Strengthening Europe’s knowledge on nature and sustainability

Trine Hay Setsaas

2026-03-16T13:07:00.0000000 2026-03-17T11:57:54.9970000

Illustration photo: Dag Alexander Hultgren Olsen/NINA

– Our involvement in these projects strengthens NINA’s role as a key actor in European biodiversity research and ensures that Norwegian expertise contributes to addressing shared societal challenges across Europe, says Jørgen Rosvold, Research Director at NINA.

– In fact, NINA is part of both winning consortia under the call addressing alternative socio-economic models for improvement of biodiversity. This places NINA in a central position in exploring and shaping tomorrow's new, nature-friendly socio-economic models, he says.

New socio-economic models for nature and justice

The project SPARK4B+ explores how societies can develop beyond today’s growth-oriented economic systems, which contribute to increased biodiversity loss, climate change and rising inequality.

– By developing and testing alternative socio-economic models, the aim is to contribute to more sustainable, resilient and just societies in the future, says NINA Senior Advisor Maja Vasilijevic.

SPARK4B+ brings together researchers and societal actors from ten European countries. NINA plays a key role in analysing barriers and drivers of societal change, developing models to assess how different choices affect biodiversity and society, and contributing to scenario development and policy design.

Next-generation biodiversity monitoring

The project BEAGLE will develop the next generation of biodiversity monitoring in Europe, covering terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. The project combines new technologies such as automated sensors, environmental DNA (eDNA), artificial intelligence and citizen science to generate more detailed and comparable data on the state of biodiversity.

The project is set to deliver up to 1 billion new data points from various camera traps and acoustic recorders deployed in nature. Combined with new AI methods we will be able to fill gaps in biodiversity monitoring across Europe and strengthen efforts to protect biodiversity, explains NINA researcher Benjamin Cretois.

The data will help policymakers, researchers and businesses track biodiversity trends and evaluate the impacts of restoration and conservation measures.

Bringing nature’s values into decision-making

The aim of RELATE4NATURE is to ensure that the values of nature are better reflected in societal decision-making. Today, economic considerations often dominate, while values such as wellbeing, justice and people’s relationships with nature receive less attention.

– The project will develop and test new models for integrating these values into decision-making in areas such as agriculture, energy development, urban and regional planning, and nature management, says Bálint Czúcz, Senior Researcher at NINA.

NINA contributes expertise in nature valuation, decision support and policy-relevant research.

SPARK4B+ contact: Maja Vasilijevic

BEAGLE contact: Benjamin Cretois

RELATE4NATURE contact: Bálint Czúcz

New Tool to Prevent Conflict Between Seabirds and Industry

Trine Hay Setsaas

2026-01-15T08:03:00.0000000 2026-01-19T11:58:02.1870000

Atlantic puffins have experienced a dramatic population decline due to reduced food availability. Photo credit: Signe Christensen-Dalsgaard/NINA

One hundred and fifty years ago, seabirds lived in a very different coastal environment from the one we know today. The ocean was vast, limitless and largely untouched. Species were abundant, colonies were large, and fish stocks were rich.

Today, humans occupy an ever-growing share of marine space, and the ocean is no longer the seabirds’ domain. Rising demand for energy and food production is driving more industries offshore.

Pushed to the Edge

Shipping lanes, oil and gas installations, offshore wind farms and aquaculture facilities disrupt migration routes and vital feeding grounds. At the same time, industrial fishing reduces food availability, while climate change brings warmer seas, more extreme weather and shifts in prey distribution.

“It’s not a single wind turbine, oil platform or trawler that is the problem. It’s the cumulative impact of everything humans do at sea that affects our seabirds,” says Tone Reiertsen, researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).

The consequences are severe. Eight out of ten seabirds in Norway have disappeared since the 1970s. Species such as the common guillemot, Atlantic puffin, razorbill, Arctic tern and black-legged kittiwake now face a high to extremely high risk of extinction in Norway if current trends continue.

The common guillemot is critically endangered and at risk of extinction. Photo credit: Svein Håkon Lorentsen/NINA

Mapping Pressures – Species by Species

In response, researchers and partners from industry have developed a tool that makes it possible to accommodate both seabirds and industrial activity in Norwegian marine areas.

“The tool is a digital map that shows where seabirds are distributed and where different types of industrial activities take place. This allows new activities to be planned in areas that are least important for seabirds,” says Frank Hanssen, senior engineer at NINA.

The mapping tool is based on extensive datasets collected over the past forty years. It provides detailed insight into which marine areas are most important for seabirds, and which human pressures — including climate change — have the greatest impact.

Revealing Climate ‘Hotspots’ at Sea

Through this work, researchers have identified overlaps between seabird distributions and ocean areas that are warming faster than others. When such climate “hotspots” coincide with key breeding and feeding areas, seabird survival and reproduction are affected far more severely.

“Findings like these clearly show the importance of using all available knowledge when planning future human activities in our marine areas,” says Kate Layton-Matthews, researcher at NINA.

First of Its Kind

Due to its scale and level of detail, the tool is considered the first of its kind.

“This has never been done before with so many species and so many colonies. We can actually show how each individual population is affected by human activity both during and outside of the breeding season,” says Reiertsen.

The new innovation is at the forefront internationally among tools that support sustainable coexistence between people and seabirds at sea.

“Coexistence and sustainability are fundamental to all our offshore activities. That’s why this kind of knowledge and research is essential for finding the solutions we need,” says Hanne Wigum, Head of Offshore Wind Concepts at Equinor.

Read more about the tool here

Learn more about hotspots at sea here

Contact: Tone Reiertsen

Learning Across Borders: Comparing Caribou and Reindeer Conservation Strategies in Norway and Canada

Trine Hay Setsaas

2025-09-29T08:00:00.0000000 2025-09-30T15:23:31.1900000

A rear climpse of the threatened wild reindeer in the mountains of Norway. Photo credit: Olav Strand/NINA

Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the leading threats to biodiversity worldwide. Conservation strategies, therefore, often incorporate habitat condition when assessing population status, supporting both early detection of declines and concrete mitigation actions. However, the way this is done vary considerably, with important consequences for the effectiveness of conservation strategies. 

“Using the most robust and comprehensive approaches is essential if we are to design effective conservation strategies able to meet international goals for habitat restoration and species’ recovery”, says Bram van Moorter, Senior Researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).

A new study by an international team compares conservation strategies for caribou in Canada and wild reindeer in Norway, to identify lessons that could strengthen conservation approaches in both regions.

A Species in Decline

Rangifer tarandus, known as reindeer in Eurasia and caribou in North America, inhabits northern ecosystems across Europe, Siberia, and North America. Because it relies on vast, connected landscapes for migration and seasonal movement, it is especially  vulnerable to barriers, human disturbances, and climate change.         

In Canada, forestry and industrial activities including oil and gas extraction have fragmented their habitats and increased predation pressure. In Norwegian multiuse landscapes, roads, tourism and energy development have severed migration routes and reduced access to grazing grounds.

The species’ conservation status is rapidly declining in both countries, with boreal caribou listed as Threatened in Canada and wild reindeer as Near Threatened in Norway.

Canada vs. Norway: Two Models of Conservation

To revert this trend, Canada and Norway have independently developed conservation strategies that reflect their distinct socio-ecological contexts:

Canada’s strategy uses statistics to estimate the consequences of habitat disturbance on population dynamics, including indirect effects of predator–prey dynamics. It converts habitat data into demographic indicators, making it possible to assess population viability even when demographic data are limited.

Norway’s strategy relies upon participatory approaches and an expert-based scoring system combining a wide range of data and knowledge on demography, health and genetic, lichen pastures and habitat conditions – including connectivity.

Strengths, limitations, and opportunities

The Canadian approach is more targeted: strong at translating habitat disturbances into expected effects on population via statistical models, which helps in predicting future risks, uncertainty, and designing actions. At the same time, it has less access to locally detailed information, and its narrower focus limits its ability to detect new threats as they arise. The Norwegian system is broader in scope, incorporates a wider range of factors in a modular way, and relies upon strong local stakeholder engagement. However, expert-based assessments can be harder to replicate, validate, and translate into conservation actions, especially in multi-use landscapes with conflicting interests.

“By drawing on Canada’s model-driven approach, Norway’s broader perspective, and  recent advances in connectivity conservation and restoration, we could design  strategies that are more effective  and better able to guide real-world conservation efforts,” says van Moorter.

Looking ahead – the need for integration and early detection of declines

The authors stress that adequately integrating habitat and demographic data is essential for anticipating habitat-driven declines. Because climate change is expected to amplify cumulative anthropogenic impacts through complex interactions, conservation strategies need to be robust, comprehensive, and flexible enough to meet emerging challenges.

They also call for research on how cumulative impacts reduce habitat connectivity, and how this, in turn, affects population survival. Such knowledge could underpin early-warning systems, enabling prevention and more targeted mitigation and restoration actions.

“Early understanding of the root causes of decline, considering the complex dynamics caused by human impacts and climate change, is essential to prevent irreversible damages,” van Moorter concludes.

Read the full paper here: Population and habitat assessments for conservation: Comparing national strategies for Canadian boreal caribou and Norwegian wild reindeer

Contact: Bram Van Moorter

Norway and USA Sign Research Agreement on Hydropower and Environment

Juliet Landrø

2025-08-21T13:06:00.0000000 2025-08-22T14:45:01.4230000

Both Norway and the United States have a strong need for reliable renewable energy. Modernizing hydropower systems while safeguarding river ecosystems is crucial to prevent further loss of nature. The agreement, signed between Norway’s research center RenewHydro and the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), aims to address these challenges.

“It is essential that renewable energy development goes hand in hand with nature, both in Norway and internationally. This agreement also ensures we maintain strong collaboration with our U.S. colleagues”, says Tonje Aronsen, Research Director at NINA.

Hydropower faces many of the same challenges worldwide, making international cooperation highly valuable.

“We are very pleased to renew our collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy. Researchers in Norway and the U.S. benefit greatly from working together, and this agreement will strengthen our joint efforts,” says Liv Randi Hultgreen, Director of RenewHydro.

RenewHydro, a Centre for Environment-friendly Energy Research, will over the next eight years develop solutions to make hydropower capable of securing renewable energy exactly when it is needed—without compromising the environment.

In a press release from the U.S. Department of Energy, they write that hydropower is a enormous resource with a great potential to strengthen America’s energy grid.

“Our collaboration with Norway—a country equally rich in hydropower resources—will help us expand capacity, modernize existing plants, and build the expertise we need to fully realize these opportunities,” says Lou Hrkman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. DoE.

The agreement was signed in Washington on July 6 by Norway’s Ambassador to the U.S., Anniken Huitfeldt, and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

This renewed partnership builds on an earlier agreement signed in 2020 between the two countries’ energy departments. That cooperation has already delivered results in areas such as showcasing the value of hydropower in the International Energy Agency (IEA), developing digital twin technology, advancing the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in rivers, researching fish migration, and improving understanding of how energy planning is affected by different environmental mechanisms.

Contact:

Liv Randi Hultgreen, Director of RenewHydro 

Tonje Aronsen, Research Director, Water and biodiversity at NINA

Wildlife Overpass in Trondheim, Norway, Enhances Habitat Connectivity

Trine Hay Setsaas

2025-07-08T08:00:00.0000000 2025-08-05T10:28:40.5600000

The overpass at Lersbakken outside Trondheim, Norway. Photo credit: Trondheim Kommune.

The construction of large infrastructures, such as highways, is known to fragment habitats and restrict wildlife movement, posing significant barriers to species migration and survival. Wildlife crossing structures, such as overpasses, are increasingly implemented as mitigation measures to reduce negative impacts from these developments by enhancing landscape connectivity and reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions.

“By advancing our understanding of wildlife responses to mitigation measures, such as overpasses, we will contribute to more effective conservation planning in the face of infrastructure development”, says Lars Rød-Eriksen, researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).

Monitoring Wildlife Use

As part of the expansion of the European route E6 to a four-lane highway outside Trondheim, Norway, a wildlife overpass was constructed along the new route. To assess wildlife movement between habitats on either side of the highway, experts from NINA conducted systematic monitoring using wildlife cameras from late autumn 2020 to May 2023.

Contribution to Habitat Connectivity

During the monitoring period, researchers recorded more than 3,500 wildlife crossings. The majority of observations (84%) were of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes), while larger cervids, such as moose (Alces alces) and red deer (Cervus elaphus), accounted for approximately 8% of the recorded crossings. This result corresponded well with the species composition in the surrounding areas.

A roe deer crosses the overpass. Photo credit: NINA.

The study confirms that the wildlife overpass indeed serves its intended purpose by facilitating wildlife movement across the highway and contributing to habitat connectivity. However, the long-term impact of the overpass on local cervid populations remains uncertain.

“Continued vegetation growth on the overpass may enhance its attractiveness by providing both food resources and shelter, potentially increasing its future usage, says Lars Rød-Eriksen, researcher at NINA.

Recommendations for Future Research

To fully assess the long-term ecological value of the overpass, the experts at NINA recommends resuming monitoring efforts in the coming years, including studies evaluating wildlife usage of the overpass in relation to changes in local population densities and landscape development on both sides of the highway.

Read the report here (summary in English): The use of a wildlife overpass over European route E6 in Lersbakken in Trondheim by cervids and small mammals 2020-2023.

Contact: Lars Rød-Eriksen

Norwegian Research Contributes to Global 'Dark Diversity' Study, Offering New Insights into Biodiversity Loss

Trine Hay Setsaas

2025-04-15T13:25:00.0000000 2025-04-15T13:23:42.8270000

Photo credit: Robert Lewis, NINA

Behind the study is a global research network of more than 200 researchers, called  DarkDivNet, coordinated by the University of Tartu in Estonia, and advised by an international scientific committee, including Robert John Lewis, researcher at The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).

“This isn’t just about what's visible. It's about what’s missing, silently and systemically,” says Lewis, who led NINA’s contribution to the study. “By identifying species that could thrive in a habitat but are absent, we gain a sharper lens for restoration planning and biodiversity assessments.”

Mapping dark diversity world wide

Dark diversity of vascular plants was assessed at nearly 5500 sites in 119 regions across all vegetated continents of the world, spanning a wide range of vegetation types and representative of most global climatic conditions. In Norway, contributions were made through coordinated sampling at sites in Nordhordland, Skjelingahaugen, and Ulvehaugen, spanning coastal to alpine grasslands.

Fieldwork at these locations was conducted by master’s students at the University of Bergen (UiB), Ruben Schelbred Thormodsæter and Kristine Birkeli, under the supervision of Vigdis Vanvik at UiB and Lewis, highlighting the vital role of student-led research in global ecological science.

“The success of global networks like DarkDivNet relies on meticulous fieldwork, Lewis noted. The dedication of Master students like Kristine and Ruben ensured the collection of high-quality data that now feeds into global ecological understanding.”

The data showed a clear decline in community completeness as human impact increased (estimated using the human footprint index), with the strongest effect at distances of several hundred kilometers away. The strong relation with the human footprint index was not, however, found when assessing the number of species at a particular site nor all species found in the surrounding region.

Also, the study found that the negative impact of human activities on community completeness was less pronounced when at least 30% of the natural vegetation in a landscape remained intact. This further supports Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework under the Convention of Biological Diversity, stating that “by 2030 at least 30 per cent of terrestrial, inland water, and of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed”.  

A powerful tool for conservation and restoration

In addition to revealing hidden threats to biodiversity, dark diversity offers valuable guidance for conservation and restoration efforts. As species in the dark diversity still remain present in a region, populations and their connectivity can be restored through appropriate measures, enhancing the long-term viability of species and populations.    

“By integrating the concept of dark diversity into conservation and land-use planning, policymakers and ecologists can more effectively identify areas where restoration is possible and prioritize habitats that still retain ecological potential, a critical step toward addressing both visible and hidden biodiversity loss”, says Lewis.

Read the full article in Nature here: Global impoverishment of natural vegetation revealed by dark diversity

Contact: Robert Lewis

Simulating Removal of a Popular Tourist Cabin: Consequences for Wild Reindeer

Trine Hay Setsaas

2025-04-01T13:32:00.0000000 2025-04-01T13:31:32.2100000

Until recently, the entire Reinheimen mountain area in Norway was used by wild reindeer, and the area around the Norwegian Trekking Association’s (DNT) cabin Pyttbua served as calving grounds. However, since the 1980s, increased human activity has caused the shy and near-threatened wild reindeer to abandon the area. Disturbances along historic migration routes are also preventing contact between different reindeer herds in Reinheimen.

As part of DNT’s application to upgrade the Pyttbua tourist cabin, the Reinheimen National Park Board requested more information before processing the application. They therefore commissioned an assessment from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).

NINA researcher Manuela Panzacchi and her colleagues have spent several years mapping the cumulative impact of human activity in all wild reindeer areas in Norway, identifying remaining suitable habitats and migration corridors, and simulating the effects of various mitigation measures. This allowed them to model two scenarios proposed by the National Park Board across different seasons: (1) closure of the Pyttbua tourist cabin and associated hiking and cross-country skiing trails; or (2) closure of the Pyttbua cabin and trail network plus closure of the access road, with establishment of a new parking area at "Kabben."

“The maps provide, for the first time, a bird’s-eye view of the entire ecological network for wild reindeer in Reinheimen, showing core habitat areas, barriers, and corridors between them. This is especially important because we have no GPS data for wild reindeer in this region,” says Panzacchi.

The results from the simulations closely match local knowledge, wildlife observation databases, and the location of ancient reindeer pitfall traps.

“This shows that our models—based on GPS data from Norway’s 10 largest wild reindeer populations and validated across reindeer ranges—can also be effective in areas where GPS data is lacking,” Panzacchi explains.

Re-establishment of Connectivity Within the Reindeer Range

The results indicate that Scenario 2 (above), where all proposed mitigation measures are implemented, would be by far the most effective. This scenario is expected to increase both the area of suitable habitat and the likelihood of restoring connectivity to the northern part of the range throughout the year, particularly during the calving and migration seasons.

Connectivity within the range is projected to increase by 6% during the calving period. This corresponds to a gain of 19 square kilometers of high-quality, connected grazing habitat—equivalent to about 2,619 soccer fields.

“Well-planned and targeted mitigation measures can make a significant difference to the population’s future, even if the restored area may appear small in percentage terms,” says Panzacchi.

Informing Future Mitigation Strategies

Panzacchi emphasizes that the models primarily serve as an objective, high-resolution knowledge base of existing and potential connections between critical areas, as well as the cumulative impacts of human activity in the Reinheimen area. These data can inform future discussions with stakeholders on how to improve the wild reindeer population, in line with Norway’s parliamentary white paper on reindeer conservation.

In order for wild reindeer to resume use of lost calving grounds and migration routes, the animals must feel safe in the landscape. The Sámi word beitero describes this sense of peace and undisturbed grazing. The researchers therefore recommend an ambitious approach to mitigation.

“Scenario 2 targets a critical bottleneck, but it's important to remember that the goal is to minimize disturbances in the area—especially during the calving season and early summer. This may require considering additional measures in a broader context. We hope that the maps and results showing the cumulative impact of various human activities can support productive dialogue among stakeholders to identify the most effective solutions for ensuring the viability of the reindeer population,” concludes Panzacchi.

Learn more:

Evaluating the effect of mitigation measures for wild reindeer in Reinheimen-Breheimen – NINA Report 2478

Statistical modelling of cumulative impacts of human activities on wild reindeer areas. Identifying functional areas and performing scenario analyses for impact assessment and area planning – NINA Report 2189

Anthropogenic disturbance in Norwegian wild reindeer areas. A new Dashbord makes available statistical maps and estimates in support to management processes - NINA Report 2342

Learn more with web apps:

Wild reindeer Maps on habitat loss

Contact: Manuela Panzacchi

Less Outdoor Recreation in Forests After Clear-Cutting – Especially Near Cities

Anne Olga Syverhuset

2025-03-05T08:21:00.0000000 2025-03-25T14:28:10.4770000

With high timber prices in recent years, many people have seen their local forests harvested or new forest roads cutting through familiar hiking areas. Visual studies have shown that people prefer forest landscapes without obvious interventions, especially areas without clear-cutting. But how does this aesthetic preference affect people’s actual use of forests for recreation and physical activity?

Researchers from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) analyzed 2.7 million fitness activities along forest trails recorded by the Strava app, before and after clear-cutting, to determine whether clear-cutting impacts how people use nature.

“There are more than 70 published scientific papers in the Nordic region showing that clear-cuts are the least preferred type of forest. This study is one of the few that examines how new clear-cuts actually affect recreational use,” says NINA researcher Vegard Gundersen, who has studied the topic for many years.

And clear-cuts do have an effect:

“We found that after logging, there was a 3.7% decrease in the number of hikers in the affected areas. Overall, we estimate that clear-cutting displaces about 1.5 million recreational activities annually, including hiking, cycling, and skiing. The clearest effect is seen near urban areas,” says NINA researcher Zander Venter, who analyzed the Strava data.

More Skiing After Clear-Cutting

Although people prefer old-growth forests, other factors—such as accessibility and infrastructure—can play an equally important role in usage. Previous research suggests that the construction of forest roads and open areas after logging can in some cases improve access and thereby promote recreational activity. As a result, the effect of clear-cutting varies greatly between different types of activities.

“So while the overall effect on recreational activity is negative, we found an increase in cross-country skiing after clear-cutting. The logged areas have a different visual effect in winter—they provide open spaces with light, and the snow covers the traces of logging. Even though we see a positive effect on skiing, skiing makes up a smaller portion of overall outdoor activities”, Gundersen explains.

Clear-Cutting Can Have Significant Consequences for the Recreational Value of Forests

In other European countries, natural capital accounting shows that outdoor recreation is the ecosystem service with the greatest socioeconomic value. The value of outdoor recreation is substantial because seemingly small values per user add up across large numbers of people, especially in urban-proximate recreational areas. Even small percentage impacts on outdoor recreation due to open clear-cuts in urban forests accumulate over the years. This leads to an overall loss of value that can be significant compared to the value of the harvested timber.

At the same time, the researchers’ estimates of recreational value loss are conservative, as they do not include potential losses from other activities such as mushroom and berry picking, hiking, and camping off the trail network. The effects on biodiversity from clear-cutting, or on public health due to reduced nature-based activity, were also not included in the study.

“Still, we document substantial socioeconomic losses for outdoor recreation due to clear-cutting in Østmarka, Nordmarka, and other urban forests in Norway,” says NINA researcher David Barton, who works on the economic valuation of ecosystem services.

A regulation on forest management and operations in Oslo allows the municipality to deny logging when it poses a ‘significant disadvantage for outdoor recreation.’

“What constitutes ‘significant’ in politics and economics is relative. The question of how large the losses of ecosystem services, biodiversity, and public health need to be before they are considered ‘significant’ compared to the value of timber from clear-cutting is a political one. We need to work together to find out how forestry can be locally adapted so that it is not ‘significantly’ negative,” Barton concludes.

Read the full article: Impacts of forest clear-cutting on recreational activity: Evidence from crowdsourced mobility data

Contact: Vegard Gundersen

Connecting Ecosystem Accounting and Biodiversity Offsetting: A Path to Standardized and Transparent Conservation Efforts

Trine Hay Setsaas

2025-01-23T10:55:00.0000000 2025-01-23T10:55:49.0500000

There is considerable overlap between biodiversity offsetting and ecosystem accounting: these two research fields apply very similar techniques to reach similar goals. Figure credit: Bálint Czúcz/Eva Setsaas NINA.

Biodiversity offsetting has gained traction as a mechanism to achieve "no net loss" of biodiversity. The concept is that negative impacts on biodiversity in one area are balanced by positive actions elsewhere. However, the lack of standardized methodologies to measure these biodiversity changes has hindered the success of offsetting schemes. This is where environmental accounting comes in.

The Need for Standardized Biodiversity Metrics

The System of Environmental - Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) framework provides a structured, standardized method for measuring ecosystem extent and condition. While this framework is typically associated with national or international reporting, it can also be adapted to smaller, local scales.

By integrating these ecosystem accounts into biodiversity offsetting, policymakers can create a unified, transparent system for comparing biodiversity gains and losses. This could help bridge the gap between different offsetting schemes and harmonize practices across diverse geographical regions, says Bálint Czúcz, Senior Researcher at NINA.

Challenges and Opportunities for "Offsetting-Ready" Ecosystem Accounts

While the potential for ecosystem accounting in offsetting is clear, several challenges remain. The paper identifies three key tasks that must be addressed to make ecosystem accounts more “offsetting-ready”:

• Offsetting-Relevant Condition Variables: Ecosystem accounting must incorporate condition variables that are directly relevant to biodiversity offsetting, such as measures of species richness, habitat quality, and ecosystem functionality. Current implementations of SEEA EA often fall short by focusing on a minimal set of condition variables, which may not be sufficient for offsetting applications.
• Scalable Field Data: Accurate ecosystem accounts require high-resolution data, which can be collected through field surveys or remote sensing. However, many national ecosystem accounts currently rely on aggregated data that is unsuitable for fine-scale offsetting applications. Integrating field-based data at a finer spatial resolution is essential for creating meaningful and actionable accounts.
• Offsetting Currencies: To compare biodiversity losses and gains, offsetting schemes often use "currencies"—units that quantify biodiversity in terms of both quantity and quality. SEEA EA can provide a straightforward way to construct these currencies by combining condition indicators with ecosystem extent. However, this process needs to be refined and standardized to ensure that the resulting currencies are both meaningful and comparable across different projects.

The Need for Pilot Projects

The paper emphasizes the importance of pilot projects to test and refine ecosystem accounts in real-world offsetting contexts. By running pilot studies, researchers and policymakers can fine-tune ecosystem accounting methods and gain valuable insights into how to effectively measure net biodiversity losses and gains, says Czúcz.

These pilot projects are important also for aligning biodiversity offsetting practices with global biodiversity goals. For instance, international frameworks like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the EU Nature Restoration Law both call for quantitative assessments of biodiversity restoration, making it essential to develop reliable accounting tools.

A Path Towards Transformative Change

There is a growing recognition of the need for transparent, standardized methods to track and measure biodiversity gains and losses. The integration of ecosystem accounting into biodiversity offsetting presents a transformative opportunity to harmonize practices and improve policy effectiveness.

To achieve this will require investment and collaboration across scientific communities and policy sectors. However, the potential benefits, including more transparent and accountable biodiversity conservation efforts, are immense, Czúcz concludes.

Read the article here: Czúcz et al. 2025. No net loss accounting: Aligning biodiversity offsets with ecosystem accounts. Ecological Solutions and Evidence

Contact: Bálint Czúcz

RenewHydro aims to take hydropower to the next level

Juliet Landrø

2025-01-13T09:36:00.0000000 2025-01-21T13:08:10.0230000

– For life in the river, this could for example mean that fish must be able to migrate unharmed past power plants, says NINA researcher Line Sundt-Hansen, who will lead the work on nature and climate in RenewHydro.

Adapting to Climate Change and Protecting Nature

Nature has provided our society with extraordinary resources.  By developing as a hydropower nation, we have created industries, jobs, and local communities across the nation. However, hydropower has also had a significant impact on nature in and around rivers and waterways. Therefore, RenewHydro will make a substantial effort to find methods that enhance biodiversity, reduce environmental impact, and contribute to restoring ecosystems.

Teaming up with solar and wind 

Hydropower has been the backbone of Norway's energy supply for over 100 years, but now both hydropower and society face new challenges. Norway is in the process of electrifying several sectors, such as transport and industry. At the same time, new power-intensive industries are being established, and we have committed to ambitious nature and climate goals.

– Hydropower is an enabler for new and significant opportunities in the energy system. When experts in technology, biology, and economics work together, we can take hydropower into a new era, says Centre Leader Liv Randi Hultgreen from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU. 

– At RenewHydro, we will research how hydropower can collaborate with other renewable technologies, such as solar and wind power, and adapt to new climate and market challenges, says Hultgreen. 

The hydropower industry and administration will be closely involved. They will participate in testing models in laboratories and trying specific solutions at power plants and waterways.

Ensuring Stable Energy Supply

Reliable access to electric energy is essential for modern society. In recent years, extreme weather and power crises have shown that we cannot take this for granted. Hydropower can store and regulate energy in large reservoirs. They act as natural batteries, providing us with electricity even when it's cloudy or windless. 

Researchers from institutions such as NTNU, the University of Southeast Norway (USN), SINTEF, ETH Zurich, Luleå University of Technology (LTU), and Kathmandu University will collaborate to develop technological solutions that enhance hydropower’s ability to store and regulate energy. This will help strengthen research on supply security in an energy system that is becoming increasingly dependent on variable renewable energy such as solar and wind power. 

–  Researchers will look at how we can design future power plants. These plants must account for more frequent starts and stops in production, as demand fluctuates more than before, says Hultgreen.

Power plants will also need to manage larger flood peaks and longer dry spells, all while considering nature and the environment. 

Through analyses of climate impacts and flood mitigation, the research can help protect communities and infrastructure against extreme weather conditions in the future.

Contact: 

Line Sundt-Hansen, NINA 

Liv Randi Hultgreen,  NTNU 

Website: www.renewhydro.no 

Programme for Kick-off 14.januar

Facts:  

RenewHydro is a Research Centre for Environmentally Friendly Energy (FME). The FME programme is an initiative by the Research Council of Norway to ensure long-term research on renewable energy and energy transition in close cooperation between research, industry, and government. 

The Research Council and the hydropower industry will invest around 370 million NOK over the next eight years to make hydropower a pillar of the energy transition. 

The centre is led by NTNU, NHH, NINA, and SINTEF Energy. The research will take place in close collaboration with Norwegian and international research partners such as NORCE, NMBU, USN, ETH Zurich, Luleå University of Technology, and Kathmandu University. 

RenewHydro skal utvikle kunnskap og løsninger slik at fleksibel vannkraft kan støtte realisering av energiomstillingen og nå nasjonale energi-, klima- og naturmål.

Experts to map human developments in protected waterways in Norway

Juliet Landrø

2024-10-02T14:00:00.0000000 2024-10-04T13:57:14.3070000

Forra in Trøndelag is one of the watercourses with protected status. Photo credit: Tonje Aronsen, NINA.

- There are few waterways in Norway not developed for hydro power production. Those that remain therefore represent important values ​​for society, says project manager Børre Dervo at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NINA.

It is now more than 50 years since 390 watercourses were first protected to prevent the development of hydropower. The purpose then was to protect natural and cultural values in and along the rivers.

- We will as part of this mapping exercise, create a tool that maps the values ​found in these waterways, as well as measure the extent of roads, power lines, walking paths and other encroachments, says Dervo.

Will check whether the protected rivers are "representative"

When the rivers were protected in the 1980s and 90s, many of the largest waterways in Norway had already been developed for hydropower.    

- The purpose of the protection was primarily to safeguard a representative selection of the habitats and biodiversity in and along the watercourses, says Dervo.

An important criterion for protection was untouched nature, and in many of the protected waterways, mapping of biodiversity, geological values, pristine nature, outdoor life and cultural environment was undertaken.

- We don't really know the extent of the encroachments in the protected waterways and status of the values ​​that were mapped at the time of protection, says Dervo.

The researchers will therefore use a combination of data from previous reports, geological maps, field surveys and modeling to create an overall assessment of the protected watercourses, and the extent and magnitude of human encroachment. The overview will be linked to digital map solutions and easily accessible to the environment authority and other relevant stakeholders. The experts will also evaluate the national policy and guidelines for protected waterways.

The study is commissioned by The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), and undertaken by NINA in collaboration with the Geo-Ecology Research Group (GEco) at the Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo (UiO) and will contribute to further developing the Nature in Norway (NiN) mapping system.

Contact: Børre Dervo

Restored mine becomes world heritage

Juliet Landrø

2024-08-29T10:30:00.0000000 2024-09-05T12:30:56.7800000

- This proves that large nature restoration projects are important in order to safeguard and conserve our world heritage, says Dagmar Hagen, Senior Researcher at The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NINA.

It is the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) that is now presenting "The Second 100". The first 100 geological sites of global geological importance was chosen two years ago by 700 experts from 80 countries.

Large scale nature restoration lifts our world heritage

The Svea coal mines permanently closed for operation in 2015, after 100 years of mining. At the same time landscape restoration of the mining settlement and infrastructure, stretching more than 20 km from the sea up to 700 meters above sea level, was initiated to re-establish the natural processes in the area. 

As of 2024, the restoration is complete, and to date, it is the largest nature restoration project ever carried out in Norway. Read more here.

- It is inspiring to see that the restoration has enhanced the overall quality of the area, and indeed has lifted it to world heritage status, says Hagen.

The mining company Store Norske was heading the project on behalf of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. NINA contributed with our experts on nature restoration, landscape and natural processes. 

Learn more about the Svea restoration here.

Contact: 

Lars Erikstad

Dagmar Hagen

Towards a common approach to assess nature's contribution to tourism

Trine Hay Setsaas

2024-05-28T11:46:00.0000000 2024-08-30T11:23:16.6900000

The beautiful Geiranger Fjord, UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination. Photo credit: Odd Terje Sandlund

Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries, generating nearly 10 % of the global gross domestic product (GDP). Nature-based tourism represent 20 % of the tourism sector, contributing to both local livelihoods and economies, and conservation of invaluable nature for future generations.    

Researchers from NINA and Bulgarian colleagues has teamed up to evaluate methodologies for monetary valuation of ecosystem services in the tourism sector in Bulgaria, as an approach to integrate natural capital information in, for instance, investment and business planning, and for monitoring sustainability of activities at local and sector levels. 

In a recently published report experts from NINA provide an overview and discuss contexts in which ecosystem services assessments can be useful when developing nature-based tourism. They present various monetary valuation methods, including those compatible with national accounts following the United Nations statistical standard, i.e. the System of Environmental Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA - EA).  

No current common global approach

There is currently no common framework to assess the potential contribution of nature to nature-based tourism activities, or how these values can conflict with other land-use allocations. Ecosystem services assessments could play this part, says Rusch, as they capture a broader range of values, which can be made explicit, quantified, and weighted against each other. 

Despite this potential, the application of ecosystem services assessments to support planning and investment decisions is still at its infancy, both generally and for the tourism sector.  

The momentum triggered by the SEEA EA process, as well as the new commitments under the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF, Targets 9, 14, 15 and 21) of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), has the potential to foster the further development of ecosystem services methodologies in the tourism sector, concludes Rusch.

Read the Report: Aronsen, E.E., Rusch, G.M. & Immerzeel, B. 2024. Ecosystem services assessments and nature-based tourism - Approaches focusing on monetary valuation methods

Contact: Graciela Rusch

NINA and Hydro Energy team up for biodiversity

Trine Hay Setsaas

2024-04-30T10:30:00.0000000 2024-04-30T12:14:17.1030000

 NINA researchers support the renewable energy sector in their endeavor to reduce negative impacts on biodiversity. A new NINA report, commissioned by Hydro Energy, presents how guidelines to evaluate impacts on biodiversity in Norway map onto international performance standards developed for environmental sustainability reporting.  

We first present an overview of the status of the criteria used in Norway, and then, together with experience and principles from restoration ecology, link to the mitigation hierarchy to provide recommendation on how to minimize impacts on biodiversity, says Graciela Rusch, senior researcher at NINA and head of the project. We also reflect on current gaps to implement actions towards biodiversity no net loss and net gains objectives, she says. 

The principles of the mitigation hierarchy involve taking nature into account in all stages of a development process, from strategic and detailed planning to actual project implementation. 

Operationalization of "no net loss" in Norway

Norway is currently revising its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) as a follow-up to the Global Biodiversity Framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity, which will include regulations related to the private sector. 

At present there is no operationalization of the "no net loss" concept in Norway, i.e. which impacts should be compensated for and how. It is therefore suggested in the report that the revised NBSAP could include such guidelines, accompanied by By national normative definitions of where negative impacts must be avoided, and how compensation measures would be designed.   

With this collaboration with Hydro Energy, says Rusch, we describe how the mitigation hierarchy could be turned into a stronger tool to protect biodiversity in Norway by defining clearer criteria to apply at each step and by including quantitative assessments of impact. Our message is “the smaller the physical impact, the easier and less costly it is to compensate for damage”.   

Contact Graciela Rusch

Read the report Performance standards and biodiversity no net loss commitments: An assessment of status and implementation gaps in Norway

Footprint and Impacts of Renewable Energy: Pressure on Lands Under Growth

Juliet Landrø

2021-12-12T07:30:00.0000000 2021-12-15T13:20:59.5470000

In the new project FIREPLUG (Footprint and Impacts of Renewable Energy: Pressure on Lands Under Growth) led by NINA researchers from three research institutions will cooperate with five environmental organizations in Norway and the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE).

– Our ultimate goal is to provide valuable new solutions to guide the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy while minimizing impacts on natural resources in Norway, says project leader Brett Sandercock, Senior Research Scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)

Society faces two key scientific challenges:

The climate crisis requires managing the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy to mitigate the effects of climate change. The nature crisis requires minimizing the effects of land-use change from renewable energy on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Thus, researchers and stakeholders will work together to address the technical challenges from several different perspectives.

– Our interdisciplinary team will develop alternative scenarios based on new technologies, impacts on carbon dynamics and ecological systems, and social and economic considerations, says Sandercock.

Renewables vs natural resources?

In recent years, public opposition to wind power development has increased in Norway. Many have protested that development of wilderness areas conflicts with cultural values and nature conservation.

Hydropower remains the dominant source of energy in Norway and recent debate has focused on the options of upgrading vs developing new hydropower. But so far, the knowledge on trade-offs between water- and wind power, and different locations of wind power has been inadequate.

– Evaluating options for renewable energy requires a better understanding of impacts on actual area requirements, carbon budgets, and biodiversity.  We will tackle these questions with new spatial models and software tools for a more complete accounting, says Sandercock.

The researchers will evaluate alternative scenarios where they will explore trade-offs between upgrading hydropower turbines vs new development, integrating hydro and wind power together for greater flexibility in storage and power production, options for solar power and other renewable energy sources, and building electricity grids in networks vs. corridors. 

What is the economical pay-off?

The transition to renewable energy involves considerable social and economic change.  Change is always disruptive. Whether it is an issue of changing your mind, changing policy, or spending money.  But change can turn out better than expected. It could be because we often do not consider the cost of “before,” or do not know what the potential economic gains will be.

– The final stage of our project will be to consider tax policy and possible economic incentives that might favor the best scenarios and develop new policy recommendations for decision-makers in Norway, says Sandercock.

Advice for policymakers

The goal is to provide options and valuable new solutions for renewable energy and land under pressure in Norway.

– The knowledge we are now developing will be used to make recommendations for policymakers in Norway, so that they will better be able to make informed decisions when it comes to land use and renewable development, says Sandercock.

– We hope to have a more complete accounting of the tradeoffs in terms of land use, carbon budgets and impacts on biodiversity than have been realized before. 

The project will also build infrastructure for research on renewable energy as a multi-faceted collaboration among ecologists, engineers, social scientists, and economists with complementary skills.

The collaborators will use new tools to explore a wider range of options for renewable energy development and to consider scenarios that are relevant to environmental groups in Norway.

– The dream outcome of this project is to identify novel and unexpected solutions for renewable energy development that have not been considered before and that can be supported by consensus among different stakeholders.

Contact:

Brett Sandercock, NINA

The FIREPLUG project has been financed as a 4-year project under the Land Under Pressure program of the Research Council of Norway (RCN).  The project is led by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), with research partners at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the Centre for International Climate Research (CICERO).  Participating stakeholders include the environmental groups Naturvernforbundet, Norsk Friluftsliv, SABIMA, WWF-Norway, and ZERO, as well as the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) as the regulatory authority for concessions.

Major wind research centre kicks off its activities

Juliet Landrø

2021-06-16T11:01:00.0000000 2021-06-16T14:52:36.8530000

The centre's research is divided into five work packages, whose leaders gave short presentations outlining their objectives for the next few years. The centre aims at making wind energy cheaper, more efficient and more sustainable. One of its main areas of focus is offshore wind research. 

John Olav Tande from SINTEF leads NorthWind.

— The road to success in offshore wind depends on three factors: development, research and innovation. All three have to be present, says Tande. 

—NorthWind will guarantee progress on the research and innovation fronts. The development part of the equation received a welcome boost last week, when the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced plans to enable the large-scale development of offshore wind, he says  

NorthWind brings together over 50 partners from research institutions and industry all around the world. It is led by the research institute SINTEF, with partners NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), NINA (The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research), NGI (Norwegian Geotechnical Institute) and UiO (University of Oslo). 

Nature friendly renewable energy 

The UN's sustainability goals, which are the world's action plan for a better world, have several goals that hit the mark with NorthWind. The goals of clean energy and climate action are obvious. At the same time development of wind energy must not must not be at the expense of sustainability goals for life at sea and on land. 

NINA-director Norunn Myklebust.

— At NINA, we have extensive knowledge of how the natural environment can be affected by wind power, and our goal is to develop possible solutions that reduce negative impacts. The key words are location, design and operation, says NINA director Norunn Myklebust. 

She believes the research center NorthWind has a big and important job to do. 

— In this center we have gathered the foremost expertise in nature, technology and society, and I believe NorthWind will contribute to strengthening Norway as a renewable nation, with good solutions that consider all the sustainability goals in a good way, says Myklebust. 

NorthWind is co-financed by its partners and by the Norwegian government through the Norwegian Research Council's Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research program.  

You can learn more about the research centre on its new website: www.northwindresearch.no  

China and India dominate in greening the Earth

Jørn J. Fremstad

2019-02-13T09:00:00.0000000 2019-02-18T09:43:01.0000000

A team of researchers led by Boston University has just published a study titled “China and India lead in greening of the World through land-use management” in the journal Nature Sustainability showing that there is now about

Elephants in Namibia more stressed outside the national park

Inger Haugen

2018-01-25T13:56:00.0000000 2018-01-25T02:23:54.0000000

Etosha National Park in Namibia is home to a population of approximately 3000 African elephants (Loxodonta africana). The park is strictly regulated and completely fenced, and the presence of several water holes ensures that