Digitised historical press data as research material for interdisciplinary biodiversity research

This article explores the use of digitised historical press data as a valuable resource for biodiversity research, especially in understanding long-term changes in species distribution. Researchers can supplement current biodiversity databases, which often lack historical data before the mid-20th century, by analysing press records of species observations. The study draws on findings from the Fauna et Flora Fennica project that reveals many previously undocumented observations of different species in Finland. The authors highlight the interdisciplinary collaboration required – between historians, biologists, and linguists – to navigate challenges such as old species names, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) errors, and varied cultural contexts. This approach shows how historical press archives can enrich biodiversity databases and provide insights into the historical patterns of biodiversity change. Leveraging digitised press data enables researchers to enhance our understanding of global biodiversity trends, which is crucial for addressing current and future ecological challenges.