Introduction to the guidance manual
2. The need for monitoring
One of the key responsibilities of the statutory nature
conservation agencies in the UK is the identification and
protection of a series of sites intended to conserve important
wildlife and Earth science features. Such sites may be designated
under
- National legislation (Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSIs) in Britain and Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs)
in Northern Ireland),
- European Directives (Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and
Special Protection Areas (SPAs)), or
- An international Convention (Ramsar sites).
Once sites have been designated, the country agencies work
with owners/occupiers and others to protect and enhance their
special features, for example by agreeing management plans and
advising on development proposals.
Site-based conservation is a corner-stone of biodiversity and
earth science conservation in the UK, and a substantial proportion
of the agencies' resources is devoted to the selection, management
and protection of statutory sites. Clearly, mechanisms are needed
to assess how successful these activities have been in achieving
nature conservation objectives, both on individual sites and across
the site series as a whole. For example, on any particular site it
is important to evaluate whether management measures have achieved
the desired objectives, or whether new measures need to be put in
place. At a broader level, assessment is required of the
effectiveness of legislative and policy measures in contributing to
biodiversity conservation on protected sites. Monitoring can
provide the information necessary to undertake these
assessments.