2010 Arctic Biodiversity Assessment

Changes in biodiversity can occur among populations, species, habitats and ecosystems. Monitoring, the long-term assessment of biological and other environmental variables, provides a tool for detecting such changes. It can help distinguish natural fluctuations from long-term trends caused by development, over-exploitation, pollution and climate change. In addition to detecting environmental changes, monitoring can play a role in evaluating the effectiveness of conservation policies by determining whether the desired effect is being achieved. In this context monitoring acts as a feedback system to improve our ability to conserve biodiversity.

To be reviewed.