After evaluating the results of Finland's first biodiversity action plan 1997–2005 it became clear that a regularly updated biodiversity indicator collection would very welcome in Finland. The second NBSAP would benefit from indicators and international reporting obligations would increase in the future. The Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) made an initiative for starting a collaboration project between SYKE, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Finnish Museum of Natural History, BirdLife Finland, South Karelia Allergy and Environment Institute and Metsähallitus (Finnish Forest and Park Service) for developing new indicators, updating the ones developed for the above mentioned evaluation and creating a web-site for their publication. This project received funding from the Environmental Cluster programme of the Ministry of the Environment between 2006 and 2009 (for more details see http://www.environment.fi/default.asp?contentid=228447&lan=fi&clan=en).

The work is being co-ordinated by researcher Ari-Pekka Auvinen at the Finnish Environment and supervised by research director Heikki Toivonen (SYKE) and environment counsellor Mikko Kuusinen (Ministry of the Environment). However, we do not wish to talk about leading or leadership since the whole project should be seen as a shared undertaking by all the parties involved.

The first list of indicators was drafted by researchers at SYKE for the evaluation of Finland's first biodiversity action plan 1997–2005. After this the evaluation was completed, A-P Auvinen and Heikki Toivonen compiled a publication reviewing international biodiversity indicator projects and national data sources. This publication suggested expanding the initial set of 75 indicators by 31 new indicators mainly on the state of biodiversity. Work based on this suggestion was initiated in late 2006 and the list of indicators has been evolving since as the work has progressed. In 2009 thematic experts groups were created to review the indicators regularly (see http://www.biodiversity.fi/en/about/expert-groups).

On the list of indicators and their position in the DPSIR framework, please consult www.biodiversity.fi So far, the indicators do not specifically follow the CBD framework although plans about creating a national CDB indicator subset exist.

The first and foremost means of communication are the websites. We have attempted to make the indicators as easily understandable and approachable as possible. Therefore the target audience includes also educational institutions, media and the general public on top national and international experts. Finland's fourth national to report to CBD was largely based on the indicators of biodiversity.fi. The web sites will be officially launched on February 19 2010, which also marks the beginning of more focused communication efforts.

The indicator collection will be more or less completed during 2010. After this, the main focus will be on updating although many projects relating to developing individual indicators remain to be undertaken or completed. The funding of development and updating beyond 2010 is till open, but this should be negotiated between the main partners during 2010.

Auvinen, A.-P., Hildén, M., Toivonen, H., Primmer, E., Niemelä, J., Aapala, K., Bäck, S., Härmä, P., Ikävalko, J., Järvenpää, E., Kaipiainen, H., Korhonen, K.T., Kumela, H., Kärkkäinen, L., Lankoski, J., Laukkanen, M., Mannerkoski, I., Nuutinen, T., Nöjd, A., Punttila, P., Salminen, O., Söderman, G., Törmä, M. and Virkkala, R. 2007. Evaluation of the Finnish National Biodiversity Action Plan 1997-2005. Monographs of the Boreal Environment Research, 29: 1-55.

Auvinen, A.-P. and Toivonen, H. 2006. Biodiversiteetin seuranta ja indikaattorit. Katsaus kansainvälisiin hankkeisiin ja ehdotuksia Suomen biodiversiteettiseurannan kehittämiseksi . Suomen ympäristö 33/2006. Finnish Environment Institute. Helsinki. 77 p.