The objective of the Species Component of FRA 2000 was to provide a measure of the national importance of forests to the maintenance of biological diversity. This was to be achieved via a desk study, providing statistics on the occurrence of selected animal and plant species within forest areas. It was recognised from the outset that obtaining such data was likely to be problematic and species groups were selected in view of the anticipated ready availability of data.
Phase 1. The objective as agreed in the original contract was to collate data on the numbers of forest occurring species within the selected taxonomic/habit species groups.
Phase 2. A meeting was held at FAO, Rome in September 1999 to review the data that had been gathered under phase 1. The discrepancies in availability of types of data between the taxonomic/habit groups were discussed. Data for all groups were only available for the category "Single country endemic, globally threatened, forest occurring species". It was agreed that it would be useful to have data on the names of the species within this category rather than just the number. Accordingly, phase 2 was agreed, to compile this information.
