The Dataset for the Fauna et Flora Fennica project - Historical sighting data for 72 animals, plants, and bacteria found in Finland between 1800 and 1969

The Dataset for the Fauna et Flora Fennica project - Historical sighting data for 72 animals, plants, and bacteria found in Finland between 1800 and 1969 dataset contains material collected in the Fauna et Flora Fennica research project. The aim of the project was to renew the understanding of species that have inhabited the Finnish region by providing more comprehensive information on the historical occurrence of different species. We have traced this information from Finnish and Swedish newspapers and magazines published in Finland from the 19th century up to the late 1960s, digitized by the National Library of Finland (the amount of the digitized press material by the end of the project was nearly 28 million pages). In addition, historical information has also been sought from issues of Finnish journals Luonnon Tutkija and Suomen Luonto digitized in projects led by Otto Latva, which are not yet available in the digital archive of the National Library of Finland. Both of the above-mentioned journals are Finnish-language natural science magazines that publish articles on biology. The reason why we have defined the material to cover the period from the 19th century to the 1960s is that the first newspapers and magazines in the Finnish region were not published until the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, and various observations of nature were not written into them until the 19th century. Our time frame ends in the 1960s, as more effective methods and models for studying species distribution became common in the latter half of the 20th century, and the threat status of species began to be monitored regularly in Finland as early as the 1980s. Furthermore, in our two-year research project, we have not been able to examine the historical distribution data for all organisms found in Finland, as the digitised press material provides far too much information to process in two years. There are over 40,000 species living in Finland, and even if we exclude fungi, bacteria and viruses, as well as those that only have a Latin scientific name, there are still 13,782 animal and plant species left. For this reason, we selected 80 species for the Fauna et Flora Fennica project that are known to have undergone changes in their distribution or that are classified as rare, endangered, newcomer or invasive in Finland. We also wanted to examine species that have caused debate or conflict either now or in the past. In addition, we selected some species for examination based on suggestions from biologists who were partners in the project. Of all 80 species examined in the Fauna et Flora Fennica project, we were able to compile datasets containing geospatial data for a total of 72 different species. It must be emphasized that these contain sightings recorded in the press, often made by ordinary people. Among them, of course, there are also more formal observations published by natural scientists. The development of the press also influenced which species sightings were made public through the press. In the northernmost parts of Finland, for instance, the first newspapers were not established before the very end of the 19th century. It was therefore not possible to publish species sightings as comprehensively in newspapers in the 19th century as it was in the 20th century, when the number of newspapers and magazines in Finland began to grow rapidly. In addition, the press often considered only unusual species observations, or those of species that significantly affected people’s everyday lives, to be worth reporting. Therefore, by no means all of the species sightings made by people living in the Finnish region from the 19th century to the 1960s ended up in newspapers and magazines. People also reported far more frequently on mammals and birds, while sightings concerning, for example, insects, arachnids, or plants appear far less often in the press material. The material was collected in the Fauna et Flora Fennica research project funded by the Alfred Kordelin Foundation in 2023–2025, and based on it, among other things, the openly accessible work Suomalaisten lajien historiallinen kartasto (In English: Historical Atlas of Finnish Species) (2025) has been published: https://edition.fi/thy/catalog/book/1176. For this book, we have created distribution maps for different species using the geospatial data contained in these CSV files. CSV files contain 9 columns with the following information in order: Year of sighting Location (the exact location of the observation, e.g., name of village or body of water) Description of the location (tells whether the location is, for example, a lake or river, or which city or municipality the location of the sighting belongs to) Press source and publication date URL (digital press sources are available to everyone until the 1940s. To view more recent press material, you need to have credentials from a Finnish university or research institute) Latitude Longitude Geodetic system Notes Below is a list of all 72 species with their English, Finnish, and Latin names, as well as the names of everyone who participated in collecting observation data for each species. The species are divided as follows: Mammals (CSV files 1–15), Birds (CSV files 15–37), Reptiles and amphibians (CSV files 38–45), Fishes (CSV files 46–50), Molluscs, annelids, algae and bacteria (CSV files 51–54), Woody plants (CSV files 55–63) and Herbaceous plants (CSV files 64–72) Note: Historical distribution data is available for all species except moose and whooper swans for the entire time period. We only collected distribution data for moose and whooper swans from the 19th century, as the data for these species became too extensive in the 20th century. Eng: Arctic fox, Fin: Naali, Lat: Vulpes lagopus – Data Collectors: Noora Kallioniemi, Otto Latva and Johanna Latva Eng: Common raccoon dog, Fin: Supikoira, Lat: Nyctereutes procyonoides – Data Collector: Heli Rantala Eng: Eurasian pygmy shrew, Fin: Vaivaispäästäinen, Lat: Sorex minutus – Data Collector: Heli Rantala Eng: European mink, Fin: Vesikko, Lat: Mustela lutreola – Data Collector: Heli Rantala Eng: Finnish forest reindeer, Fin: Metsäpeura, Lat: Rangifer tarandus fennicus – Data Collector: Heli Rantala Eng: Garden dormouse, Fin: Tammihiiri, Lat: Eliomys quercinus – Data Collector: Heli Rantala Eng, Grey seal, Fin: Harmaahylje, Lat: Halichoerus grypus – Data Collector: Noora Kallioniemi Eng: Moose or Elk, Fin: Hirvi, Lat: Alces alces – Data Collectors: Otto Latva and Heli Rantala Eng: Northern birch mouse, Fin: Koivuhiiri, Lat: Sicista betulina – Data Collector: Heli Rantala Eng: Siberian flying squirrel, Fin: Liito-orava, Lat: Pteromys volans – Data Collector: Heli Rantala Eng: White-tailed deer, Fin: Valkohäntäkauris, Lat: Odocoileus virginianus – Data Collector: Heli Rantala Eng: Wild boar, Fin: Villisika, Lat: Sus scrofa – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Wolf, Fin: Susi, Lat: Canis lupus – Data Collectors: Heta Lähdesmäki, Otto Latva, Noora Kallioniemi, Harri Uusitalo, Silja Laine, Nina Sundell, Tiina Tiilikainen, Johanna Latva, Jenna Haanpää, Verna Laine, Elina Lahdenniemi, Pelle Lindberg, Tiina Nissinen, Henna Rantala, Lotta Selin, Nina Tiempo, Sonja Vaskivuori and Petra Vilkkula Eng: Wood lemming, Fin: Metsäsopuli, Lat: Myodes schisticolor – Data Collector: Heli Rantala Eng: Black tern, Fin: Mustatiira, Lat: Chlidonias niger – Data Collectors: Aino Jämsä and Miriam Saurio Eng: Common kingfisher, Fin: Kuningaskalastaja, Lat: Alcedo atthis – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Common pochard, Fin: Punasotka, Lat: Aythya ferina – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Common shelduck, Fin: Ristisorsa, Lat: Tadorna tadorna – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Crested tit, Fin: Töyhtötiainen, Lat: Lophophanes cristatus – Data Collectors: Aino Jämsä and Emilia Morfin Venäläinen Eng: Eurasian bittern, Fin: Kaulushaikara, Lat: Botaurus stellaris – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Eurasian nuthatch, Fin: Pähkinänakkeli, Lat: Sitta europaea – Data Collectors: Aino Jämsä and Emilia Morfin Venäläinen Eng: Eurasian pygmy owl, Fin: Varpuspöllö, Lat: Glaucidium passerinum – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Eurasian treecreeper, Fin: Puukiipijä, Lat: Certhia familiaris – Data Collectors: Aino Jämsä and Emilia Morfin Venäläinen Eng: Eurasian tree sparrow, Fin: Pikkuvarpunen, Lat: Passer m. montanus – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: European roller, Fin: Sininärhi, Lat: Coracias garrulus – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: European turtle dove, Fin: Turturikyyhky, Lat: Streptopelia turtur – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Great cormorant, Fin: Merimetso, Lat: Phalacrocorax carbo – Data Collector: Otto Latva Eng: Grey Heron, Fin: Harmaahaikara, Lat: Ardea cinerea – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Hawfinch, Fin: Nokkavarpunen, Lat: Coccothraustes coccothraustes – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Hoopoe, Fin: Harjalintu, Lat: Upupa epops – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Long-tailed tit, Fin: Pyrstötiainen, Lat: Aegithalos caudatus – Data Collectors: Aino Jämsä and Emilia Morfin Venäläinen Eng: Montagu’s harrier, Fin: Niittysuohaukka, Lat: Circus pygargus – Data Collector: Hannu Salmi Eng: Snowy owl, Fin: Tunturipöllö, Lat: Bubo scandiacus – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Western marsh harrier, Fin: Ruskosuohaukka, Lat: Circus aeruginosus – Data Collector: Hannu Salmi Eng: White stork, Fin: Kattohaikara, Lat: Ciconia ciconia – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Whooper swan, Fin: Laulujoutsen, Lat: Cygnus cygnus – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Willow tit, Fin: Hömötiainen, Lat: Poecile montanus – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Eastern slow worm, Fin: Vaskitsa, Lat: Anguis colchica – Data Collector: Silja Laine Eng: European adder, Fin: Kyykäärme, Lat: Vipera berus – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Grass snake, Fin: Rantakäärme, Lat: Natrix natrix – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Marsh frog, Fin: Mölysammakko, Lat: Pelophylax ridibundus – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Moor frog, Fin: Viitasammakko, Lat: Rana arvalis – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Northern crested newt, Fin: Rupilisko, Lat: Triturus cristatus – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Smooth newt, Fin: Vesilisko, Lat: Lissotriton vulgaris – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Toad, Fin: Rupikonna, Lat: Bufo bufo – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Asp, Fin: Toutain, Lat: Leuciscus aspius – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: European eel, Fin: Ankerias, Lat: Anguilla anguilla – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Snakeblemmy, Fin: Elaska, Lat: Lumpenus lampretaeformis – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Spined loach, Fin: Rantanuoliainen, Lat: Cobitis taenia – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Wels catfish, Fin: Monni, Lat: Silurus glanis – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Bladderwrack, Black tang, Rockweed, Sea grapes, Bladder fucus, etc., Fin: Rakkolevä, Lat: Fucus vesiculosus – Data Collectors: Otto Latva and Kirsi Sonck-Rautio Eng: Blue-green algae, Fin: Sinilevät, Lat: Cyanobacteria – Data Collectors: Aino Jämsä Eng: European medicinal leech, Fin: Verijuotikas, Lat: Hirudo medicinalis – Data Collector: Harri Uusitalo Eng: Freshwater pearl mussel, Fin: Jokihelmisimpukka, Lat: Margaritifera margaritifera – Data Collector: Otto Latva Eng: Common hazel, Fin: Euroopanpähkinäpensas, Lat: Corylus avellana – Data Collector: Silja Laine Eng: European crab apple or European wild apple, Fin: Metsäomena, Lat: Malus sylvestris – Data Collector: Silja Laine Eng: European white elm, Fluttering elm, Spreading elm, Stately elm, or Russian elm, Fin: Kynäjalava, Lat: Ulmus laevis – Data Collector: Silja Laine Eng: Horse chesnut, Fin: Hevoskastanja, Lat: Aesculus hippocastanum – Data Collector: Silja Laine Eng: Rugosa rose, Beach rose, Japanese rose, Ramanas rose, or Letchberry, Fin: Kurtturuusu, Lat: Rosa Rugosa – Data Collector: Silja Laine Eng: Siberian pine, Fin: Sembramänty, Lat: Pinus cembra sibrica – Data Collectors: Silja Laine and Verna Laine Eng: Small-leaved lime or Small-leaved linden, Fin: Metsälehmus, Lat: Tilia cordata – Data Collector: Silja Laine Eng: White willow, Fin: Hopeasalava, Lat: Salix alba ‘sibirica’ – Data Collector: Silja Laine Eng: Wych elm or Scots elm, Fin: Vuorijalava, Lat: Ulmus glabra – Data Collector: Silja Laine Eng: Calypso orchid, Fairy slipper, or Venus’s slippe, Fin: Neidonkenkä, Lat: Calypso bulbosa – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Common reed, Fin: Järviruoko, Lat: Phragmites australis – Data Collector: Silja Laine Eng, Eastern pasqueflower or Cutleaf anemone, Fin: Hämeenkylmäkukka, Lat: Pulsatilla patens – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Ghost orchid, Fin: Metsänemä, Lat: Epipogium aphyllum – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Great manna grass, Reed mannagrass, Reed sweet-grass, or Greater sweet-grass, Fin: Isosorsimo, Lat: Glyceria maxima – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Lady’s-slipper, Fin: Tikankontti, Lat: Cypripedium calceolus – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Moonworts, Fin: Noidanlukot, Lat: Botrychium – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Red helleborine, Fin: Punavalkku, Lat: Cehalanthera rubra – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä Eng: Spring pasqueflower, Arctic violet, or Lady of the snows, Fin: Kangasvuokko, Lat: Pulsatilla vernalis – Data Collector: Aino Jämsä