Norwegian Nature Index
Geographical coverage
| Geographical scale of the assessment | National,Set of sites |
|---|---|
| Country or countries covered | Norway |
| Any other necessary information or explanation for identifying the location of the assessment, including site or region name |
Geographical scale of the assessment
National,Set of sites
Country or countries covered
Norway
Any other necessary information or explanation for identifying the location of the assessment, including site or region name
Conceptual framework, methodology and scope
Assessment objectives
A new comprehansive index wasb developed to acquire an overview of state and trends of biological diversity in Norway. The work identifies impact factors and gaps in knowledge.
Mandate for the assessment
The mandate was given by the Norwegian Government in 2005. Currently the Nature Index is an official indicator for sustainable development in Norway. The index is also the headline indicators for major natural ecosystems in Norway.
Conceptual framework and/or methodology used for the assessment
Other (please specify)
Newly developed mehtodology, based on the Natural Capital Index, the Biological Intactness Index and Living Planet Index
URL or copy of conceptual framework developed or adapted
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0018930 After this publication, the conceptual framework has been further refined. Reference state are now defined as natural ecosystems with low human impacts. For semi-natural grasslands which are dependent on human use (farm animals grazing, haymaking, burning etc.) the reference state is related to the use giving a high biodiversity of natural species. Natural species or surrogates are included after a set of criterias for selecting indicators. See http://english.dirnat.no/content/500041698/DN-assessment-1-2011:-The-Norwegian-Nature-Index-2010 for reports
System(s) assessed
- Marine
- Coastal
- Inland water
- Forest and woodland
- Grassland
- Mountain
- Wetlands
Species groups assessed
All functional groups; fungi, plants, invertebrates, fish, birds, mammals, amphibians, etc
Ecosystem services/functions assessed
Provisioning
- Food
Regulating
Supporting Services/Functions
- Habitat maintenance
Cultural Services
Scope of assessment includes
Drivers of change in systems and services
No
Impacts of change in services on human well-being
No
Options for responding/interventions to the trends observed
No
Explicit consideration of the role of biodiversity in the systems and services covered by the assessment
No
Timing of the assessment
Year assessment started
2007
Year assessment finished
Ongoing
If ongoing, year assessment is anticipated to finish
Periodicity of assessment
Repeated
If repeated, how frequently
Will be updated on full scale every fifth year, minor updates every year
Assessment outputs
Report(s)
All reports in English are published at the web-site
Communication materials (e.g. brochure, presentations, posters, audio-visual media)
Journal publications
Training materials
Other documents/outputs
Tools and processes
Tools and approaches used in the assessment
- Geospatial analysis
- Indicators
Process used for stakeholder engagement in the assessment process and which component
Key stakeholder groups engaged
Ministry of Envionment
The number of people directly involved in the assessment process
100-1000
Incorporation of scientific and other types of knowledge
- Scientific information only
- Resource experts (e.g. foresters etc)
Supporting documentation for specific approaches, methodology or criteria developed and/or used to integrate knowledge systems into the assessment
There will be a special issue of the Norwegian Journal of Geography documenting results, methods, outreach, process, future questions etc. coming in December 2013
Assessment reports peer reviewed
Yes
Data
Accessibility of data used in assessment
No, but when the new database is implemented, data can be viewed on the internet
Policy impact
Impacts the assessment has had on policy and/or decision making, as evidenced through policy references and actions
After the launch, the Nature Index has been accepted as a sustainalbe indicator of Norway, and also as a headline indicator for each major ecosystem
Independent or other review on policy impact of the assessment
No
Lessons learnt for future assessments from these reviews
Collaboration among ecologists working on different ecosystems gave valuable insight. Ecologists from sectoral research institutes such as forestry, marine institute and environmental research were valuable
Capacity building
Capacity building needs identified during the assessment
Actions taken by the assessment to build capacity
Network and sharing experiences, Sharing of data/repatriation of data, Workshops
