CAFF Assessments 21 September 2011 The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna's assessments provide vital descriptions of the current state of Arctic biodiversity. These efforts create scientific baselines which inform regional and global assessments, and provide a basis to guide future Arctic Council work. Major assessment efforts include: Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: a circumpolar overview and synthesis of the best available scientific and traditional ecological knowledge on Arctic biodiversity. Read the Selected Indicators of Change report released at the COP10 meeting in Nagoya. Arctic Species Trend Index: over 1000 datasets analysed to provide trend information for over 300 species. Sea-ice associated Biodiversity: focuses on the biological impacts of changes to Arctic sea ice and summarizes the role sea ice plays for several key species. Marine Sensitive Areas: identifies areas of heightened ecological and cultural significance in the context of changing climate conditions and increased use of marine waters. Protected Areas: focuses on identifying biological, sociological and cultural areas of importance, developing effective protection and analyzing the effectiveness of protected areas networks. Seabird Assessments: seabirds are excellent indicators of overall ecosystem health. Assessing populations and distributions provides information on areas and species of ecological and socio-economic importance to the Arctic. Arctic Flora: vegetation assemblages describe ecological patterns and processes occurring in Arctic landscapes. Assessments describing vegetation status and trends have implications in understanding soil, climate and species patterns. Click here for a video about ASTI