Indicator description
The indicator shows the change in status of the 371 priority
species assessed between 1999 and 2008. Every three years, the
status of each priority species has been assessed by a range of
experts across the UK. The indicator assessment is based on the
change in the status of 339 species for which a status assessment
is available in at least one of the recording years.
The Plan was revised in 2007 and the number of priority species
increased to 1,150, but assessments are not available for this
extended list.
For many species, status assessments are not available for all
recording years. To make best use of available data, the change in
status is assessed by comparing the earliest available assessment
for each species, with the most recent. The majority of the
earliest assessments (74 per cent) are from 1999 or 2002. The
majority of the most recent assessments (85 per cent) are from
2008.
Of the 339 species in the indicator, the number that were
assessed as either ‘stable’ or ‘increasing’ shows a small net
increase from 202 to 214. This modest improvement in the indicator
is assessed as positive, although there has been a slight fall in
the number of species actually ‘increasing’ from 48 to 45.
The majority of species were reported in the same assessment
category in both 2005 and 2008, although there has been some
turnover of species over the period 1999-2008.
In broad terms, the number of species that have moved from the
decreasing category to ‘stable’ or ‘increasing’ outweighs those
moving in the other direction, but there are no obvious patterns in
these changes. Of the species that were declining in 2008, 66
were also declining in 2005. Six species changed from
declining in 2005 to lost in 2008 (in addition to species lost
prior to the publication of the Plan).
This turnover between categories means that while the graph
shows an increase in the number of species stable or increasing, it
is not necessarily the same species which are improving.
Species that have moved from ‘decreasing’ in 2002 to either
‘increasing’ or ‘stable’ in 2008 include the shrill carder bee
(Bombus syvarum), great yellow bumblebee (Bombus
distinguendus), reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)
and the heath tiger beetle (Cicindela sylvatica). Very few
species have moved from ‘increasing’ to ‘declining’ although there
are some examples: Newman’s lady fern (Athyrium flexile)
and fen orchid (Liparis loeselii).
The ongoing increase in number of species reported as lost,
which came from the declining and unknown categories in 2005 is an
additional cause for concern. Table 3 (i) shows the number of
species reported in each category in 2005 and in 2008.
Table 3 (i). Trend comparison between 2005 and 2008 for UK BAP
species
|
|
2005
|
2008
|
|
Declining
|
102 (28%)
|
88 (24%)
|
|
Increasing
|
41 (11%)
|
39 (11%)
|
|
Stable
|
131 (36%)
|
143
(39%)
|
|
Unknown
|
47 (13%)
|
61 (17%)
|
|
Lost
|
10 (2.7%)
|
15 (4.1%)
|
Twelve of the 47 species recorded as ‘unknown’ in 2005 (25 per
cent) were reported as stable and one as increasing in
2008.
There are 175 species for which there is a
status assessment available in three consecutive recording years
(2002, 2005 and 2008; 1999 being a year with poor returns). Figure
3 (iii) shows the change in status for these 175 species. Although
not making best use of all the available data, the figure does show
a similar trend, with a gradual increase in the number of species
recorded as either ‘stable’ or ‘increasing’ from 82 to 101.
Figure 3 (iii). Changes in the status of the UK
BAP priority species, for 175 species that have been assessed
in all recording years 2002-2008
Relevance
The UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) was published in 1994
and is the UK’s national biodiversity strategy, prepared in
response to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The UK
BAP priority species are species of high nature conservation value
that are restricted in range or have suffered significant
population declines in the past. The plan sets out targets for each
species, reflecting the desire to maintain or increase their range
and population size. The targets are shared goals of the UK
Government, its Statutory Agencies and the voluntary sector, but
the indicator is assessed on the regular status assessments for the
species rather than on the progress against detailed targets.
Background
The UK Biodiversity Action Plan originally contained 391 plans
(for 381 species and 10 species groups). Species-groups are
excluded from this indicator because there is little information on
their status over the period. In addition, a number of the original
priority species are now considered as recognisable 'varieties’ of
other species rather than as separate species in their own right.
The remaining 371 species are included in the indicator.
Status assessments for UK Biodiversity Action Plans priority
species were undertaken in 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2008. Assessments
were undertaken by a variety of conservation organisations and
agencies. The amount of data available varies from species to
species; some assessments were based on comprehensive survey and
some on expert opinion. The indicator takes the assessments at face
value.
The first assessment (in 1999) took place very soon after many
of the plans were published and comparatively few assessments were
made. The indicator therefore compares the earliest available
status assessment (i.e. 1999 if it is available, 2002 if it is not,
2005 if neither 1999 or 2002 are available) against the latest
(2008, if available, 2005 if not and so on).
As can be seen from Figure 3 (ii), the categories used in 2008
(and in each of the previous three assessments) were more detailed
than the four categories used in the indicator. This is because
different assessment categories were used in the four years and
they have been compiled to allow easier comparison across years
(Table 3 (ii)).
The 2009 presentation is a refinement of the indicator published
in 2007 which presents data for 189 species from 2002 and 2005
only. A technical background paper is available and provides a more
detailed description of the method (see attachments below).
Table 3 (ii). Consolidation of status assessment categories for
presentation in the indicator
|
Categories used in the indicator
|
Categories used in the original assessments
|
|
Increasing
|
Fluctuating - probably increasing
Recovered
Signs of recovery
Increasing
|
|
Stable
|
Fluctuating - probably stable
No change
Stable
|
|
Decreasing
|
Declining (continuing/accelerating)
Declining (slowing)
Fluctuating - probably declining
Lost (pre BAP publication)
Lost (since BAP publication)
No data entered Lost pre UK BAP
Unknown (presumed extinct)
|
|
Unknown
|
Insufficient information
Fluctuating / No clear trend
No clear trend
No data entered
Unknown
|
Further development planned
The UK BAP priority species and habitats have been reviewed
and the new UK list of priority species and habitats was
published in August 2007. Future reporting for the new list of
species and habitats are still to be determined.