FECs Monitoring

What, where, and how to monitor Arctic biodiversity (and other advice) from the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP).

The CBMP has identified targets for monitoring, called Focal Ecosystem Components (FECs). FECs likely indicate changes in the overall environment and have been prioritized for various reasons including importance to Arctic peoples, circumpolar distribution, monitoring feasibility, available data, and more. Here the CBMP provides advice for gathering data and reporting on FECs.

FECs have been identified in ecosystem-based Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring Plans (Marine, Freshwater, Terrestrial, Coastal), and refined via State of the Arctic Biodiversity reporting processes. CBMP products represent agreement across Arctic states on how to coordinate and generate better results from existing monitoring efforts, and identify gaps in knowledge and ongoing monitoring. Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring Plan implementation—including monitoring the FECs below—supports efforts to compile, harmonize and compare results from existing biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring efforts.

All species illustrations by José Ortega.