UK Conservation Methods

L/O: To explore how the UK is trying to conserve its wildlife.

• Conservation of many habitats in the UK relies on continued management to conserve or new management to create or enhance habitats.

• Roles of the government, voluntary organisations and pressure groups.

The role of government organisations in protecting sites of ecological importance

and endangered species:

• Natural England, Countryside Council for Wales or equivalent: SSSI, NNR, MNR, SPA, SAC.

• DEFRA: Ramsar Sites, agri-environmental schemes.

Designation of a protected area

• Designation of a protected area restricts the damaging activities which may take place.

• Many areas have multiple designations to give additional or different types of protection.

To different group of designated areas:• UK• International

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

• Areas of particular interest because of their plants, animals, geographical or geological features.

• eg Bure Marshes, Norfolk

National Nature Reserves

• are usually SSSIs which are good examples of important habitats with complete communities of species.

• eg Studland Heath, Dorset

Local Nature Reserves

• are owned or controlled by local authorities for the benefit of wildlife and the public

• E.g. Samphire Hoe, Kent

Marine Nature Reserve

• eg Lundy Island, Skomer

Ramsar sites

• Wetlands of international importance.

• eg Minsmere RSPB reserve, Exe Estuary

Current EU designations

Special Protection Areas (SPAs)

• as a result of the EU Birds Directive.

• eg The Solent, Exe Estuary, parts of the Bristol Channel, Humber Estuary

Agri-environmental schemes

• Agri-environmental systems provide financial support to farmers to reward and encourage environmentally beneficial development.

• The Single Farm Payment replaces previous schemes such as Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) with the Environmental Stewardship Scheme (ESS).

Environmental Stewardship Scheme:

Their Aims:• Conserve wildlife (biodiversity)• Maintain and enhance landscape quality

and character• Protect the historic environment• Promote public access and

understanding• Protect natural resources

Three options within the ESS:

• Entry Level Stewardship

• Organic Entry Level Stewardship

• Higher Level Stewardship

Entry Level Stewardship

• A fixed payment is made for environmentally beneficial management

• eg over-wintering stubbles, beetle banks, hedgerow stone wall and ditch management, field buffer-strips, wild bird seeds, low input grasslands, protected archaeological sites, reduced soil erosion, protection of in-field trees

Organic Entry Level Stewardship

• Similar to Entry Level Stewardship but with a higher payment level.

Higher Level Stewardship

• Extra payments for more complex management or projects such as hedgerow restoration.

• eg flower-rich grass margins, unharvested conservation field headlands for winter bird food, restoration of wet grassland for waders and wildfowl, water meadow restoration, maintenance or restoration of saltmarsh, sand dunes, hedgerows, moorland, traditional orchards, ponds, woodlands, public access

Species Recovery Programme

• A programme run by Natural England to conserve particular endangered species.

• E.g. dormouse, greater horseshoe bat, red squirrel, skylark, red kite, lady’s slipper orchid

The role of voluntary organisations and

• WWF

• RSPB

WWF

• Public awareness raising, lobbying industry and governments, education, funding for environmental projects

RSPB

• Public awareness raising, lobbying industry and governments, education, reserve purchase and management, research grants to fund other conservation organisations, joint activities with other conservation organisations. Bird conservation is the focus of activities but broader issues are covered.