Key findings

There is a general lack of data on rare and declining species across the Arctic, with the exception of a few birds and mammals. Today, only Arctic birds and mammals have been assessed by IUCN on a global scale and, while all Arctic states assess the threatened status of their species regionally, the results vary due to differences in resources, data, and availability of experts.

There is also little pan-Arctic cooperation on data collection on occurrences, population numbers and trends for threatened species. These factors make it difficult to combine data and draw conclusions at a circumpolar scale.There is a general lack of data on rare and declining species across the Arctic, with the exception of a few birds and mammals. Today, only Arctic birds and mammals have been assessed by IUCN on a global scale and, while all Arctic states assess the threatened status of their species regionally, the results vary due to differences in resources, data, and availability of experts. There is also little pan-Arctic cooperation on data collection on occurrences, population numbers and trends for threatened species.

These factors make it difficult to combine data and draw conclusions at a circumpolar scale.Other complications in assessing status and trends of species of conservation concern include, the inclusion, in some cases, of naturally rare species in the same categories as those that are under threat, and the inclusion of species, particularly in the older Russian Red Data books, that are at the northernmost edge of their range. In terms of threats, the more recent the Red List assessment, the more likely climate change is identified as a significant threat.

Photo: Mora Aronsson