Arctic Biodiversity Assessment

This report contains the best available science and traditional ecological knowledge on the status and trends of Arctic biodiversity, as well as policy recommendations to cope with climate change, by far the most serious threat that also exacerbates all other threats. The distribution of flora and fauna is shifting northwards as the Arctic continues to warm. While low Arctic species are expected to move into the high Arctic, some high Arctic species and ecosystems are expected to disappear or remain only as isolated fragments in high mountain areas. The total loss of some key habitats such as multi-year pack ice is expected. In the process of rapid change and transitions, new combinations of species are altering Arctic ecosystems.The report was developed by over 250 experts and produced by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council.