Biofokus

Biofokus is a Norwegian non-profit foundation (stiftelse) that gathers and communicates information about biological diversity. Based in Oslo, it offers nature-science expertise in biodiversity, providing ecological surveys and assessments for decision-makers, landowners, public authorities and industry. Its stated purpose is to make information about biological diversity available to decision-makers and to disseminate knowledge in the field of conservation biology. The foundation traces its roots to Siste Sjanse, a specialist group established in 1992 under the Oslo and Akershus branch of the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature (Naturvernforbundet i Oslo og Akershus, NOA). Siste Sjanse began as a small group of people, mainly biology students, focused on documenting threatened species and valuable natural areas. On 1 July 2000, Biofokus was founded as a continuation of Siste Sjanse, turning the volunteer-based group into a professional foundation. Biofokus carries out mapping of Norwegian nature, with particular emphasis on forests, and produces publications including technical reports, articles and shorter notes. Its services include ecological surveys, species assessments and habitat mapping. The foundation also maintains data resources such as the Skogdatabasen (forest database) and NARIN, and has published a book on signal species in forests, teaching readers to recognise 90 species that indicate high conservation value woodland. Biofokus is active in national conservation work. It participates in the assessment of many species groups for the Norwegian Red List for species, with responsibility for assessing close to 6,000 species — roughly 20 percent of all species to be assessed — and leads the work for several groups. Its experts cover vascular plants, lichens, mosses, fungi, wasps, flies, butterflies and beetles. The foundation also publishes critical reports on mapping practices, such as a report on under-reporting of habitats in the forest industry's MiS (environmental registration in forests) surveys in Notodden, and engages in species reintroduction, for example moving the critically endangered butterfly heroringvinge (Coenonympha hero) to the island of Kalvøya in the inner Oslofjord. As a foundation, Biofokus is a non-profit entity rather than a listed company. It operates primarily in Norway and positions itself as an independent provider of nature-science knowledge for conservation and land-use decisions.

Biofokus's history begins with Siste Sjanse, a specialist group established in 1992 under the Oslo and Akershus branch of the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature (Naturvernforbundet i Oslo og Akershus, NOA). Siste Sjanse started as a small group of people, mainly biology students, dedicated to documenting threatened species and valuable natural areas in Norway. The group's work focused on the premise that knowledge of where threatened species live is a prerequisite for protecting them. On 1 July 2000, Biofokus was founded as a continuation of Siste Sjanse. The transition turned the volunteer-based specialist group into a professional foundation (stiftelse) with a formal purpose: to organise information about biological diversity for decision-makers and to communicate knowledge in the field of conservation biology. This shift allowed the organisation to take on commissioned survey work, produce formal reports and build databases. Over the following decades Biofokus expanded its activities. It developed data resources such as the Skogdatabasen (forest database) and NARIN, and published a range of materials including technical reports, articles and shorter notes. It also published a book teaching readers to recognise 90 signal species that indicate forests of high conservation value. The foundation became a significant participant in Norwegian conservation science. It contributes to the Norwegian Red List for species, participating in the assessment of many species groups and taking responsibility for assessing close to 6,000 species — roughly 20 percent of all species to be assessed — while leading the work for several groups. Its experts specialise in vascular plants, lichens, mosses, fungi, wasps, flies, butterflies and beetles. Biofokus has also engaged in public debate and species recovery. It published a report revealing serious under-reporting of habitats in the forest industry's MiS (environmental registration in forests) surveys in Notodden, following an earlier report on failing practices. It has also been involved in moving the critically endangered butterfly heroringvinge (Coenonympha hero) to the island of Kalvøya in the inner Oslofjord. As of the mid-2020s the foundation remains active in mapping Norwegian nature and communicating biodiversity information.

• 2026

  Biofokus publishes a report on under-reporting of habitats in MiS surveys in Notodden and participates in relocating the butterfly heroringvinge to Kalvøya.

• 2000

  Biofokus founded on 1 July as a continuation of Siste Sjanse, becoming a non-profit foundation.

• 1992

  Siste Sjanse specialist group established under Naturvernforbundet i Oslo og Akershus (NOA).

Independent non-profit provider of nature-science and biodiversity expertise for conservation and land-use decisions in Norway.

• Skogdatabasen

  Forest database resource maintained by Biofokus.

• NARIN

  Data resource offered by Biofokus.

• Signal species book

  Book teaching 90 species that signal forests of high conservation value.

1. 1Hovedside - Biofokusbiofokus.no
2. 2Biofokus - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3BioFokus - Wikipedia (Norwegian)no.wikipedia.org