The Natural Environment Indicators of sustainable development in Bedfordshire - August 2007 A report prepared by Sue Raven of the Greensand Trust for Bedfordshire County Council Contents Introduction Summary A. River and canal water quality Indicator 1: Percentage of length of rivers and canals of good quality Indicator 2: Percentage of length of rivers and canals of high nutrient status Indicator 3: Distribution of otters B. Condition of important wildlife and geological sites Indicator 4: Area of Sites of Special Scientific Interest and % in favourable condition Indicator 5: Area of County Wildlife Sites, % monitored and % in favourable condition C. Condition of the wider countryside Indicator 6: Area of land under Stewardship agreements Indicator 7: Area of organic holdings Indicator 8: Area of woodland within Woodland Grant Scheme Indicator 9: Populations of wild birds Indicator 10: Status of Biodiversity Action Plan species D. Access to the countryside Indicator 11: Area of publicly accessible land managed for nature conservation per 1000 people Acknowledgements Appendices Appendix A1 Environment Agency General Quality Assurance Scheme Appendix A2 Environment Agency guidelines for the use of EA data Appendix B1 Condition data for Bedfordshire SSSIs Appendix B2 Condition data for Bedfordshire CWSs Appendix D Sites managed for nature conservation with public access in Bedfordshire Introduction In 2001 the Greensand Trust was commissioned to investigate and develop a set of indicators which would give a broad picture of the health of the natural environment of Bedfordshire. Baseline data for an initial set of indicators was produced in 2003. These indicators were updated in 2005 and 2006, and the current report forms the fourth update to this work. The indicators are considered in four main sections; the water quality of rivers and canals, the condition of the county’s most important wildlife and geological sites, the condition of the wider countryside and the accessibility of land of wildlife value to the county’s residents. Since the last report a new indicator has been added – the status of species included in the county’s Biodiversity Action Plan. Four of these indicators are reported in a similar manner on a national, and in some cases regional, scale by the UK government, either as sustainable development indicators or biodiversity indicators. The remaining seven are local to the county and are not reported on regionally or nationally, although in some cases data at these levels are available for comparison. Summary Biological and chemical water quality in Bedfordshire’s rivers and canals is generally good and is similar to or better than that seen regionally and nationally. Quality continues to improve slowly after marked improvements from 1990 – 2000. Nutrients levels are however considerably higher than that seen regionally and nationally, a result of geology, agricultural inputs and high population levels. There is a suggestion that these may now be starting to drop slightly. The return of otters to the county’s waterways since the mid-1990s continues, confirming the improved quality of our waterways. Approximately 1% of the county’s land area is felt to be of national importance for wildlife or geology and is designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The proportion of this in favourable condition (86%) is higher than that seen regionally and nationally, however, it has remained the same over the last year, after increasing steadily since 2001. A further 6% of the county area is felt to be of local importance for wildlife and is recognised as County Wildlife Sites. Only a quarter of this area has been monitored to date, with very little monitoring taking place over the last 12 months. Of the area monitored 59% is felt to be in favourable condition. Taking both SSSIs and CWSs together, the condition of bog, heathland and acid and neutral grassland habitats are of most concern. Progress has been made in establishing a network of locally important geological sites (RIGS) over the last 12 months; 17 sites have now been recognised in the county. Outside designated sites it is harder to gauge the condition of the wider countryside. Bedfordshire is a predominantly agricultural county and the uptake of agri-environment schemes designed to bring about environmental improvements continues to rise. Approximately 4% of the county’s agricultural land is now covered by the new Higher Level Schemes or existing Countryside Stewardship Schemes. The new Entry Level Schemes, which bring about smaller scale environmental benefits, now cover slightly over half of the county’s agricultural land. Organic farming methods have been shown to bring about environmental benefits but organic holdings make up a fraction of the county’s agricultural area. They have dropped in number and area since 2001 although they have been stable over the last 12 months. In terms of woodland condition, limited information is available on the uptake of the new England Woodland Grant Schemes which encourage beneficial woodland management. It does however suggest that woodland planting in the county is at a much lower level than in the mid 1990s. It is hoped that the beneficial management encouraged by these schemes will lead to environmental improvements – however direct measures of this are harder to come by. Bird populations are felt to be good indicators of the general health of the countryside. Regional wild bird indices are felt to be indicative of the situation in Bedfordshire and suggest that the well-publicised declines in farmland and woodland bird populations since the 1970s appear to have stabilised but have not yet started to recover significantly. The status of the county’s Biodiversity Action Plan species is a cause for concern; populations of slightly over half are felt to be declining or have potentially been lost from the county. Considering only the National Priority species, this proportion is higher, and greater than the comparable national figure. The availability of publicly accessible land that is being managed beneficially for nature conservation is steadily increasing in the county through land being purchased for access, access agreements being negotiated and permissive access being granted as part of agri-environment or woodland grant schemes. This has benefits in terms of peoples’ quality of life and raising their awareness of the importance of such areas. Indicator Who else Bedfordshire trends Regional/national uses? Short term Long term comparisons Percentage of rivers and UK Improving Improving Biological quality similar to canals of good water quality sustainable (both) (both) that seen regionally and In 2005, 73% of rivers and canals development nationally, chemical quality had good biological water quality, framework greater than that seen 71% had good chemical water indicator regionally and nationally. quality UK Improvements since 1990 biodiversity greater as was poorer indicator quality to start with. Overall improvements at all scales Percentage of rivers and No change Slight Higher levels of both canals of high nutrient status - (N) improvement nutrients than that seen In 2005, 80% of rivers and canals Improving (both) regionally or nationally had high nitrate levels, 90% had (P) high phosphate levels Distribution of otters - Improving Improving Similar recovery being seen By 2006, signs of otters were regionally and nationally being seen regularly on new stretches of river Area of SSSIs and % in PSA target of No change Improving Higher % in favourable favourable condition 95% by 2010 condition than that seen In 2006, 1411ha of land was UK regionally or nationally – designated as SSSI; 86% of this biodiversity however small % of county was in favourable condition indicator is SSSI land Area of CWSs, % monitored No trend No trend No equivalent data and % in favourable condition - data data In 2006, 7204ha of land (excluding SSSIs) was designated as CWS; 24% of this, by area, had been monitored, of which 59% was in favourable condition. 17 RIGS sites had been recognised Area of land under UK No trend Improving % county area covered by Stewardship agreements sustainable data Entry Level schemes a little In 2007, area of land under development higher than seen nationally Countryside Stewardship or indicator but % covered by Higher Higher Level Scheme was UK Level schemes (or estimated at 3481ha (2.8% of biodiversity equivalent) somewhat lower county area; 4.1% of farmed indicator land). Entry Level schemes estimated to cover about 44,234ha (36% of county area; 52% of farmed land) Area of organic holdings Slight Drop % of county’s agricultural In 2006, 596ha of land was - improvement land farmed organically is farmed organically, within 8 lower than that seen holdings; this comprised 0.71% regionally and nationally of the county’s agricultural land area. Area of woodland within No trend Drop No equivalent data Woodland Grant Scheme - data Only data available on new woodland planting was available. 34ha of new woodland was planted during 06/07 Populations of wild birds UK Slight drop Slight Regionally and nationally Populations of 60% of the 30 sustainable improvement populations of all native commonest species increased development species are slightly higher from 1994-2005 indicator* than in 1970. Farmland and UK woodland birds appear to biodiversity have stabilised after indicator* declining between 1970s and early 1990s. Wintering wetland birds indices have roughly doubled during this period. Status of BAP species UK No trend No trend Considering National In 2006, the status of 40% of sustainable data data Priority species alone, the BAP species was felt to be stable development proportion either increasing or increasing, that of 55% was indicator* or stable (30%) was felt to be declining or possibly UK considerably lower in lost from the county. There was biodiversity Bedfordshire than for the not enough information to assess indicator* UK as a whole the status of 5%. Area of publicly accessible - Improving Improving No equivalent data land managed for nature conservation per 1000 people In 2007, 7.39ha available per 1000 people; 2.47% of the county’s area.