Assessment of the conservation status of UK habitats and species: problems and solutions Emma...

Assessment of the conservation status of UK habitats and

species: problems and solutions

Emma Verling

Mark Crick

Jessamy Battersby

Overview of Talk• Summary of process in the UK• Emphasis will be on marine Annex I features• Definitions• Area and Range

– Habitats

– Species

• Structure and Function• Species Population• Habitat for Species• Future Prospects

Overview of Talk• Summary of process in the UK

FCS process in the UK• Habitat Assessments

– Terrestrial habitats - Habitats Team, JNCC– Marine habitats - Marine Habitats Team, JNCC

• Species Assessments – Species Team, JNCC• Seminars and briefings for country conservation agencies • ‘Coarse assessment’ to gather information from country

conservation agencies, specialists and others • Identify and plug data gaps; clarify parameters with

specialists • Create ‘audit trail’ supporting the information in Annexes• Complete Annexes – using electronic database• Public consultation, feedback, review and refine report,

submit electronically


• Emphasis will be on marine Annex I features

Marine Annex I features• H1160 Large shallow inlets and bays• H1130 Estuaries• H1150 Coastal Lagoons• H1110 Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea

water at all times• H1170 Reefs• H1180 Submarine structures formed by leaking gases• H8830 Submerged and Partially Submerged Sea Caves• H1140 Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater

at low tide



• Definitions

Feature Definitions

• UK handbook plus correspondences

• Degree of interpretation with definitions

• Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time– Depth of sandbanks – 20m?

• Large Shallow Inlets and Bays– “Shallow” = <30m across extent

– “Large” = ? (maximum and minimum sizes undefined)



• Definitions

• Area and Range– Habitats– Species

Range and Area• Area calculated using known location of

habitat and expert judgement• ‘Alpha Shape Tool’ developed to calculate

range– Calculates range envelopes from 10km2

distributions– Clips to relevant area

• Range and area values are very difficult to quantify for ‘offshore’ features

• What does ‘range’ mean for marine features such as ‘Large shallow inlets and bays’?

Range and Area

• Polygons constructed using AlphaShape range mapping tool developed at JNCC.

• Gives measure of surface area of range (area of polygon drawn) in km2.

H6410 Molinia meadows on

calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden

soils

Range mapping – Alpha Shape Tool

Range and Area

H1310 Salicornia and other annuals

colonising mud and sand

• 10km2 distribution


Range and Area




• AlphaShape Tool


Range and Area




• AlphaShape Tool

• Clipped to coast



• AlphaShape Tool

• Clipped to coast

• Range ‘Envelope’

Range and Area





• Physiographic feature

• Alpha Shape Tool

• Range

• Range=Area

Range and Area

Range mapping – Alpha Shape Tool?

H1160 Large Shallow Inlets and

Bays

Range and area for offshore features

• Calculating range of reefs when so much of the resource is offshore

• Lack of data a huge problem for marine feature assessments

Range and Area

Marine Annex I features• H1160 Large shallow inlets and bays• H1130 Estuaries• H1150 Coastal Lagoons

• H1110 Sandbanks........• H1170 Reefs• H1180 Submarine structures formed by leaking gases

• H8830 Submerged and Partially Submerged Sea Caves• H1140 Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low

tide

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Physiographic features

Offshore component

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum1990-

20061800-2006

Species range and distribution

• Maps created using Alpha Shape software– 2 maps per species looking at current range and historic

range to assess trend and magnitude of trend.

1990-2006

1800-2006


Martes martes

• Maps created using Alpha Shape software– 2 maps per species looking at current range and historic

range to assess trend and magnitude of trend.


• Problems:– Paucity of data – few comprehensive surveys current or historic to make

assessment of changes in range. – Not all data collated. Generally ad-hoc recording over long periods

• How to decide on date ranges for ‘current’ and ‘historic’ range for comparison purposes? – 1994 range difficult to establish– Have looked at historic records back to 1900s & 1800s in some cases.

• What to use as Favourable Reference Range? Range in 1994?

• What is sufficient for long-term viability?



• Definitions


• Structure and Function

Structure and Function

• Common Standards Monitoring (CSM) data – For protected sites (SAC, SPA, Ramsar, SSSI,

ASSI) – Standardises monitoring protocols across different

regions of the UK– A simple, quick, assessment of feature condition. – Is a ‘sample’ of the total UK resource


Structure and Function - CSM

Condition Condition sub-categories Area (ha) Number of site features

Unfavourable Declining 25,278 3

No change 41,421 1

Unclassified

Recovering 44,182 1

Total 110,881 5

% of all assessments 47% 33%

% of total UK resource 15% unknown

Favourable Maintained 95,668 8

Recovered

Unclassified 28,500 2

Total 124,168 10

% of all assessments 53% 67%

% of total UK resource 17% unknown


• Rocky Reef– rocks (including soft rock, e.g. chalk), boulders

and cobbles(generally >64 mm in diameter

– Permanent geological structure

• Biogenic Reef– Concretions……..and bivalve mussel beds

originating from dead or living animals, i.e. biogenic hard bottoms which supply habitats for epibiotic species

– Can be removed

• “One out all out” approach

‘Complex’ features - Reefs


Large shallow inlets and bays

Mudflats and sandflats not covered by sea water at low tideSandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time

Reefs

“Nested” Annex I Features

SAC Boundary

Feature boundaries (not corresponding to SAC Boundaries)


Typical Species?



• Definitions


• Structure and Function

• Species Population

Species Population

• Estimates very variable in quality and time frame-based on best available information.

• Often difficult to establish 1994 population estimate• Trends - some good trend data, in other cases no

information. Historic information very sparse. • Favourable Reference Population – what is this?

Population in 1994? • How to establish sufficient population for long-term

viability?

Overview of Talk• Summary of process in the UK• Emphasis will be on marine Annex I

features• Definitions• Area and Range

– Habitats– Species

• Structure and Function • Species Population• Habitat for Species

Habitat for Species• The most difficult parameter- information scarce and

subjective

• How do we establish area of suitable habitat?– Generally dependent on assessments of FRR and FRP

• There are almost no assessments of:– total habitat used by individual species in UK – suitable habitat available or required for FRP of individual

species

• Species: Several vagrant or occasional visitors

Overview of Talk• Summary of process in the UK• Emphasis will be on marine Annex I features• Definitions• Area and Range

– Habitats

– Species

• Structure and Function • Species Population• Habitat for Species• Future Prospects

Future Prospects• Time scale – next reporting round? 10 years? 50 years?• Recognised as an important aspect to highlight the

good work being done • For Habitats:

– Common Standards Monitoring used for habitats (future predictions)

• For species: – Based on assessment of current pressures and future threats.– Relies on good information in other three parameters for

species– Restrictions on ability to report moderate prospects -

between good or poor

Future Prospects

Provisional summary results for UK habitats (at 01/02/07)

ParameterAssessment Conclusion

– habitat range

Conclusion - habitat area

Conclusion - structure & function

Conclusion - future prospects

Overall conclusion

Favourable 53% 23% 5% 8% 3%

Unfavourable -inadequate

33% 36% 11% 42% 17%

Unfavourable - bad

13% 38% 78% 47% 77%

Unknown 2% 3% 6% 3% 3%

Main Issues

• Plasticity of habitat definitions• Surveillance adequacy• Data adequacy• Identifying favourable reference values • Interplay of range and area parameters• Consistency between habitats• Generality of guidance• Lack of data (especially for marine features)• Species: Several vagrant or occasional visitors

General Impressions• ‘Audit trail’ very important – repeatable process• Very time consuming process in general• How will information be used? Just a report or of

conservation value?• Limitations to all data collection, collation and

analysis processes used• How comparable are assessments within and across

biogeographic regions?• Whole process needs greater standardisation and more

robust guidance

Contact Details

• Terrestrial Habitats: Mark Crick [email protected]

• Marine Habitats: Emma Verling [email protected]

• Species: Jessamy Battersby [email protected]

Thank you!

Assessment of the conservation status of UK habitats and species: problems and solutions Emma...

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