In 2002 SLU Swedish Species Information Centre (SSIC) was commissioned by the Swedish Parliament to identify all species of multicellular plants, fungi and animals in the country and to make the information available to scientists, conservationists and the public.
More than half of the Swedish species are more or less poorly known. Almost nothing is known about where they occur, how they live or about their roles in the ecosystems. Several thousands of species also remain to be found.