Decision support for ecologically based planning - MetZo III

Background

Ecological decision making and analysis is about producing (usually spatial) information to support decision making in different levels. As said, it is mostly about exploiting spatial data but also non-spatial analysis concerning, e.g., the effectiveness of restoration, management or retention can be studied. Basic pieces in this puzzle are information on species' or habitats' distributions and condition, costs, threats to biodiversity or impacts of actions. Analyses can be utilized for example for developing or expanding conservation network or to support sustainable land use planning.

In Finland, ecological decision making has been used for more than a decade to support the decision making in Finnish Environmental governance and this project continues following this path with joy! Especially, software called Zonation has been utilized in The Finnish forest biodiversity program METSO that aims to halt the ongoing decline in the biodiversity of forest habitats and species, and establish stable and favourable trends in forest ecosystems by 2025.

• Link to Zonation software webpage
• Link to Zonation supporting the implementation of METSO webpage

Targets for the project

Targets for the project are

1. maintain and develope the capasity of ecological decision analysis in Finland,
2. develope the methods and analyses mentioned,
3. apply the results into practise in Finland, and
4. collaborate internationally.

In practice

In practice, the project operates independently but mostly in close collaboration with other projects or developmental programmes such as:

• HELMI habitats programme,
• METSO, Forest biodiversity programme,
• Minimizing losses for biodiversity and other ecosystem services in planning and construction in terrestrial and marine environments
• Research and utilization of ecological compensation methods and principles, and
• More effective utilization of biodiveristy information.

MetZo-people are looking for some answers in the National Park of Siikaneva © Ninni Mikkonen

Other collaborations

• BOOST: Biodiversity offsetting as an operational tool for a just sustainability transition towards no net loss of ecosystems and biodiversity 
• Priodiversity Life
• IBC-Carbon: Integrated Biodiversity Conservation and Carbon Sequestration in the Changing Environment
• SUMI: Planning the protected area network in the changing climate (only in Finnish)
• KOKASU: Towards coherent protected area network in Finland
• Nature Panel (the Finnish national IPBES panel)

More information

• Coordinator Minna Pekkonen, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), minna.pekkonen (a) syke.fi, +358 46 921 1969
• Researcher Ninni Mikkonen, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), ninni.mikkonen (a) syke.fi, +358 50 441 8980
• Research Director Atte Moilanen, University of Helsinki and Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS, atte.moilanen (a) helsinki.fi
• Prioritization Specialist, PhD Santtu Kareksela, Metsähallitus, Luontopalvelut, santtu.kareksela (a) metsa.fi
• Senior Reseacher Niko Leikola, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), niko.leikola (a) syke.fi
• Researcher Torsti Schulz, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), torsti.schulz (a) syke.fi