of documentation of the data source, the validity of the information is always called into question.

Summary Red Data Book

• A Red Data Book is a document kept by a state or nation that is used to record and document rare and endangered species of flora and fauna that exist within the boundaries of that state or nation.
• The IUCN is in charge of maintaining Red Data Book information (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
• The first Red Data Book animals, plants, and fungi were based on extensive research carried out by biologists in the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1964.
• The list is colour coded as follows: black for extinct species, red for critically endangered species, orange for endangered species, amber for vulnerable species, white for rare species, and green for not in danger, Grey: Species that are "endangered, vulnerable, or rare but lack sufficient information to be precisely classified."

FAQs

Q1. What exactly is a Red Data Book?

A1. The IUCN Red Data Book is a document created by the organisation to document rare and endangered species of plants, animals, fungi, and a few local species that exist within a state or country.

Q2. What is the significance of the Red Data book?

A2. The red data book is useful for supplying detailed information for studies and research. It also aids in the monitoring of rare and endangered species. As a result, it aids in the conservation of species on the verge of extinction.

Q3. Which organization maintains the Red Data Book?

A3. The International Union for Conservation of Nature maintains the red data book. This organisation was founded in 1948 and works in the fields of environmental conservation and sustainable resource use.

Q4. What distinguishes the Red List from the Red Data Book?

A4. The Red Data Book contains information about the species that are on the verge of extinction, whereas the Red List only contains the names of the endangered species.

Q5. What exactly is a green data book?

A5. The green databook is a pocket-sized book that contains environmental data from over 200 economies. It is based on indicators of global development. The key indicators are agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, pollution, and sanitation.

Q6. According to the Red Data List, what are India's critically endangered species?

A6. India's critically endangered species include Stag of Kashmir, River Dolphins, Kondana Rat, and Malabar Civet.