Chapter
7. Known and unknown nature

7. Known and unknown nature

The Finnish flora and fauna are likely among the best known in the world, but even here we still have a lot of species we don’t know about. With the species we do know, we often have no idea how they are doing. What we know least of all is how species will be doing in the future, as their environment changes.

In the video we learned about how much we know about Finnish species, the value of long-term studies and citizen science, and where the major gaps in our knowledge are.

The clip comes with subtitles in English. Just click play, select the gear icon on the lower right and select subtitles in English.

Read more about the known and unknown

Read more about evaluating the unknown and long-term studies.

  1. The guide used to make Finnish evaluations of extinction risk.

    Link to the guide in Finnish, with English summary (see especially parts 5 and 6. Examples in annex 7) 
    Press release on the publication of the 2018 Red List

    Liukko, U-M. ym.2017. 2000. Opas eliölajien uhanalaisuuden arviointiin. Valtioneuvoston selvitys- ja tutkimustoiminnan julkaisusarja 1/2017. Valtioneuvoston kanslia, 16.1.2017.

  2. Researcher’s essay in Finnish on the experience of discovering a new species of lichen in Finland

    Essay

  3. Results of long-term survey of Finnish bird species (in Finnish).

    Original article

    Väisänen, R. A., Lehikoinen, A. & Sirkiä, P. 2018: Suomen pesivän maalinnuston kannanvaihtelut 1975–2017. – Linnut-vuosikirja 2017: 16–31.

  4. Citizen science research that finds the one agri-environment scheme that actually helps bird species in agricultural landscapes

    Original articleNews article

    Santangeli A, Lehikoinen A, Lindholm T, Herzon I ,2019. Organic animal farms increase farmland bird abundance in the Boreal region. PLoS ONE 14(5): e0216009. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216009

  5. Maria Hällfors’ presentation at Think Corner on the importance of the Spring Survey for her research

    YouTube video

Find out

Why do we know so little about how species are doing?

Study the Red list assessments, and find out:

Project on unknown nature

Take part in the Spring Survey

The Spring Survey collects especially important information, because it has been following the same species for decades. The progress of spring in nature is an interesting object of study, because climate change is expected to be seen especially in a change of the timing of spring events. Take part here (in Finnish).

Chart the unknown

In the laji.fi service, look for areas near your school where there are no nature observations yet. In the Place menu, type in a place name to see the exact locations of observations in the Map tab.

Go out and fill in the blanks on the map, adding them through the Vihko –service. Use the mobile form on your smartphone to easily include a photo and exact location data.

Some identification guides are found here:

Your class can also take part in the collection competition (in Finnish)