ArtDatabanken

ArtDatabanken, the Swedish Species Information Centre, is a national centre for biodiversity information in Sweden. It is part of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and serves as the central source for high-quality data on Swedish species. The organisation collects, curates, and disseminates information on species distribution, taxonomy, ecology, and conservation status, coordinating activities between researchers, government authorities, and the public.

Key activities include maintaining taxonomic standards, compiling and providing access to species data, and producing decision-support information for conservation policy. ArtDatabanken is responsible for the Swedish Red List of Threatened Species, an official assessment of the risk status of Swedish species that is updated regularly and aligned with international IUCN criteria adapted to Sweden.

ArtDatabanken operates public information portals such as Artfakta, which offers species fact sheets, and Artportalen, a citizen-science platform for submitting and accessing observations of wildlife. The data and tools support biodiversity research, environmental monitoring, policy-making, and education, and are widely used by authorities, researchers, NGOs, and the public.

The centre collaborates with national and international partners and contributes data to major global biodiversity information networks, facilitating knowledge exchange and conservation planning across scales, including contributions to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).