Overview of assessment of change for all indicators

The table below summarises traffic light assessments over the longer term and since 2000 , for the 18 indicators and their 33 component measures

Focal area	Indicator number, title and individual measure(s) (where applicable)		Long term change[3]	Change since 2000
1. Status and trends of the components of biological diversity	1a. Populations of selected species (birds)	Breeding farmland birds	1970-2007
		Breeding woodland birds	1970-2007
		Breeding water and wetland birds	1975-2007
		Breeding seabirds	1970-2007
		Wintering waterbirds	1975-6-2006-7
	1b. Populations of selected species (butterflies)	Semi-natural habitat specialists	1976–2007
	1b. Populations of selected species (butterflies)	Generalist butterflies	1976–2007
	1c. Populations of selected species (bats)		1978-1992
	2. Plant diversity	Arable and horticultural land	1990-2007
		Woodland and grassland	1990-2007
		Boundary habitats	1990-2007
	3. UK Priority Species
	4. UK Priority Habitats
	5. Genetic diversity	Native sheep breeds
	5. Genetic diversity	Native cattle breeds
	6. Protected sites	Extent of protected sites	1996-2008
	6. Protected sites	Condition of protected sites
2. Sustainable use	7. Woodland management
	8. Agri-environment land	Higher level, targeted schemes	1992-2008
	8. Agri-environment land	Entry type schemes
	9. Sustainable fisheries		1990-2007
3. Threats to biodiversity	10. Impact of air pollution	Acidity	1996-2005
	10. Impact of air pollution	Nitrogen	1996-2005
	11. Invasive species	Freshwater species	1960-2008
		Marine species	1960-2008
		Terrestrial species	1960-2008
	12. Spring index		Not assessed	Not assessed
4. Ecosystem integrity and ecosystem goods and services	13. Marine ecosystem integrity		1982-2008
	14. Habitat connectivity
	15. Biological river quality		1990-2006
5. Status of resource transfers and use	16. UK biodiversity expenditure
5. Status of resource transfers and use	17. Global biodiversity expenditure
6. Public awareness and participation	18. Conservation volunteering

	improving
	little or no overall change
	deteriorating
	insufficient or no comparable data

The individual assessments for each measure can be combined to produce an overall assessment. This provides a summary of progress towards the 2010 commitments without the need to combine the indicators themselves.

The pie charts below display the numbers of measures that have shown an improvement (green traffic light), a deterioration (red traffic light), little or no overall change (amber traffic light) or that have insufficient data for an assessment to be made (white traffic light). Assessments of change since 2000 and over the longer term are shown.

As well as overall summaries based on all measures in the indicators, separate summaries for each focal area are shown which are based on the indicators and measures within that focal area. Focal areas 5 and 6 have very few measures and do not have separate pie charts, although all the long-term assessments have insufficient data and all since 2000 assessments are green.

Assessment of change: all measures

Of the 32 measures used to compile the 'all measures' summary chart, 13 (41 per cent) show an improvement since 2000, compared with 9 measures (29 per cent) showing improvement over the longer term. Those showing improvement since 2000 include bat populations, UK Biodiversity Action Plan AP priority species, extent of protected areas, sustainable fisheries, and expenditure on both UK and global biodiversity.

Those measures showing long term deterioration are populations of farmland and woodland birds, populations of specialist butterflies, populations of bats, and plant diversity (in woodlands, grasslands and boundary habitats). Some of these measures have continued to deteriorate in the short-term (e.g. farmland birds and the plant diversity of boundary habitats). Woodland birds and specialist butterflies have shown little or no overall change since 2000.

Aessessment of change: focal areas

There were long-term declines for 7 measures (41 per cent) within focal area 1, reflecting the very large declines in bird, butterfly and bat populations seen in the 1970s and 80s. Since 2000 these long term declines have generally slowed, with some measures previously assessed as deteriorating showing either improvement or little or no overall change since 2000. These conclusions should be viewed with some caution as changes are more difficult to assess over the short term. Two measures within focal area 1, breeding seabirds and wintering waterbirds, have changed from a long term improving assessment to deteriorating since 2000.

The indicators in focal area 3 and 4 show little difference in their short-term assessments. Focal area 3 has the greatest proportion of red and amber assessments in both the long and short-term, reflecting a pattern of continuing or growing threat to biodiversity in the UK.

3. The earliest available year is used as the baseline for assessment of long term change. The base year used for each measure is shown in the table. Where data are unavailable, or do not precede 1996, a long term assessment is not given.