2nd European Mammal Atlas

The first Atlas of European Mammals was published in 1999, some 15 years ago, and is now out of print. The Atlas has been widely-used, with more than 450 citations on the Web of Science and the data have also been included in various European distributional data collections. Although the atlas data remain available through these channels, or via the website www.european-mammals.org, it must be recognised that the dataset, which was finalised in 1998, is ageing and we can be less confident as time goes on that it accurately reflects the current distribution of mammals in Europe. Distributional atlases remain a fundamental tool for research and conservation. Whilst most conservation delivery is at a national level, it is important that a broader picture of the distribution of species is available to help set context and priorities. Conservation requirements for species protected by the EU Habitats Directive provide a good example of this approach. End 2016 it was decided to start the preparations for a second European Mammals Atlas. Publication is plannend in 2024. Besides lots of data about the distribution of mammals in Europe, funding is needed to bring al the data together in a database and finally a book. Meetings of mammal specialists are forseen.