UK Biodiversity Indicators
An updated overview of biodiversity in the UK has been published today, which provides an insight into the health of our natural environment.
Biodiversity is the variety of individual species, the genetic diversity within species and the range of ecosystems that support them.
These eighteen indicators were agreed in 2007 by the UK Biodiversity Partnership (the Government, the Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Non-Governmental Organisations) to summarise some of the key priorities for biodiversity in the UK.
The indicators include the population status of key species; plant diversity; the status of priority species, habitats and ecosystems; genetic diversity of rare breeds of sheep and cattle; protected sites; management of woodland agricultural land and fisheries; impacts of air pollution and invasive species; expenditure on biodiversity; and the amount of time given by volunteers to nature conservation activities.
Of the 34 component measures within the indicators, over the long-term 10 have shown deterioration, 9 have shown improvement, 2 have shown little or no overall change, 12 had insufficient data for an assessment, and 1 is provided for contextual information and is therefore not assessed.
In assessing change since 2000, 7 measures have shown deterioration, 15 have shown improvement, 9 have shown little or no overall change, 2 had insufficient data for an assessment, and 1 is provided for contextual information and is therefore not assessed.