We present images for 36 galaxies of the M81 group obtained in the H \alpha line .
Estimates of the H \alpha flux and star formation rate , SFR , are avialable now for all the known members of the group with absolute magnitudes down to M _ { B } = -10 ^ { m } .

The character of distribution of the galaxies over three paremeters : M _ { B } , SFR , and total hydrogen mass permits us to draw the following conclusions as to evolution status of the group population .
a ) Spiral and irregular type galaxies would have time to generate their luminosity ( baryon mass ) during the cosmological time T _ { 0 } = 13.7 Gyr , but dwarf spheroidal objects are capable of reproducing only \sim 5 % of their observed luminosity .
b ) S and Im , BCD galaxies possess the supply of gas sufficient to maintain their observed SFRs during only next ( 1/4 - 1/3 ) T _ { 0 } years , while dIr and dSph populations have the mean gas depletion time about 3 T _ { 0 } .
c ) There is indirect evidence that the star formation in Im , BCD and dIr galaxies proceeds in a mode of vigorous burst activity rather than in the form of a sluggish process .
We note the dwarf tidal system near NGC 3077 , the Garland , to have the highest SFR per unit luminosity among 150 galaxies of the Local volume with known SFRs .

Being averaged over the local ” cell of homogeneity ” of 4 Mpc in diameter around M 81 , the rate of star formation of the group , \dot { \rho } _ { SFR } = 0.165 M _ { \odot } / year \cdot Mpc ^ { 3 } , proves to be 5–8 times higher than , that of the average global rate at Z =0 .