JNCC UK Biodiversity Statistics suite
JNCC is responsible for the production of eight Official
Statistics for UK Biodiversity. These represent a variety of
species and habitats, including monitoring of the UK protected
areas network, and come together to construct an up-to-date
overview of current status and ongoing trends of UK
biodiversity. This picture illustrates the long term drivers
of change in UK wildlife and its response to changing conditions
and contributes to UK National Statistics. These data provide
contextual information on drivers of change to inform national and
country-level policy.
The official statistics are generated through our collaborative
work with partner organisations and most of the data are delivered
via our partners websites. To find out more about how we work
with partners have a look at our surveillance pages.
JNCC maintains a release timetable for these statistics, and
is the point of first release for:
The statistics schemes - data collection and use
Updated for 2012
The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the main scheme for monitoring
population changes for common breeding birds in the UK. The report
is published jointly by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO);
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB); and the
JNCC, who provide the Government funding to the scheme. Data
is hosted on the BTO website.
Birds are considered to be good indicators of the condition of
the natural environment for several main reasons:
- Birds are near the top of the food chain, thus are sensitive to
environmental change.
- Extensive and long-running information exists on annual changes
in bird populations.
- A significant body of evidence is available to suggest reasons
for population changes.
The BBS network of over 2,500 volunteers collects data on
distribution and abundance of birds. The BBS is the primary
data source for the UK Biodiversity Indicator for wild birds, with
additional data from other sources integrated into the
indicator.
Updated for 2012
The Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP) is the monitoring scheme
for breeding seabirds in the British Isles (including data from the
Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man). JNCC
is a lead partner in the SMP Partnership and co-ordinates the
running of the scheme. Other partners include Natural England,
Countryside Council for Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage, Northern
Ireland Environment Agency, and non-governmental organisations such
as the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds, British Trust for Ornithology and the National
Trust.
A significant proportion of the world population of several
species of seabird occur in the UK, and the SMP collects data for
all 25 seagull species that regularly breed here. A large
network of sites collect data on breeding abundance and breeding
productivity, supplied by partners and volunteers. These are
collated and supplemented by the studies at four JNCC-contracted
Key Sites, which provide information on adult survival, diet,
phenology used to help to diagnose the changes in abundance. Data
has been collected by the SMP since 1986, and longer term context
is provided by the results of three complete censuses of breeding
seabird in the UK and Ireland:
- Operation Seafarer in 1969-70
- Seabird Colony Register in 1985-88
- Seabirds 2000 in 1998-2002
The SMP data supports a number of statutory processes, notably
including monitoring relating to the condition of sites of national
importance (e.g. SSSI) and international importance (SPAs).
As well as site-related aspects, the data also provide necessary
information on the status and trends of individual species as
required by the Birds Directive.
Updated for 2012
The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) is the monitoring scheme for
non-breeding waterbirds in the UK, and is a partnership
between the BTO, the RSPB and the JNCC, in association with the
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT).
The UK is of notable international importance for waterbirds,
with the relatively mild climate and extensive wetland areas
(especially estuaries) attracting as large numbers, particularly
during winter, when most survey takes place. WeBS started in
1947, and now around 3,000 volunteers take part in synchronised
monthly counts at wetlands of all habitat types.
The data collected are used to assess the size of waterbird
populations, determine trends in numbers and distribution, and
assess the importance of individual sites for waterbirds, in line
with the requirements of international conservation Conventions and
Directives, including primarily the Birds Directive, Convention on
Migratory Species, and the Ramsar Convention.
The WeBS is a data source for the UK
Biodiversity Indicator for wild birds, providing the wintering
waterbirds measure.
Last update 2006
The Alerts System was developed as part of WeBS, to provide a
standardised method of identifying the direction and magnitude of
changes in numbers – at a variety of spatial and temporal scales –
for a range of waterbird species for which sufficient WeBS data are
available.
Species that have undergone major changes in numbers can then be
flagged by issuing an Alert. Alerts are intended to be advisory and
– subject to interpretation – used as a basis on which to direct
research and subsequent conservation efforts if required.
Last update 2011
The National Gamebag Census (NGC) records abundance and
distribution trends for 19 UK mammal species (excluding
bats)/ The NGC has been run by the Game and Wildlife
Conservation Trust (GWCT) since 1961 and collates gamebag numbers
of quarry species and predator species reported from estates across
the UK. Analysis by the GWCT, commissioned by JNCC, has shown
that mammal trends produced by the NGC are representative of mammal
population trends in the wider countryside.
The NGC is valuable as it provides relatively long-term trends
(most from 1961) for many predatory and game species, and
has good coverage in remote areas such as the Highlands. Additional
data from before 1961, supplied by estates with long- term records
of their own, has been integrated with the more recent data,
extending the time series back to 1900 for many species.
NGC data provides important background information on the
distribution and changes in populations of some mammals, including
four UK BAP priority species, two of which are partially protected
under the EC Habitats Directive. The scheme also records
several invasive non-native species that are impacting on native
wildlife, including Muntjac and American mink.
In addition to the official statistic produced with this data,
there is a pilot study underway to investigate whether combining
the NGC data with mammal records collected during the BTO BBS will
allow for more detailed analysis.
Updated for 2012
The National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) is the only scheme
for monitoring the population changes for the UK’s resident bat
species. Established in 1996, the NBMP is a partnership programme
between the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) and JNCC. Data on
distribution and abundance of bats in the UK are collected by a
network of volunteers, producing both trend and population
data. The NBMP report provides trends since 1997 for 11 of
the UK’s 17 resident bat species.
Bat species make up a third of the UK’s mammal fauna, occurring
in most lowland habitats across the UK, and the species used in
this index are widespread throughout a variety of landscapes. Key
pressures on bats (landscape change, agricultural intensification,
development, habitat fragmentation) are also relevant to many other
wildlife groups. Bats are sensitive to pollution and factors
affecting their insect prey (e.g. pesticides, drainage, land
management change). Climatic shifts are predicted to affect bat
populations through changes in their yearly hibernation cycles,
breeding success and food availability.
All bats and their roosts are protected by domestic and European
legislation. The UK is a signatory to the EUROBATs agreement, set
up under the Convention on Migratory Species, and information on
bat trends is also required for UK obligations under the EC
Habitats Directive; seven of the UK’s bat species are also BAP
priority species. The NBMP data is the primary contributor of
data for the UK
Biodiversity Indicator for bats.
Updated for 2012
The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) records data on the
population status of UK butterflies, using a wide-scale program of
site-based monitoring, primarily through the use of transects
walked by volunteer recorders. UKBMS is produced by Butterfly
Conservation under partnership contract with JNCC and the Centre
for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH).
Butterflies are highly biologically suitable as indicator
species, occurring in a wide tange of habitats, having rapid
lifecycles and, in many cases, showing high sensitivity to changes
in environmental conditions. Butterflies are complementary to
birds and bats as an indicator because they use resources in the
landscape at a much finer spatial scale; correspondingly the UKBMS
is the primary contributor of data for the UK Biodiversity
Indicator for butterflies.
These data are used to assess of the impacts of climate change
and the progress of government policy initiatives such as the UK
Biodiversity Action Plan, agri-environment schemes and site
condition monitoring of Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSIs), as well as providing information required for UK
obligations under the EC Habitats Directive.
Updated for 2012
The site condition statistics show the percentage of features on
protected area meeting set criteria (the features are the species
or habitats for which the sites have been designated). Features
have been assessed since 1998. The condition of protected
sites is used as a measure of the effectiveness of conservation
management. JNCC collates data from the devolved conservation
agencies’ monitoring of site condition to create an overview at
UK-level.
The data is used to produce the
UK Biodiversity Indicator for protected sites, and for
information required for UK national and international
obligations.
Designation and management of protected areas are key mechanisms
for focusing attention on the loss of biodiversity in response to
human pressure on the natural environment. These protected areas
cover many of the most valuable sites for biodiversity in the UK,
with associated legal mechanisms for safeguarding habitats and
species.
The types of protected sites within the statistics are:
National legislation sites:
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs);
- Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) in Northern
Ireland
European / International sites:
- Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) – set up under the Habitats
Directive
- Special Protection Areas (SPA) – set up under the Birds
Directive