The Orkney Local Biodiversity Action Plan A plan for action to conserve Orkney’s Biodiversity Prepared by Orkney’s Biodiversity Steering Group for The Orkney Environment Partnership December 2002 Orkney’s Community Biodiversity Project is supported / funded by the following organisations: Orkney FoundedField in 1959 Club Aim: To encourage the study and conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the County Environment & Rural Affairs Department © 2003 Printed by The Orcadian Limited, Hatston, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DW Tel: 01856 879000 www.orcadian.co.uk FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON ANYTHING CONTAINED WITHIN THIS MANUAL, PLEASE CONTACT: NADINE RUSSELL COMMUNITY BIODIVERSITY PROJECT 8 BROAD STREET KIRKWALL ORKNEY KW15 1NX TEL: 01856 888760 EMAIL: [email protected] Glossary Biodiversity: The term biodiversity describes the variety of life at all biological scales, from diversity within ecosystems, communities, species and populations, to the level of genetic variation present within species and their constituent populations. In short it encompasses the diversity of all life on earth. CITES: Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species Community: A naturally occurring assemblage of plant and animal species living within a defined area or habitat. Communities are named after one of their dominant species (e.g. pine forest) or the major physical characteristics of the area (e.g. a freshwater pond community). Conservation: The sensible use of the earth’s resources in order to avoid excessive degradation and impoverishment of the environment. This includes the maintenance and preservation of natural environments and the creation of new ones (e.g. nature reserves, national parks, and SSSIs). CPS: Countryside Premium Scheme (agri-environment scheme concluded in 2000) Dystrophic: A body of water that contains a large amount of undecomposed organic matter derived from terrestrial plants. Poor in dissolved nutrients and therefore unproductive. EC: European Community Ecosystem: A biological community and the physical environment associated with it. Endemic: Describes any species that is restricted to one or a few localities in its geographical distribution. Endemic species are often confined to islands and are vulnerable to extinction. EU: European Union Eutrophic: A body of water where increased mineral and organic nutrients has reduced the dissolved oxygen, producing an environment that favours plant life over animal. FA: Forestry Authority FC: Forestry Commission FWAG: Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group Habitat: The place in which an organism lives, which is characterised by its physical features or the dominant plant types. ICIT: International Centre for Island Technology CEH: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology JNCC: Joint Nature Conservation Committee LCS88: Land Cover Survey 1988 LBAP: Local Biodiversity Action Plan LNR: Local Nature Reserve MNCR: Marine Nature Conservation Review NCC: Nature Conservancy Council NSA: National Scenic Area OFC Orkney Field Club OIC: Orkney Islands Council Oligotrophic: Poor in plant nutrients and hence life, but rich in oxygen. Said of lakes and similar habitats. ONTB Orkney Native Tree Project Group Pers comm: Personal communication pH: A scale that indicates the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Scale runs from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral, <7 is increasingly acidic and >7 increasingly basic. RSPB: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds RSS: Rural Stewardship Scheme (agri-environment scheme started in 2001) SAC: Scottish Agricultural College SAC: Special Area of Conservation SEPA: Scottish Environmental Protection Agency SEERAD: Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department SNH: Scottish Natural Heritage SPA: Special Protection Area SSSI: Site of Special Scientific Interest SWT: Scottish Wildlife Trust UKBSG: UK Biodiversity Steering Group INTRODUCTION SECTION A 1. Conserving the Biodiversity of Orkney Biodiversity is simply "the Variety of Life, and refers to the whole range of animals, plants and microorganisms on earth, from the tiniest bug to the mightiest whale, along with the ecosystems in which they live. Conserving biodiversity is not just about rare and threatened species and habitats, but the commonplace as well. All those who care about the countryside are in fact appreciating biodiversity. It is important for maintaining the quality of our lives and is intimately bound up with it. Although the countryside may still appear visually attractive, it has become apparent that much of its richness and diversity is under threat; some plants and animals that were once familiar are now rare, others have become extinct altogether. This century the UK has lost over 100 species including 7% of our dragonflies, 5% of our butterflies and more than 2% of our fish and mammals (according to the UK Biodiversity Action Plan). More are in danger of disappearing, especially at the local level. Nature has an in-built propensity to change, continually evolving new variants and new species, but all of this occurs naturally over a length of time. The world is losing species at a faster rate now than ever before, as a result of human activity; biodiversity cannot evolve fast enough to compensate for losses at anything like the current rate and so is declining at an accelerating rate. Orkney is a place of great beauty and biodiversity, but here too the marine and terrestrial environments are under pressure from increased economic activity. In the last half-century some species have greatly declined or even disappeared and the area of semi-natural vegetation has greatly decreased. There are many reasons why we should conserve biodiversity: • In the context of sustainability we should be handing on to future generations a world that is richer than the one we inherited; • Species which evolved over thousands of years may be lost very quickly, and cannot be re-created; • Natural processes help to protect our planet, e.g. through regulating climate and air quality; • In maintaining the productivity of our crops we rely upon a reservoir of their wild relatives and the pool of genetic material that they hold; • In conserving the biodiversity of Orkney not only will we be taking responsibility for the quality of our local environment, we will be contributing to global biodiversity. This plan marks a major step in the conservation of Biodiversity in Orkney. It has been authored by the Biodiversity Steering Group of the Orkney Local Biodiversity Forum, which is now part of the Orkney Environment Partnership, and is proposed for adoption by the constituent members of the Forum. A 1 2. The Orkney Local Biodiversity Action Plan and its National Context The UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) was launched in 1994 as a means of meeting the UK's obligations under the Biodiversity Convention (signed by the UK and over a hundred other countries at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992) to "develop national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity”. The stated goal of the UK BAP is to "conserve and enhance biological diversity within the UK, and to contribute to the conservation of global diversity through all appropriate mechanisms". A UK Steering Group has been established to take this forward. The Scottish Biodiversity Group (SBG) was established to progress the UKBAP in Scotland. The SBG has now evolved into the Scottish Biodiversity Forum (SBF). This Group is chaired by the Scottish Executive and includes representatives from statutory conservation agencies, non-governmental organisations, landowners and land managers, fisheries interests, commerce and industry, academics and recreational interests. “Biodiversity, the UK Steering Group Report” (1995) sets out the Government’s goals for Biodiversity into the 21st Century and details those habitats and species for which Action Plans should be produced. The report identifies 39 Priority habitats. The report also identifies 1,250 species, which are globally threatened, or declining in the UK, and sorts them into two groupings “Species of Conservation Concern”; and within this “Priority Species”. The intention was that action plans would be produced for the entire “Priority Species” list, but not for the other species on the published “Species of Conservation Concern” list. Six volumes of National Action Plans have been produced to date. National Action Plans have been prepared for all Priority Species and Habitats. The Local Process To achieve the UK's commitments, action has to be taken at both national and local levels. Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPS) are seen as the means by which the UKBAP will be delivered at the local level. Targets set nationally for species and habitats of conservation concern will be translated into actions, which are achievable in a local context. In addition, LBAPs are expected to provide a focus for the conservation of locally valued species and habitats. The Orkney Local Biodiversity Action Plan (Orkney LBAP) is Orkney’s contribution to the process of conservation of biodiversity, which is taking place throughout the country. This plan identifies actions which we can take locally, and which will make a contribution to the conservation of those species and habitats identified as being “at risk” or “threatened” in the UK as a whole. It is presented as a series of individual species, habitat and area action plans and associated guiding principles. All these plans will identify the most important sites, both designated and non-designated. A key element of the LBAP