Section 2A: Biodiversity Audit
Biodiversity Action Plan for East Hampshire Section 2a: Biodiversity Audit Section 2: Biodiversity Data - 1 - Biodiversity Action Plan for East Hampshire Introduction Biodiversity in East Hampshire is currently, and has been for centuries, extremely varied, due to the diverse geology and ancient history of natural and human processes occurring on the land. The district’s landscapes and the habitats and species they host are outlined in Section 1. Given below is a more detailed account of the extent, distribution and condition of the district’s biodiversity, using the best available knowledge. Habitats Shown below are maps of the district, showing each habitat type – these are derived from a county-wide programme to assess habitat types, using data held by Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre. Also at county-wide level are A Biodiversity Action Plan for Hampshire’s Habitat Action Plans (HAPs) (www.hampshirebiodiversity.org.uk/vol-two.html ). These plans outline priority actions for each habitat type, which have been translated into district-level action in Section 3 through consultation with partners. • All mapped habitats correspond with the Priority Habitats in A Biodiversity Action Plan for Hampshire except: o Arable o Improved Grassland o Coniferous woodland o Urban The maps show that Hampshire’s priority habitats such as calcareous grassland are fragmented and small in area compared to agricultural and urban land uses, but that these fragments correspond to the familiar landscapes in the district such as chalk downland. Other habitat types, such as the mosaic of Wealden heathland and acidic grasslands in the north-east of the area, are larger and in closer proximity to each other.
[Show full text]