DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (170/07) issued by
The Government News Network on 12 June 2007
STATISTICAL RELEASE
A new publication has been launched today to highlight trends and
provide an overview of the country's progress in protecting
biodiversity. This is the first time that a set of biodiversity
indicators for the UK has been published.
Biodiversity indicators in your pocket 2007 is a compendium
publication, which has drawn on data from Government agencies,
non-governmental organisations and research organisations. The
free pocket-sized booklet contains 18 indicators covering aspects
of biodiversity including populations of selected species, extent
of protected areas, river quality and expenditure on biodiversity
protection. The indicators are grouped under six focal areas:
1. Status and trends in components of biodiversity
2.
Sustainable use
3. Threats to biodiversity
4. Ecosystem
integrity and ecosystem goods and services
5. Status of
resource transfers and use
6. Public awareness and participation
The indicators will be used as part of the evidence to assess
progress towards two biodiversity targets to which the UK
government is committed:
* In 2001 European Union Heads of State or Government agreed that
biodiversity decline should be halted with the aim of reaching the
objective by 2010.
* In 2002 Heads of State at the United Nations World Summit on
Sustainable Development agreed to achieve, by 2010, a significant
reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global,
regional and national level.
The aim of this publication is to make the indicators easily
accessible to a wide audience and to enable everyone to judge
where progress is being made and where the challenges lie. The
booklet is intended to act as a useful reference to experts and
also a guide for those less familiar with the concept of
biodiversity. Around 2,000 copies will be distributed both
nationally and internationally.
Key results
Individually the indicators highlight those
issues for which recent and longer-term change has been for the
better or for the worse. Collectively they can provide an overview
of progress, overall and for the six focal areas.
i) Overall messages
The 18 indicators comprise 27 measures and using these it is
possible to get an overview of change compared with earlier years,
based on the number of measures showing improvement, little
change or showing deterioration. However it is essential to look
at the individual indicators too as this does not take account of
the relative importance of particular indicators.
Of 26 assessed measures, 10 (38 per cent) show improvement since
2000, compared with 8 measures (31 per cent) showing improvement
over the longer term. Those showing improvement since 2000 include
extent of protected areas, sustainable fisheries, sustainable
woodland management, biological river quality 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, and plant diversity in open
habitats, woodlands and boundary habitats. None of the measures
have shown deterioration since 2000.
ii) Summaries for focal areas
The indicators can be grouped, in a similar way, to provide an
overview for the six focal areas. Owing to the low number of
measures within focal areas 5 and 6 (2 measures and 1 measure
respectively) overviews for these focal areas have not been produced.
There were long term declines for 6 measures (46 per cent) within
focal area 1 (status and trends of the components of biological
diversity), reflecting the very large declines in bird and
butterfly populations seen in the 1970s and 80s. Since 2000 all
assessed measures show 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.
Within other focal areas there is little variation
between the long term and 'since 2000' assessments.
Exceptions are within focal areas 3 (threats to biodiversity) and
4 (ecosystem integrity and ecosystem goods and services) where one
measure in each, showing long term improvement, shows little or no
change since 2000. All other changes are owing to differences in
data availability for long term and 'since 2000' assessments.
Notes to editors:
NOTE: GRAPHS/TABLES CAN BE VIEWED ON WEBSITE.
1. The table below lists all 18 indicators (and their constituent
measures) included in the publication. Traffic lights assessments
of long term change and change since 2000 are shown for all measures.
1 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 calculated.
2. The traffic lights are determined by comparing the value of
the measure in the base or start year with the value in the end
year. A three year average is used to calculate the base year, to
reduce the likelihood of any unusual year(s) unduly influencing
the assessment.
Where an indicator value has changed by 3 per
cent or more, a red or green traffic light is assigned depending
on whether this change is in the right direction (green) or in the
wrong direction (red). If the value has changed by less than the
threshold of 3 per cent, the traffic light is set at amber. The
choice of 3 per cent as the threshold is arbitrary but has proven
to be helpful in deciding on the most appropriate traffic
light.
Where data are available, two assessment periods have
been used:
* Long-term - an assessment of change since the
earliest date for which data are available, although, if data do
not precede 1996 a long term assessment is not made.
*
Short-term - an assessment of change since 2000 (or the closest
date for which data are available)
3. Free copies of Biodiversity indicators in your pocket are
available from Defra Publications, Admail 6000, London, SW1A 2XX
(tel: 08459 556000, e-mail: defra@cambertown.com.), quote product
code PB12626. The publication and associated data are also
presented on the JNCC: http://www.jncc.gov.uk/biyp
4. National Statistics publication
National Statistics are
produced to high professional standards set
out in the
National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality
assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They
are produced free from any political interference.
Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR