Regional threat assessment 2020

Background

According to the criteria and guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the threat status of species (risk of extinction) can be assessed globally, by continent, by country or by other regional division. In Finland, the national assessment of the state of species was last carried out in 2019 and the following year, applying the assessment of some groups of organisms in a more detailed regional division. The sectors have been divided based on the forest vegetation zones tailored for the assessment of endangered areas and their 11 sub-areas. The evaluation was carried out by working groups that consisted experts on the groups of organisms concerned. The results were reviewed and approved in the Steering Group led by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. The results of the regional assessment can be found on the environmental administration website and searches can be made in the Red List web service.

Principles of assessment

No detailed guidelines and criteria have been drawn up for the regional evaluation within Finland, and the assessment cannot be carried out in such small areas in accordance with the IUCN criteria. The IUCN principles have been used in the evaluation, but with an indicative and nationally applied approach, drawing on the views of species experts. The smaller the area under consideration, the easier the limit values based on the range or incidence of the criteria or the number of reproductive individuals are to be met for more common species. In line with the IUCN guidelines and based on the supplement from the surrounding areas, the significance of the so-called neighbourhood impact in the classification will increase as the area under consideration becomes smaller. In many cases, the category of a species fulfilling the criteria of endangerment is downgraded on the basis of an external supplement, so that the species is dropped from the list of the threatened species at regional level.

Near the distribution range, the species is easily classified as threatened at regional level. For example, if a species has only been found very close to the border of the area, and the occurrence is closely related to the uniform distribution area of the neighbouring area, it can be define as not threatened in the area in question.

The aim is to find possible areas where the endangerment of the species has already progressed even if the species is not threatened at the national level. The evaluation can be used, for example, to assist in the planning of conservation work and the prioritisation of regional measures. The classification has no legal effects.

Implementation of the regional evaluation

It has been agreed nationally that only nationally Near Threatened (NT) and Least Concern (LC) species will be included in the regional evaluation. The threat status of nationally threatened species (categories CR, EN, VU) or Regionally Extinct (RE) species is not assessed separately by region, as they are automatically threatened or extinct in all areas. Due to the information used, the diversity of the groups of organisms and the limited resources, a regional assessment was carried out for only some of the groups of organisms, i.e. bryophytes, vascular plants, fungi, lichens, butterflies and moths and birds. According to the instructions, the assessment is carried out for the entire group of organisms, not for individual species. The species to be assessed cannot be Regionally Threatened (RT) in all areas of their presence, as this would conflict with their national category being either NT or LC.

The classification of the IUCN is applied to the regional assessment, with only one category of threatened species instead of three (RT, Regionally Threatened). The Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC) or Data Deficient (DD) categories are not in use. In addition to RT other markings have been used to document the assessment, in particular indicating the general status of the species in the area (see legends).

Results of the regional threat assessment 2020

The results of the regional assessment show only those assessed species that are regionally threatened (RT) in one or more regions. The total number of regionally threatened (RT) species is 1,256.

Searches for the results of the evaluation can be made in the Red List web service. A tabular summary of all regionally threatened species with their entries can be found on the Publications and Downloads tab and on the environmental administration website (ymparisto.fi). The table includes both the names of the Red List 2019 (nomenclature in summer 2018) and the names currently in use (January 2021) taken from the Nomenclature database of the FinBIF. The names of some species have changed. Information on the primary habitat of species (which has already been compiled in connection with the national assessment of threatened species), the national category of threatened species, the species identifier and the group of organisms to which the species belongs is also attached to the results. No information on classification criteria or threats was collected in connection with the regional threat assessment.

Definitions

Species specific markings used to document the status of the species in the region

x = species occurs in the area

RT = regionally threatened

RE = regionally extinct

p = the occurrence of the species is uncertain

– = species does not occur in the area

NA = species does not belong to the species being evaluated

Regional threat assessment results table columns:

Eliöryhmä 1 = Parent group of organisms to which the species belongs

Eliöryhmä 2 = Sub-level group of organisms to which the species belongsTunniste Unique, species or subspecies permanent numeric identifier (Source: FinBIF's taxon database).

Tieteellinen nimi 2018 = Scientific name of species (taxon) used in summer 2018, corresponding to the name published in the Red List of Finnish Species 2019 or used in the evaluation (Source: FinBIF's taxon database, summer 2018)

Lajinimi suomeksi 2018 = The Finnish name of the species (taxon) used in summer 2018, which in part* corresponds to the name published in the Red List 2019 or used in the evaluation (Source: FinBIF's taxon database, summer 2018)

Art på svenska 2018 = Swedish name of species (taxon) used in summer 2018, which in part* corresponds to the name published in the Red List 2019 or used in the evaluation (Source: FinBIF's taxon database, summer 2018)

Tieteellinen nimi 2021 = The scientific name of the species (taxon) in the nomenclature database of the Finnish Biodiversity Info Facility in January 2021; the names of some species have changed since the publication of Red List 2019.

Lajinimi suomeksi 2021 = The Finnish name of the species (taxon) in the FinBIF's taxon database in January 2021; the names of some species have changed since the publication of the Red List 2019.

Art på svenska 2021 = The scientific name of the species (taxon) in the FinBIF's taxon database in January 2021; the names of some species have changed since the publication of the Red List 2019.

Alueet 1a-4d = The forest vegetation zones and sub-areas used in the regional assessment of endangered species; the status of species in the area (see explanations of the entries; see map of the regional division on the summary page)

Uhanalaisuusluokka 2019 = National threat class of the species in 2019 assessment (only species in categories LC = Least Concern, NT = Near Threatened) (Source: Red List 2019)

Ensisijainen elinympäristö = The habitat used primarily as a class category by the species, defined in connection with the national threat assessment; the abbreviations are opened in the legends of the Red List. (source: Red List 2019 and Red List web service)

Elinympäristön pääluokka = Primary habitat by main category

M = Forests
S = Mires
V = Aquatic habitats
R = Shores
K = Rock outcrops and boulder fields
T = Alpine habitats
I = Rural biotopes and cultural habitats
(Source: modified according to the previous column)

*) While the Red List of Finnish Species was being edited, some missing names were added to the Finnish and Swedish species names. These are missing from the 2018 taxon database and the column in question in this table.