Naturescot SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE Sub-Group Report on Surveillance and Monitoring
SAC/2020/09/01 NatureScot SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE Sub-group Report on Surveillance and Monitoring Draft (August 2020) Monitoring & Surveillance Sub-group Report to the Scientific Advisory Committee by the Sub-group reviewing on land monitoring and surveillance by NatureScot Mitchell, R.J.1, Blake, D.2, Boulcott, P.3, Pearce-Higgins, J.4, Nisbet, A.5, Scott, B.,6 Wilson, J.7, Woodin, S.6, and Eardley, B.2 1The James Hutton Institute 2NatureScot 3Marine Scotland 4British Trust for Ornithology 5Natural England 6University of Aberdeen 7RSPB When published, this report should be cited as: Mitchell, R.J., Blake, D., Boulcott, P., Pearce-Higgins, J., Nisbet, A., Scott, B., Wilson, J., Woodin, S., and Eardley, B. (2020). Report to the Scientific Advisory Committee by the Sub-group reviewing on land monitoring and surveillance by NatureScot. NatureScot, Inverness. i SAC/2020/09/01 Executive Summary Background Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)1 (NatureScot from 24th August 2020) is reliant on up to date and accurate monitoring and surveillance data in order to fulfil its statutory role. NatureScot defines surveillance as ‘systematic observation through time to establish the baseline state and track natural heritage change’. It defines monitoring as ‘surveillance against a target’. A major component of NatureScot’s monitoring work is the Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) programme which monitors the condition of features (species, habitats, geological features) on protected areas. In 2019 the third cycle of SCM was completed, and NatureScot’s Surveillance Strategy became due for review. It was recognised that within NatureScot, monitoring and surveillance had been operating under separate work streams.
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