WIREDGOV

Natural England emphasises need for continued action to halt biodiversity loss

Natural England welcomes yesterday’s publication of the Countryside Survey 2007. The Survey presents a mixed picture of progress in maintaining biodiversity across the UK, and strongly affirms the conclusions reached in Natural England's State of the Natural Environment report published earlier this year.

Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England, said, "The Countryside Survey shows that support for wildlife-friendly land management can make a real difference. But there is no room for complacency - it is clear that many wildlife habitats are suffering from neglect or decline, and that more action is needed if we are to halt, and ultimately reverse, biodiversity loss".

The Countryside Survey suggests that while the overall species richness of the countryside is not drastically changing, the underlying picture continues to be one of winners and losers. Woods, ponds and hedgerows remain in our landscape but are in increasingly poor condition.

Some common species are increasing - sometimes through lack of management - whilst habitat patches that are good for biodiversity are seriously declining.

On farmland there are encouraging signs that policies such as set-aside and agri-environment schemes have had an important effect. The demise of set-aside since the survey could, therefore, be a significant blow to the wider environment and decisions to be made shortly on securing the environmental legacy of set-aside are likely to be critical in ensuring that recent biodiversity gains are not lost.

Natural England emphasised that the mixed picture of today's survey underlined the need for integrated landscape-scale conservation to run alongside the protection of our rarest species and most precious sites. Sir Martin Doughty, concluded, “The evidence provided by today’s Survey will be of ongoing value in enabling us to respond to the many challenges that our natural environment is facing. To secure the future of our wildlife we need to think big and manage the environmental health of entire landscapes rather than simply focusing on isolated pockets of biodiversity concern."

For further information contact: The National Press Office on 0845 603 9953, press@naturalengland.org.uk, out of hours 07970 098005. For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk

Notes to Editors

Natural England published its comprehensive “State of the Natural Environment” in June 2008. Copies of the report can be found at: www.naturalengland.org.uk/sone/default.htm

Natural England has been an active participant the Countryside Survey 2007 project and is in a funding partnership led by NERC and Defra.

The UK report Countryside Survey 2007 is launched on November 18th 2008. It provides an overview of the extent and condition of natural resources in the UK countryside, based on measurements in almost 600 sample 1km squares.

Previous surveys took place in 1978, 1984, 1990 and 1998, allowing a near 30-year evaluation of countryside change.

The UK Countryside Survey will be followed by individual country reports, topic reports, Land Cover Map and an integrated assessment to follow through 2009 and 2010. Further information on the Countryside Survey can be found at: www.countrysidesurvey.org.uk/