Starri Heiðmarsson explains what changes we are seeing in vegetation in the Arctic

The State of the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Report (START) is a product of the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) Terrestrial Group of the Arctic Council’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group. The overall goal of the START is to assess the status and trends of terrestrial Focal Ecosystem Components (FECs)- including species of vegetation, arthropods, birds and mammals-across the Arctic, and identify gaps in monitoring coverage towards implementation of the CBMP’s Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring Plan (CBMP Terrestrial Plan). This report is a summary of key findings and advice for monitoring based on the START. Where data is available, the START: describes current and/or historical status of FECs; evaluates trends; considers how changes in biodiversity may be linked to potential drivers; describes the state of Arctic terrestrial biodiversity monitoring; identifies research priorities and knowledge gaps; and provides advice for future terrestrial biodiversity monitoring efforts. Learn more: www.arcticbiodiversity.is/terrestrial