Biodiversity Audit 2002
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East of England Biodiversity Audit A report for East of England Biodiversity Forum Funded by English Nature, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and RSPB Produced by East of England Wildlife Trust Consultancies Table of contents Table of figures Queries ............................................................. 1 Table 1 : Consultees for document....................2 Acknowledgements........................................... 2 Table 2: Species action plans by county (total Executive summary........................................... 3 90 items)....................................................4 Summary of work contained within audit....... 3 Table 3 : Habitat action plans by county (22 Numbers of habitat and species action items) ........................................................6 plans considered....................................... 3 Table 4 : Broad habitat action plans in existence Success on search for available information in East of England .....................................7 .................................................................. 3 Table 5 : Categories used to assess significance Biodiversity Action Planning in the East of of species and habitat action plans ..........7 England......................................................... 3 Table 6 : Number of action plans within each County Biodiversity Action Planning within assessment category ................................8 the East of England................................... 3 Table 7 : Numbers of action plans where Assessment of Species and Habitat Action assessment of a single criteria was not Plans......................................................... 7 possible .....................................................8 Issues affecting Biodiversity Action Table 8 :Nationally important habitat action Planning within the East of England........ 12 plans within the East of England ...............9 The way forward from the audit .................. 13 Table 9 : Regionally significant habitat action PART 1 : Introduction...................................... 14 plans within the East of England ...............9 Background to audit.................................... 14 Table 10 : Habitat action plans for which an Objectives of the audit ................................ 14 assessment was not possible....................9 Methodology ............................................... 14 Table 11 : Nationally important species action PART 2 : Overview of the East of England ..... 16 plans within the East of England .............10 About the East of England .......................... 16 Table 12 : Regionally significant species action Biodiversity in the East of England ............. 16 plans within the East of England .............11 Priority habitats and species in the East of Table 13 : Species action plans for which an England Region .......................................... 17 assessment was not possible..................11 Lowland grassland, heath and arable land Table 14 : Common issues raised during work ................................................................ 18 for BAP audit ...........................................12 Freshwater.............................................. 19 Table 15 : Broad habitat groups and their Bog, fen and swamp ............................... 20 relationship to Habitat Action Plans in the Woodland................................................ 21 East of England.......................................18 Maritime and Coastal .............................. 22 Table 16 : Lowland grassland, heath and arable PART 3 : Detailed descriptions of BAP habitats land Habitat Action Plans ........................18 within the East of England .............................. 25 Table 17 : Freshwater Habitat Action Plans ... 19 PART 4 : Species case studies..................... 135 Table 18 : Bog, fen and swamp Habitat Action Bittern ....................................................... 135 Plans .......................................................20 Brown hare ............................................... 135 Table 19 : Woodland Habitat Action Plans .....21 Cornflower ................................................ 136 Table 20 : Maritime and Coastal Habitat Action Dormouse ................................................. 136 Plans .......................................................22 Fen orchid................................................. 136 Table 21 : Case study species ...................... 135 Great Crested Newt .................................. 136 Table 22 : Criteria to assess significance of Silver Studded Blue .................................. 136 regional BAPs to national BAPs ............ 186 Stag Beetle ............................................... 137 Table 23 : Categories and scoring system used Starlet Sea Anemone................................ 137 to assess significance of regional BAPs to Tree Sparrow ............................................ 137 national BAPs........................................187 Water Vole ................................................ 137 Table 24 : Use of criteria for overall assessment White-clawed Crayfish .............................. 138 .............................................................. 187 PART 5 : Assessment of the importance of BAP Table 25 : Summary assessment for BAPs habitats and species within the East of England within East of England........................... 188 ...................................................................... 186 Table 26 : Definitions used in text ................. 201 Method used for assessment.................... 186 Results of assessment.............................. 187 PART 6 : References and glossary............... 196 Source documents used for compiling BAP lists............................................................ 196 References ............................................... 196 Glossary.................................................... 201 NORFOLK WILDLIFE SERVICES EAST OF ENGLAND BIODIVERSITY AUDIT / QUERIES / SUMMARY OF WORK CONTAINED WITHIN AUDIT Queries Queries about the East of England Biodiversity Forum should be directed to: East of England Biodiversity Forum Tel : 01603 660066 c/o Rob Lucking, East Anglia Regional Office, Stalham House, 65 Thorpe Road Norwich NR1 1UD Any queries about this document, its production or its contents can be directed to: Norfolk Wildlife Services Ltd., Tel : 01603 625 540 Bewick House, Fax : 01603 598 300 22, Thorpe Road, e-mail : [email protected] Norwich, NR1 1RY, NORFOLK NORFOLK WILDLIFE SERVICES 1 EAST OF ENGLAND BIODIVERSITY AUDIT / QUERIES / SUMMARY OF WORK CONTAINED WITHIN AUDIT OCTOBER 2002 Acknowledgements The East of England Biodiversity Forum commissioned this audit which was prepared by a consortium of the East of England Wildlife Trust Consultancies consisting of: Norfolk Wildlife Services Limited (Chris Smith, Rob Yaxley, Dr Graham Hopkins, Dr Susannah O’Hanlon and Sue Traer), Essex Ecological Services (Neil Harvey and Adrian Knowles) and the Suffolk Wildlife Trust (Penny Hemphill). The audit was funded by English Nature, Environment Agency, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Forestry Commission. The contract was overseen by a small steering group of the East of England Biodiversity Forum, including representatives from Government Office for the East of England, East of England Development Agency, East of England Local Government Conference, English Nature, Environment Agency, Countryside Agency, Forestry Commission, RSPB and Wildlife Trusts. The audit was a collaborative effort between many organisations and their free provision of information and data is gratefully acknowledged. In particular we would like to thank: Table 1 : Consultees for document Consultee Organisation Consultee Organisation David Quincey (on behalf Anglian Water Pat Bimson Forestry Commission of Gareth Rondel) Simon Pryor Forestry Commission Michelle Edwards Bedfordshire Wildlife Steve Scott Forestry Commission Trust Vince Thurkettle Forestry Commission Anita Parry Biological Records Office Clare Buchanan GO-East Nick Millar Cambridgeshire Wildlife Tim Hedges GO-East Trust Peter Ryley Independent Julia Masson Countryside Agency Nick Michael Hertfordshire & Ian Johnson DEFRA Middlesex Wildlife Trust Alan Wheeler East of England Local Paul Wilkinson Norfolk Biodiversity Government Conference Forum, Norfolk County Council Gavin Measures English Nature Nicola Hutchinson Plant Life Jon Webb English Nature Rob Lucking RSPB Peter Lamley English Nature Martin Sandford Suffolk Biological Richard Rafe English Nature Records Office Wendy Brooks Environment Agency Nick Hammond The Wildlife Trust for Claire Cantman Essex BAP Officer Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Beverley McClean Essex County Council Northamptonshire Fred Currie Forestry Commission NORFOLK WILDLIFE SERVICES 2 EAST OF ENGLAND BIODIVERSITY AUDIT / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS / SUMMARY OF WORK CONTAINED WITHIN AUDIT OCTOBER 2002 Executive summary Summary of work contained within audit Numbers of habitat and species action plans considered There were six Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs) in the region containing 446 individual species and habitat action plans either being implemented or in preparation. Many action plans were common to two or more counties. Taking these into account, there were action plans for a total of 249 different species and habitats within the East of England. Of these action plans, further details of 114 are contained within this document and its appendices.