The vascular plants and birds of southwestern Finland’s archipelago have been extensively studied for a long time. There are reliable species lists from hundreds of islands and skerries since the 1920s, especially for the vascular plant flora. There is also information about the bird fauna, but not to the same extent as for the vascular flora. The historical data on the distribution of the species on over a thousand islands in the area are stored in a GIS. These data are supplemented by contemporary ones based on fieldwork on the islands made in recent decades.
Through re-inventories of the birds and plants on the islands, it is possible to study how the plant and bird communities have changed over time. It is also be possible to find probable causes for the changes. The data on bird and plant species’ past and present occurrences on the islands in combination with data on the properties of the islands, such as area, topography and degree of isolation, make it possible to study biogeographical issues associated with, for example, how the islands are colonized by the species. For vascular plants in particular, species traits (such as light and heat preferences, dispersal methods and dispersal vectors) are used to explain changes over time and to explain the distribution patterns of the species.
Researchgroup and collaborators:
Doc. Mikael von Numers
Doc. Anne Muola
Doc. Markus Öst
