The CAFF Flora Group (CFG) promotes, encourages and coordinates the international conservation of Arctic flora, vegetation, and habitats as well as research activities. It works to enhance the exchange of information on Arctic flora and vegetation and factors affecting the status and trends in Arctic flora species.
The CFG ensures that scientists, conservationists, and managers interested in Arctic flora and vegetation have a forum to promote, facilitate, and coordinate conservation, management, and research activities of mutual concern.
Traditionally, conservation and research activities for Arctic plants have not been well coordinated in terms of common direction, concerns, reporting, and information exchange. With some notable exceptions, governmental and non-governmental groups are often organized bilaterally. Therefore, plant conservation and research activities generally lack a circumpolar perspective.
The CFG work is carried out in line with the larger CAFF goals:
- conserve arctic flora and fauna, their diversity and their habitats;
- protect the Arctic ecosystem from threats;
- develop improved conservation management, laws, regulations and practices for the Arctic;
- collaborate for more effective research, sustainable utilization, and conservation; and
- integrate Arctic interests into global conservation flora.
Scientific work of the CFG is ongoing an devolving. Major projects include:
- the Arctic Vegetation Archive Database (AVA),
- the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map (CAVM),
- the Circumboreal Vegetation Map (CBVM),
- the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine environments (GLORIA), and
- a Red List for Arctic vascular plants.