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The UK Terrestrial Biodiversity Surveillance Strategy

 

What is it and why is it needed?

 

Currently there are approximately 100 different schemes (more than for any other single sector of environmental monitoring) that are looking at one or more components of biodiversity and which operate at a country or UK scale. The total investment in these schemes – currently estimated at £11.5 million per annum – is split over at least 30 funders, including public bodies, research organisations, NGOs and societies.

 

These schemes provide some evidence of the status of biodiversity in relation to specific pressures and drivers including climate change, habitat transformation and exploitation. They also show if conservation strategies are being successful and indicate areas that need further conservation action. The geographic scales of reporting for these schemes can range from regional or country-based monitoring of policy effectiveness (e.g. the Native Woodlands Survey of Scotland) to European or global (e.g. seabirds population and national fisheries monitoring), frequently operating at a range of levels.

 

However these schemes have developed over a long period, often without an overview of existing surveillance effort; we need to understand whether we have the right mix of schemes to meet current and anticipated needs for evidence.

 

The UK Terrestrial Biodiversity Surveillance Strategy has been developed, initially by JNCC, to improve the fit between UK current biodiversity surveillance and monitoring activity, known gaps and likely future need.  The terrestrial biodiversity surveillance strategy analyses how UK surveillance activity meets three objectives. The strategy has been adopted by the UK Biodiversity Partnership Standing Committee.

 

The Strategy is not just one document, but a series of related documents and collations of information.  The overview is contained in the Surveillance Strategy (February 2009 version).  Its implementation is progressing as it is adopted by the main investors in surveillance and monitoring. In particular it is being used by the country agencies as a framework for their surveillance and monitoring requirements, especially as these relate to legal and policy needs which are devolved.  Although substantial progress in implementation is being made, the strategy remains a proposal whilst the implications of adoption by the main investors are worked out. 

 

Surveillance Strategy contents

 

The Strategy is not just one document, but a series of related documents and collations of information:

 

Surveillance Strategy February 2009 version)

An overview of the UK Terrestrial Biodiversity  Surveillance Strategy

 

 

Surveillance Framework

An analysis of surveillance requirements; current coverage, gaps and overlaps; and recommendations for the future development of surveillance

 

 

Prioritising Surveillance

 

 

A paper discussing prioritisation of surveillance of rare and scarce species using a risk-based approach

 

 

Surveillance Hierarchy

A paper discussing the scale at which surveillance or research should be deployed

 

 

UK Terrestrial Biodiversity Surveillance Schemes database.

An overview of the current biodiversity surveillance schemes

 

 

Information on developing the strategy

A section showing how the Strategy has evolved, and   how it will continue to develop

 

 

Information on using the strategy

A section illustrating how the Strategy can be employed

 

 

How the Terrestrial Biodiversity Surveillance Strategy can help you 

 

 

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