Species monitoring

• Co-operation on monitoring
• General monitoring
• Specific monitoring

Species monitoring in Finland may involve the monitoring of the occurrence, numbers, distribution or viability of a single species or a group of species, and other related factors. Some 60 national species monitoring schemes operating at various levels and scales are currently under way in Finland, with about a third of these schemes focusing on birds, and another third concerning mammals or insects. Many of these monitoring schemes are considered to be of a high standard in international terms. 

	Inventory of a vegetation sample plot © Anne Raunio

Co-operation on monitoring

Six governmental research institutes are involved in species monitoring work in Finland: The Finnish Museum of Natural History of the University of Helsinki (LTKM), Agrifood Research Finland (MTT), Metsähallitus (formerly the Finnish Forest and Park Service) (MH), The Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA), The Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute (FGFRI) and The Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) (the former Finnish Institute for Marine Reseach FIMR is now Marine Centre in SYKE).

Other organisations participating in monitoring include the Regional Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, BirdLife Finland, WWF Finland, the Finnish Lepidopterists’ Society and the South Karelia Allergy and Environment Institute. Monitoring schemes may be carried out by a single organisation, or jointly. Volunteer workers play a vital role in many schemes

General monitoring

General monitoring schemes are designed to follow general trends in the occurrence and distribution of species over wide areas. The Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) has produced various reports and conducted experimental schemes in order to find suitable species groups that can be examined through monitoring as reliable indicators of more general changes in the state of the environment and biodiversity. Three national insect monitoring programmes have also been started at the institute, examining moths, butterflies and pollinators. 

Table: General monitoring of biodiversity in Finland

	Otter tracks in snow © Ulla-Maija Liukko

Specific monitoring

Most of the species monitoring carried out by the environmental administration focuses on species that are threatened nationally or internationally, or on other species that need specific monitoring, including species that must be protected according to Finnish legislation or Finland’s international obligations. Many of these monitoring obligations concern species listed in the EU Bird and Habitat Directives. Specific monitoring schemes are designed to provide data for evaluations of the conservation status of these species, and to facilitate both the planning of suitable protection and management measures, and the evaluation of their impacts. 

Table: Specific monitoring schemes and responsible organisations

For more information

Senior researcher Ulla-Maija Liukko, Finnish Environment Institute, tel. +358 20 490 123, e-mail: firstname.surname@ymparisto.fi [ulla-maija liukko].

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