LU Biodiversity Action Plan 2010 Connecting Nature mayor of london Transport for London Contents 1. Executive Summary 3 4. LU BAP Achievements 24 4.1 Surveys and data 24 2. Introduction 4 4.2 Living roofs 25 2.1 What is biodiversity? 4 4.3 Managing the biodiversity value of our property 25 2.2 Summary of policy drivers and legislation 4 4.4 Raising awareness 26 2.3 Biodiversity in 2010 and Landscape scale conservation 5 5. LU BAP Actions 28 3. LU and Biodiversity 7 5.1 Outline 28 3.1 Wildlife and habitat overview of LU’s property 7 5.2 Protected species 28 3.2 Biodiversity highlights 12 5.3 Habitat conservation and enhancement 29 Central line 13 5.4 Invasive species management 30 District line 14 5.5 Ecology surveys and data collection strategy 31 Jubilee line 15 5.6 Awareness 32 Metropolitan line 16 Piccadilly line 17 Appendix 1: Reference and useful material 33 Northern line 18 Appendix 2: Glossary 34 Bakerloo line 19 Hammersmith and City line 19 Victoria line 19 3.3 Biodiversity value of the LU network 20 3.4 Vegetation Management 21 3.5 Access to greenspaces 22 Royal parks, nature reserves and green areas in London 23 With around 3.5 million journeys made each habitat management methods. It is hoped that weekday, and more than one billion journeys LU’s work will contribute to local and national every year, London Underground (LU), part efforts to halt and reverse the continuing decline of Transport for London, is an essential part of biodiversity. of any visit to London, and the daily lives of those who live and work in and around The shift, led by organisations such as the capital. Natural England and its partners, looks to move conservation practices in the UK from Not s only i the majority of the Underground protecting small-scattered pockets, to managing above ground, it also makes up around 10% much larger swathes of land. This way of land of wildlife habitat in the capital, making LU management naturally supports national and land holdings essential habitats for the wide regional targets for protection of endangered range of plants and animals in London, many species and habitats, as well as helping to of which are legally protected. Because of this, ensure that services provided by the natural the railway lineside environment is increasingly environment, such as flood protection, water recognised for its contribution to London’s conservation, carbon dioxide storage, recreation green space and as a biodiversity asset facilities, and quality of life, are also preserved for London. for us and generations to come. As a responsible company, biodiversity LU’s BAP, combined with a variety of other protection is an integral part of LU’s tools, will continue to ensure compliance infrastructure management responsibilities, with legislation, the objectives of ‘Connecting which includes upgrading, replacing and London with Nature’ (the Mayor’s Biodiversity maintaining stations, signals, tracks, Strategy), the aims of the Mayor of London’s embankments, tunnels and bridges to Urban Greening programme, and our biodiversity name but a few. objectives to: • conserve, and where reasonably practical to In its first Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) enhance, the biodiversity value of LU property published in 2007, LU set out its initial • increase awareness amongst staff and the commitments to meet the challenge of retaining travelling public of biodiversity in London 1. Executive Summary 1. Executive 1. Executive Summary Executive 1. a healthy wildlife-rich network whilst running a safe and efficient railway. In meeting these objectives, LU ultimately contributes to the conservation of locally, To coincide with the United Nations Internation regionally and nationally important species and Year of Biodiversity in 2010, the LU BAP is being habitats along its network, as well as making the updated to reflect the current shift in ecology and natural environment accessible for Londoners. 3 2.1 What is biodiversity? their own BAPs to identify local priorities and determine the contribution they can make to the Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is a term delivery of the UK BAP. A London Biodiversity used to describe the variety of living things Action Plan has been produced by the London on the earth, from mammals to insects, trees Biodiversity Partnership. to wildflowers and the habitats in which they live. It includes the diversity of species, genetic At a regional level, the Mayor of London’s variability within a species, and their interactions Statutory Biodiversity Strategy aims to enhance with the environment. habitats in Greater London, implement policies for protecting and enhancing biodiversity and The Earth’s biodiversity is important to humans increasing Londoners’ understanding and because it helps regulate and stabilise ecosystem appreciation of the city’s natural environment. processes that provide us with a wide range of The Mayor's Statutory Transport Strategy also benefits, or services, such as food, materials for seeks to conserve biodiversity through relevant construction, medicines, improving quality of programmes. Additionally, the Mayor’s ‘Draft life and wellbeing, as well as protection against Replacement London Plan’, which sets out an adverse weather. integrated economic, environmental, transport and social framework for the development of Our activities can significantly affect local the capital over the next 20–25 years, includes and global biodiversity. Changes in land use Policy 7.19: Biodiversity and access to nature, and development can affect habitats and the which adopts the London BAP targets for habitat 2. Introduction species that depend on that habitat. Conserving restoration and creation. biodiversity means protecting species and the habitats in which they exist as well as recovering The Mayor published ‘Leading to a Greener degraded habitat that we, and future generations, London’ in July 2009. His vision for the depend on. environment includes a ‘Making London Greener’ programme which, amongst other things, 2.2 Summary of policy drivers commits to implementing an All London Green and legislation Grid and promoting green roofs and walls. These are supported by Draft Replacement London Plan 1. Executive Summary 1. Executive In 1992, the UK signed the ‘Rio Convention’ Policy: 2.18 green Infrastructure, and Policy 5.10: at the United Nations Earth Summit, and Urban Greening respectively. committed to halting biodiversity decline through the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP). Transport for London has its own Environment Local government authorities and many public Strategy with an objective to maintain and where and private organisations have since produced possible enhance the quality of London’s natural 4 environment. This naturally reflects all the the Lawton review ‘Making Space for Nature’ To rebuild biodiversity on a landscape scale, Mayor’s strategic aims. was published. The review, comprised of a areas with greatest potential must first be national ecosystem assessment examining the identified. In December 2009, Natural England Supporting the aims of the Mayor’s strategies, services our habitats and species provide to published a document (‘Securing Biodiversity: the London BAP and TfL’s environment strategy society and the economy, called for integrated the delivery framework for habitats and species naturally assists LU to meet its legal duty under biodiversity delivery at a landscape-scale and the in England’) that presented the concept of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities establishment of Ecological Restoration Zones Integrated Biodiversity Delivery Areas (IBDA), Act 2006 “to have regard to conserving (ERZ). The current Government has promised similar to the ERZs recommended in ‘Making biodiversity in exercising their functions”. to “introduce measures to protect wildlife and Space for Nature’. promote green spaces and wildlife corridors 2.3 Biodiversity in 2010 and in order to halt the loss of habitats”. Defra is These large areas of land have been identified Landscape scale conservation set to incorporate the recommendations of as a priority for biodiversity enhancement due these reviews into the forthcoming Natural to their existing biodiversity interest and where The United Nations declared 2010 as the Environment White Paper which is due in significant BAP delivery occurs. In London, International Year of Biodiversity. The aim of Spring 2011. Natural England has identified the Thames the dedicated year was to return biodiversity and Tributary area as suitable for landscape- and its continuing decline back in the global However, despite the implementation of BAPs scale conservation. The UK’s Wildlife Trusts spotlight since its profile was first raised at the and other conservation measures, and although are also seeking to deliver large scale schemes Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992. The new the overall rate of loss has slowed, biodiversity called ‘Living Landscapes’, whilst the RSPB Nagoya Summit held in late 2010 agreed goals is still in decline in the UK and globally due to call their priority biodiversity conservation and targets that look to “at least halve and where such pressures as intensive farming, water and areas ‘Futurescapes’. An important national feasible” bring close to zero the rate of loss of air pollution, water abstraction, and humanity’s RSPB Futurescape is the Thames Estuary, natural habitats; as well as to increase the area of ever growing need for more space. Future climate starting at Tower Bridge and extending out terrestrial and marine wildlife reserves globally. change is likely to accelerate these losses too. to sea. LU’s land holdings and involvement with the Thames and Tributary areas have the In the UK, the first UK Biodiversity Action Plan A change to the approach taken to manage potential to play an important role in supporting was published in 1994. The most recent UK BAP nature conservation is needed so that the UK the delivery of projects like the Thames report was released in 2008 and work continues can halt the decline in biodiversity on its land Futurescape; by providing corridors for wildlife, to establish the success of national efforts.