DOCSLIB.ORG

Ecological Impact Assessment in the Context of EIA

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

RADAR Research Archive and Digital Asset Repository An evaluation of ecological impact assessment in England Katherine Drayson (2012) https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/items/0d813ad8-3f82-48f2-a25d-f04f78444cca/1/ Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this work, the full bibliographic details must be given as follows: Drayson, K (2012) An evaluation of ecological impact assessment in England PhD, Oxford Brookes University Removed pp. 258-end: published papers WWW.BROOKES.AC.UK/GO/RADAR AN EVALUATION OF ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN ENGLAND Katherine Drayson A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the award of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Oxford Brookes University DECEMBER 2012 ABSTRACT Ecological impact assessment (EcIA) has historically been poorly performed, resulting in poor quality EcIA chapters. No research has been conducted to identify whether poor quality EcIA chapters result in poor quality mitigation and therefore potential net loss of biodiversity. A review of 112 EcIA chapters was conducted to determine whether there have been improvements since the last review in 2000 and which factors are linked with EcIA chapter quality, such as the introduction of professional guidance in 2006. The link between EcIA chapter quality and mitigation on completed development sites was also examined. Both mitigation implementation (whether the mitigation was put in place) and implementation effectiveness (how well mitigation was implemented) were investigated on seven case study sites. Implementation effectiveness was limited to a subset of habitat mitigation measures; grassland and marginal habitat creation and management. The EcIA chapter review identified significant improvements since the last review. However, considerable scope for improvement remains due to the low baseline established by the earlier reviews. The introduction of professional guidance has significantly improved EcIA chapter quality. Calculation of an EcIA chapter quality index identified that, on average, EcIA chapters only include half of the EIA legislation’s information requirements. Investigation of the case study sites identified high rates of mitigation implementation (84.1% of auditable measures were at least partially implemented). However, implementation effectiveness was found to be poor (only three out of ten measures achieved the goals stated in their EcIA chapters or Ecological Management Plans). EcIA chapter quality was found to be significantly linked to mitigation implementation but not to implementation effectiveness. This investigation has identified aspects of the professional guidance that require amendment to help improve EcIA chapter content. Recommendations have also been made for practitioners when recommending ecological mitigation measures. In addition, the requirement for further research into mitigation success has been highlighted. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Whether ecological problems are harder than those of other sciences or not, someone must address them” (Peters, 1991, p. 11). This research was made possible by funding from a Nigel Groome Research Studentship. Grateful thanks go to my supervisors Stewart Thompson and Graham Wood, who provided invaluable guidance during the writing of this thesis. Stewart, in particular, has been a rock and a good friend over the past three years, providing unwavering support, random snippets of 1970s history (how had I never heard of the cod wars?), and of course the Thompson’s Tours trip to Kenya. Thanks also go to all of the local planning authorities, developers and consultants who kindly allowed me access to sites, data and their photocopiers, and gave me their time and help. I would also like to thank particular members of staff at Oxford Brookes: Peter Grebenik for his early help with, and infectious enthusiasm for, Excel; Andrew Lack for his near‐miraculous identification of some shrivelled botanical samples; and Reza Oskrochi and Casper Breuker for their help with statistics. The S109/S107 crew provided their unconditional support, laughter and sage (mostly!) wisdom, which I’ll always remember and treasure. Nicola, Mary, Irene, Rien, Ruth and Laura, you’re the absolute best. May your custard creams and coffee never run low. Finally, thanks to my family and Martin for not letting their eyes glaze over whenever I waxed lyrical about great crested newts or planning policy – greater love hath no man than this… ABBREVIATIONS ANOVA Analysis of Variance BAI Biodiversity Assessment Index CPA Competent Planning Authority AONB Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty BANC British Association for Nature Conservationists BAP Biodiversity Action Plan BES British Ecological Society CWS County Wildlife Site df Degrees of freedom Defra Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs DMRB Design Manual for Roads and Bridges EA Environment Agency EcIA Ecological Impact Assessment EcMP Ecological Management Plan EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EIA Directive Council Directive on the Assessment of the Effects of Certain Public and Private Projects on the Environment (85/337/EEC), as amended EIA Regulations Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations (1999), as amended EMP Environmental Management Plan EMS Environmental Management System EPS European Protected Species ES Environmental Statement EU European Union GIS Geographic Information System GPS Global Positioning System IEEM Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management IEMA Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment IoB Institute of Biology ha Hectare Habitats Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations (1994), as Regulations amended JNCC Joint Nature Conservation Committee LNR Local Nature Reserve LWT Local Wildlife Trust NE Natural England NGO Non‐governmental Organisation NNR National Nature Reserve NPPF National Planning Policy Framework NTS Non‐Technical Summary PPS 9 Planning Policy Statement 9 RGS Royal Geographical Society RSPB Royal Society for the Protection of Birds S106 agreement Section 106 agreement SAC Special Area of Conservation SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SINC Site of Importance for Nature Conservation SPA Special Protection Area SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest TPO Tree Preservation Order UK United Kingdom ZoI Zone of Influence CONTENTS PART 1 : ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ........................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1: Ecological Impact Assessment in the Context of EIA ........................ 2 1.1 Environmental Impact Assessment ............................................................. 2 1.2 EIA Audit .................................................................................................... 11 1.3 Biodiversity Loss and the Role of Ecology in EIA ....................................... 12 1.4 Research Focus .......................................................................................... 14 1.5 Aims and Objectives .................................................................................. 15 CHAPTER 2: Literature Review ............................................................................ 18 2.1 Effectiveness of EIA ................................................................................... 18 2.2 Procedural Effectiveness: Document Audit .............................................. 18 2.3 Procedural Effectiveness: Implementation Audit / Follow‐Up ................. 30 2.4 Substantive Effectiveness ......................................................................... 43 2.5 Theoretical Background of EIA .................................................................. 45 2.6 Need for Research ..................................................................................... 47 2.7 Changes in Legislation and Policy since 2011 ........................................... 53 CHAPTER 3: Research Strategy and Methodology .............................................. 59 3.1 Approaches to EIA Research ..................................................................... 59 3.2 Summary of Aims and Objectives ............................................................. 64 PART 2: ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REVIEW ............................................. 68 CHAPTER 4: Overview ......................................................................................... 69 4.1 Aims and Objectives .................................................................................. 69 4.2 Method ..................................................................................................... 69 CHAPTER 5: Thematic EcIA Chapter Review ....................................................... 72 5.1 Aims and Objectives .................................................................................. 72 5.2 Method ..................................................................................................... 72 5.3 Results and Discussion .............................................................................. 75 5.4 Auto‐Critique ..........................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Determination in an Androdioecious Population of Mercurialls Annua

    Determination in an Androdioecious Population of Mercurialls Annua

    Heredity 78 (1997) 50—56 Received 19 January 1996 Mixed genetic and environmental sex determination in an androdioecious population of Mercurialls annua JOHN PANNELL* Department of P/ant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3R8, U.K. Mercurialisannua is a ruderal of pan-European distribution. In southern Spain, southern Portugal and northern Morocco, males coexist with monoecious (cosex) individuals at frequen- cies which vary between zero and about 30 per cent. Here, I report the results of two glasshouse experiments which aimed to characterize the mode of sex determination in one such androdioecious population. In a breeding experiment, cosexes isolated from males produced only cosexual progeny, whereas those allowed to mate with males produced both cosexual and male offspring. The results are consistent with a single-locus model of sex inheritance, with maleness determined by a dominant allele. In a density experiment, the frequency of males correlated positively with density, confirming field observations. Differential mortality or germination between the sexes was excluded by experimental design, so that the result supports the hypothesis of density-dependent gender choice. A negative correlation between density and the proportion of 'late cosexes' (males which turned cosexual late in their development), and the lack of any differences in the proportion of pure (unchanged) cosexes between density, suggest that only males were capable of sex change. This interpretation is consistent with the results of the breeding experiment, in which late cosexes occurred only in the offspring of cosexes allowed to mate with males. I argue that these findings help to explain the maintenance of androdioecy in M annua.
  • An Exploration of the Three Major Schools of Taxonomy Using Science Fiction Examples

    An Exploration of the Three Major Schools of Taxonomy Using Science Fiction Examples

    AN EXPLORATION OF THE THREE MAJOR SCHOOLS OF TAXONOMY USING SCIENCE FICTION EXAMPLES A thesis submitted to Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Masters of Arts By Jessica Gentry Read December, 2009 Thesis written by Jessica Gentry Read B.A., Washington and Jefferson College, 1998 M.A., Kent State University, 2009 Approved by ________Deborah Barnbaum___________, Advisor ________David W. Odell-Scott_________, Chair, Department of Philosophy _______Timothy Moerland____________, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………..iv Introduction………………………………………………………………………...1 Chapter 1. Definitions and Explanations of Terms………………………………...4 Definition of Taxonomy and Related Terms………………………4 Virtues of a School of Taxonomy………………………………...10 Definition of Species……………………………………………...17 Definition of Character……………………………………………30 Definition of Grouping and Ranking……………………………...37 2. Evolutionary Taxonomy……………………………………………….39 Goals and Tenets of Evolutionary Taxonomy…………………….40 3. Cladism………………………………………………………………...54 Goals and Tenets of Cladism……………………………………...54 Advantages and Disadvantages of Cladism……………………….71 4. Pheneticism…………………………………………………………….73 Goals and Tenets of Pheneticism………………………………….74 Pheneticism and Aristotle………………………………………….81 Advantages and Disadvantages of Pheneticism…………………....84 5. Testing the Schools of Taxonomy Using Science Fiction……………....90 Science Fiction and its Purpose…………………………………….92 Eugenically Developed Humans…………………………………..100

  • Sara Lil Middleton

    Sara Lil Middleton Address: St Cross College, 61 St Giles', Oxford OX1 3LZ Email: [email protected] Twitter: @sara_lil_plants Orcid: 0000-0001-5307-8029 EDUCATION DPhil in Environmental Research, St Cross College, University of Oxford (2018-present) A four-year DPhil programme funded by the NERC-Oxford DTP in Environmental Research. MRes Ecosystems & Environmental Change (Distinction 78%), Imperial College London (2016-2017) MRes course with ten weeks of modules, including Ecology and Global Change, Science and Policy, Biodiversity and Geographical Information Systems, followed by a nine-month research project and science communication/policy written coursework based on the research project. Bsc Environmental Sciences (First Class Honours 78%), Oxford Brookes University (2012-2015) I undertook a wide range of modules, including: Advanced Topics in Wildlife Conservation, Plant Science, Threatened Species, Environmental Processes, Pollution and Climate Change, Environmental Change: Fieldwork and Research. Lab work: Sediment analysis (particle size analysis, magnetic susceptibility, pH/conductivity) chemical titrations; flower and pollen analyses (SEM and optical microscope). Fieldwork: Plant and insect identification, Phase 1 and 2 surveying, quadrat sampling, freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates in Oxfordshire; Devon; Cevennes National Park, France. RESEARCH EXPERIENCE DPhil Project (January 2019 – present) Supervised by Dr Rob Salguero-Gómez and Prof Andy Hector “Using functional traits and demography to address global change challenges of climate change, tropical deforestation and invasive alien species”. Methods: climate manipulation, plant identification, systematic mapping and multivariate analysis. Analysis: R, Python, Image J Plant Diversity in Banana Production Systems (February – March 2018) Measuring herbaceous plant species diversity in different banana production systems in Costa Rica.
  • Predictive Limnology

    Predictive Limnology

    Allen Press x DTPro Book Reviews Ecology, 78(1), 1997, pp. 323±324 q 1997 by the Ecological Society of America TROPICAL DRY FORESTS The global perspective is provided by Gentry. On the basis Bullock, Stephen H., Harold A. Mooney, and Ernesto Medina. of 28 sample plots established throughout the world, Gentry 1995. Seasonally dry tropical forests. Cambridge University Press, New York. xvii 1 450 p. ISBN: 0-521-43514-5. concluded that although dry forests are less diverse than wet forests, diversity in dry forests, beyond a certain threshold of precipitation, does not increase with an increase in annual Tropical dry forest, characterized by Dan Janzen as the rainfall. Gentry also noted that although tropical dry forests ``most endangered tropical ecosystem,'' once covered vast share many genera and families with wet forests, species over- tracts of the earth, but now occupies only a very small fraction lap is minimal. Furthermore, various dry forests differ in their of its original area. The species richness of dry forests is not species composition as well as in levels of endemism. He as high as that of humid forests, but these forests are an also pointed out that centers of endemism are not equatorial important reservoir of biodiversity, and a signi®cant source but near the tropics. Thus, efforts to conserve dry forests of goods and services to human societies. The relatively sim- cannot be restricted to a single geographical region. ple structure of dry forests makes them more suitable to un- A number of chapters cover ecosystem processes such as ravel ecological patterns and processes than their wet coun- primary production (MartõÂnez-YrõÂzar, nutrient cycling (Jar- terparts, and indeed, some of the most signi®cant insights amillo and Sanford), nitrogen trace gas emissions (Matson into ecosystem structure and function in the tropics have had and Vitousek), soils (Cuevas) and drought responses (Hol- their basis in research conducted in dry rather than in wet brook, Whitbeck, and Mooney).
  • Tue 13/02/2007 To: Vice-Chancellor/Principal Subject: University Privatisation - an Open Letter from UCU Members to Vice- Chancellors and Principals

    Tue 13/02/2007 To: Vice-Chancellor/Principal Subject: University Privatisation - an Open Letter from UCU Members to Vice- Chancellors and Principals

    -----Original Message----- From: Sally Hunt, UCU joint general secretary Sent: Tue 13/02/2007 To: Vice-chancellor/Principal Subject: University privatisation - an open letter from UCU members to vice- chancellors and principals Dear vice-chancellor/principal, I am writing to provide you with a copy of an open letter to all vice-chancellors and principals from UCU members setting out UCU's opposition to increasing levels of private sector involvement in the provision of academic and other key university functions. We are concerned that, in common with experience across the rest of the public sector, the increasing involvement of private sector providers threatens both the quality of services and the pay and terms and conditions of staff. As you know, I have raised our concerns with UUK and with UCEA through the JNCHES machinery, where our position was supported by all the unions representing university staff. You should be in no doubt that the academic community is overwhelmingly opposed to further privatisation. In just over a week nearly 4,500 staff have signed the open letter and more are signing every day. I will be sending you a paper copy of both the open letter and the signatures so far this week and I would be grateful for a reply confirming that your university will not seek to privatise or contract out any aspect of the running of any academic department or key support function Yours Sally Hunt Joint general secretary, UCU An open letter to vice-chancellors and principals from UCU members We are writing to you to let you know of UCU's opposition to increasing levels of private sector involvement in the provision of academic and other key university functions.
  • Jill Bailey the Facts on File Dictionary of Botany

    Jill Bailey the Facts on File Dictionary of Botany

    The Facts On File DICTIONARY of BOTANY The Facts On File DICTIONARY of BOTANY Edited by Jill Bailey The Facts On File Dictionary of Botany Copyright © 2003 by Market House Books Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Checkmark Books An imprint of Facts On File, Inc. 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Facts on File dictionary of botany / edited by Jill Bailey. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ). ISBN 0-8160-4910-6 (hc)—ISBN 0-8160-4911-4 (pbk.) 1. Botany—Dictionaries. I. Title: Dictionary of botany. II. Bailey, Jill. III. Facts on File, Inc. QK9.F33 2002 580'.3—dc2l 2002035202 Checkmark Books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com Compiled and typeset by Market House Books Ltd, Aylesbury, UK Printed in the United States of America MP 10987654321 This book is printed on acid-free paper PREFACE This dictionary is one of a series covering the terminology and concepts used in important branches of science. The Facts On File Dictionary of Botany is planned as an additional source of information for students taking Ad- vanced Placement (AP) Science courses in high schools, but will also be help- ful to older students taking introductory college courses.
  • Faculty and Research Update

    Faculty and Research Update

    FACULTY AND RESEARCH UPDATE Faculty of Health & Life Sciences March 2018 Contents FACULTY AND RESEARCH UPDATE Faculty of Health & Life Sciences March 2018 3 12 15 19 2018 HLS Postgraduate Research Symposium 3 4 10 Years of Science Bazaar at Oxford Brookes 4 Curiosity Carnival 6 Welcome to the March 2018 edition OxINMAHR 7 of our HLS Faculty and Research Sugar Awareness Week 8 Update! It has been an incredibly rewarding issue to The Infant Feeding Network 9 work on, especially thanks to all who have Midwifery Conference 10 submitted articles on our core themes of innovation, industry, and interdisciplinary Tim Shreeve’s Professorial Lecture 10 collaboration – the response has in fact The Engage 2017 Conference 11 been so enthusiastic that this edition has grown to almost double the size of our Antibiotics Unearthed 12 usual Newsletters! It is full of illustrative, Introducing the Faculty Innovation Team 13 informative, and also inspirational articles, a fascinating panoply of the diverse research Knowledge Transfer Partnerships: An Introduction 14 projects, PPI events, knowledge transfer iCASE PhD Studentships 15 and public engagement events, industry collaborations, international networks, and Bio to Business 16 efforts to enhance the student experience Brookes Psychologists Working with Commercial that are so characteristic of HLS! Test Publishers 18 Our focus here, and of course in the years PhDs Awarded in HLS 18 to come, is on ideas and projects that reach out beyond the confines of individual The New Clinical Skills and Simulation Suites disciplines to explore new conceptual at Marston Road 19 approaches and commercial opportunities. We need to make the most of routes to Celebrating Our New Research Facilities bridge academic specialisms and foster in the Sinclair Annex 20 enterprise projects grounded in the wider Working Towards Athena Swan ‘Silver’ 21 economy and health industry landscape.
  • OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY RESOLUTION of PARAPHYLY in CAESALPINIOID LEGUMES RUTH P. CLARK a Thesis in Partial Fulfilment of the R

    OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY RESOLUTION of PARAPHYLY in CAESALPINIOID LEGUMES RUTH P. CLARK a Thesis in Partial Fulfilment of the R

    OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY RESOLUTION OF PARAPHYLY IN CAESALPINIOID LEGUMES RUTH P. CLARK A thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Oxford Brookes University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy on the basis of published work Submitted December 2017 Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................ 3 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 6 WORD COUNT .................................................................................................................................. 8 1.1 BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................... 9 1.2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 9 1.3 A history of systems of biological classification ............................................................... 11 1.4 Concepts and methods in taxonomy .................................................................................. 15 1.5 Taxonomy of the Caesalpinioideae (sensu traditional) ...................................................... 26 1.6 Taxonomy of the Cercidoideae ......................................................................................... 27 1.6.1 Taxonomy of Bauhinia sensu lato .............................................................................. 29 1.6.2 Segregates