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Biodiversity Offsets: Testing a Possible Method for Measuring Biodiversity Losses and Gains at Bardon Hill Quarry, UK

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Biodiversity Offsets: Testing a Possible Method for Measuring Biodiversity Losses and Gains at Bardon Hill Quarry, UK BIODIVERSITY OFFSETS Biodiversity Offsets: Testing a Possible Method for Measuring Biodiversity Losses and Gains at Bardon Hill Quarry, UK Helen Temple*, Bob Edmonds CEnv MIEEM**, Bill Butcher MIEEM*** and Jo Treweek CEnv MIEEM*** *The Biodiversity Consultancy **SLR Consulting ***Treweek Environmental Consultants proposed method on a real-world example • aquatic habitats of a tributary of the Introduction – the proposed extension of Bardon Hill River Sence; Quarry in Leicestershire. iodiversity offsets can be • ponds and Sphagnum pools (a Local Bdefined as ‘measurable In this particular case study, offsets Biodiversity Action Plan habitat); were designed qualitatively through conservation outcomes resulting • terrestrial invertebrate populations; an Environmental Impact Assessment from actions designed to and compensate for significant (EIA). The mitigation and compensation measures described below were residual adverse biodiversity • protected fauna, including badgers, presented in the planning application to six species of bats, breeding birds, impacts arising from project reduce and offset predicted biodiversity reptiles, and amphibians, including a development after appropriate impacts. Quantitative loss-gain measures great crested newt population. prevention and mitigation following the Treweek et al. (2010) method measures have been taken’ (BBOP were fitted to the data post-hoc, to Predicted Impacts 2009). The goal of biodiversity test the method and to seek additional Habitat loss, fragmentation and isolation offsets is to achieve no net evidence that the offsets and other through land-take was the major mitigation and compensation measures loss (or preferably a net gain) impact identified, with a total of 138 proposed were of an appropriate nature of biodiversity on the ground. ha, approximately 27% of the site area, and magnitude to compensate for residual being lost or heavily disturbed by quarry Biodiversity offsets are required losses. operations. A total of five non-statutory by law in a number of countries proposed Local Wildlife Sites and five (reviewed by Biodiversity Neutral Case Study: Bardon Hill parish designated sites would be lost as a Initiative 2005, McKenney and Quarry result of the proposals. Kiesecker 2010), and have been Other impacts identified included effects adopted voluntarily by a small The case study is a proposed extension to on flora and fauna through habitat loss, but growing set of private sector Bardon Hill Quarry, Leicestershire, owned fragmentation and isolation; noise and companies with ‘no net loss’ or by Aggregate Industries UK Ltd (Holcim visual disturbance; impacts resulting from ‘net positive impact’ policies (e.g. Group). Application has been made for changes in air quality caused by dust or Rio Tinto 2004 and 2008, TEEB planning permission for a 66 ha extension, pollutants; alterations to groundwater, 2010). The potential for greater yielding 130 mT of pre-Cambrian rock surface water flow and quality and also over the next 50 years. The application impacts associated with the proposed use of biodiversity offsets in the has been submitted but not yet approved. restoration scheme. UK and the EU is currently being Bardon Hill is a 500 ha estate consisting investigated (Defra 2009, EU mainly of low-intensity pasture and arable, Mitigation and Compensation 20101). with woodland and lowland heath. (Offsets) Measures Proposed A key aspect of biodiversity offsetting Ecological Baseline Conditions Specific biodiversity mitigation and is the quantification of biodiversity compensation measures proposed by the losses and gains. This poses significant Baseline ecological surveys undertaken in developer include commitments to habitat challenges because of the inherent 2007-2009 identified a long list of valued translocation for hedgerows, lichen- complexity of biodiversity, and the variety ecological receptors, including: covered rocks and lowland wet grassland; of ways in which its components can be • Bardon Hill Site of Special Scientific mitigation for protected species, including measured (e.g. area of a habitat, species Interest (SSSI); amphibians, badgers and bats; restoration diversity of an ecological community, and land management of the Bardon Hill population size of a species). Methods are • semi-natural grassland habitats, Estate under a more extensive Biodiversity needed that are transparent, rigorous, including damp neutral grasslands Action Plan than the current version; and and that adequately capture the different (NVC MG4) and dry hay meadows the commitment to manage a degraded aspects of biodiversity whilst remaining (NVC MG5); lowland heathland site outside the estate. straightforward to apply in practice. In • species-rich hedgerows; The biodiversity mitigation and offsets the last issue of In Practice (September for the project were designed by the EIA 2010), Treweek et al. proposed a possible • uncommon lichens on acidic rock outcrops and dry-stone walls; Team (SLR Landscape and Ecology, and method for quantifying biodiversity losses Aggregate Industries) and identified three and gains that might be appropriate for • wet woodlands, mature plantation types of potential biodiversity gains at the UK context. This paper tests the and ancient woodland habitats; Bardon Hill Quarry: In Practice December 2010 11 BIODIVERSITY OFFSETS • ‘Restoration gains’; i.e. habitat re- Table 1. Offset scoring matrix created on areas totally cleared by quarrying and associated activities. Biodiversity Distinctiveness Very Low (0) Low (2) Medium (4) High (6) • ‘On-site offset gains’; i.e. on-site areas Optimum (4) 0 8 [0.33] 16 [0.67] 24 [1.00] not directly impacted by quarrying Good (3) 0 6 [0.25] 12 [0.50] 18 [0.75] that will be brought under appropriate Moderate (2) 0 4[0.17] 8 [0.33] 12 [0.50] conservation management and Condition Poor (1) 0 2 [0.08] 4 [0.17] 6 [0.25] that are subsequently predicted to improve in condition. Table 2.2. Biodiversity Biodiversity losses losses and and offset offset credits credits required. required • ‘Off-site offset gains’, i.e. off- site areas (Ratchett Hill) that will be brought under appropriate score credits conservation management and Total Phase IHS area Arealost that are subsequently predicted to 1 1 improve in condition. 1code Habitattype code (Ha) (Ha) Condition Distinctiveness Matrix Offset required 1.Phase1habitats Offsets for two particularly high value A1.1.1 BroadͲleavedSemiͲnaturalWoodland WB3 16.4 1.3(8%) Good 3 0.75 1.0 habitat types found on site, lowland A1.1.2 BroadͲleavedPlantationWoodland WB0 53.9 0 Moderate 2 0.33 0 wet grassland and lowland heath, are A1.3.2 BroadͲleavedMixedPlantation WB1 26.8 0 Moderate 2 0.33 0 discussed in more detail below. A2.1 Dense/ContinuousScrub WB2 4.0 1.0(25%) Good 2 0.5 0.5 Offset for Lowland Wet Grassland A2.2 ScatteredScrub UH0 1.7 0.3(18%) Good 2 0.5 0.15 B1.1 UnimprovedAcidGrassland GA1 0.1 0.1(100%) Poor 3 0.25 0.02 Approximately 1 ha (26%) of the total area B2.1 UnͲimprovedNeutralGrassland GN1 8.3 1.7(20%) Moderate 3 0.5 0.85 of MG4 grassland identified would be lost B2.2 SemiͲimprovedNeutralGrassland GNZ 1.0 0 Moderate 2 0.33 0 as a result of the development. To offset B4 ImprovedGrassland GI0 60.0 26.4(44%) Poor 1 0.08 2.1 for the loss of this habitat the following B5 Marsh/MarshyGrassland GNZ 0.9 0.8(89%) Poor 2 0.17 0.14 measures have been proposed: B6 PoorSemiͲimprovedGrassland GI0 85.2 12.6(15%) Poor 1 0.08 1.1 • the creation of new neutral wet C1.1 Bracken(Continuous) BR0 0.1 0.1(100%) Moderate 1 0.17 0.02 grassland habitats in the new stream C3.1 TallRuderal UH0 12.7 0 Moderate 1 0.17 0 corridor; D1.1 AcidicDryDwarfShrubHeath HE1 1.4 0.1(7%) Moderate 3 0.5 0.05 F1 Swamp EM1 0.2 0 Good 3 0.75 0 • restoration and enhancement of G1 StandingWater AS41 2.0 0.2(10%) Moderate 3 0.5 0.1 approximately 8 ha area of semi- I1.1.1 Acid/NeutralNaturalInlandCliff RE111 0.2 0.1(50%) Good 3 0.75 0.07 natural grasslands throughout the 2.Specifichabitattypesandotherbiodiversityfeaturesofconservationconcern study area; and NVCMG4Dampneutralgrassland n/a habitatsofhighconservationvalue GN1 3.8 1(26%) Good 3 0.75 0.75 • enhancement, through spreading n/a Continuoushedge LF11 12651 7517 Moderate 2 0.33 2480 green hay, of retained existing wet n/a Importanthedge(HedgeRegs1997) LF111 7678 4202 Good 3 0.75 3151 grassland fields within the estate (this n/a AncientsemiͲnaturalwoodland WB3 11.6 0 Good 3 0.75 0 has already commenced). n/a Plantationonancientwoodlandsites WB3 22.5 0 Poor 2 0.17 0 1 The developer also proposes to minimise Orlengthinmetresforhedgerows residual losses of lowland wet grassland lowland heathland, mature oak and birch 3 habitat such as ‘unimproved neutral by translocating damp neutral grassland woodland, and natural rock outcrops. grassland’ habitat). (NVC MG4 community) turves from existing habitats to an agreed donor site, Losses and gains were projected for all and by translocating soils of species- Quantifying major habitat types at the site (based rich grassland types, including a small Biodiversity Losses and on Phase 1 habitat classification (JNCC area of soil currently supporting a dry 2003), converted to standardised meadow (NVC MG5) community. This Gains Integrated Habitat System categories2). work would be undertaken several years Additionally, losses and gains were prior to agreed extraction to ensure some Post-project offset analysis was projected for specific habitats and success before loss. undertaken by SLR Consulting and The biodiversity features of conservation Biodiversity Consultancy to explore the importance, for example NVC MG4 Offset for Lowland Heath: Ratchett utility of a simple metric to quantify grassland, ancient woodland and Hill biodiversity losses and gains predicted in hedgerows. Losses and gains were the EIA. The analysis seeks to answer the measured using the Treweek . The like-for-not-like offset at Ratchett et al question of whether ‘no net loss’ would be (2010) metric of 3 Hill became available following a review Area x Condition x reached within 25 years, the timeframe (Table 1).
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