Sara King, the Ecosulis Biodiversity Assessment Specialist, recently attended the Scotland Big Picture Rewilding Conference. She was inspired by what she heard and saw.
The phrase "thinking like a mountain" was coined by American writer and philosopher Aldo Leopold - it encourages us to take a holistic view of entire ecosystems and their interconnectedness.
There are now calls to plant a trillion trees to combat climate change. We shouldn't forget that such reforestation could (and should) enhance biodiversity as well.
Complemented by emissions cuts, reforestation has been touted as a potential solution (or partial solution) to climate change, thanks to its ability to sequester carbon. But it is important to ensure that the forests which are planted not only store carbon, but benefit biodiversity too.
Monitoring is usually undertaken as part of a project, however all too often it is not designed to provide information relevant to the questions being asked. If we can’t measure the impact that we are having on biodiversity, then how can we make informed decisions on how to improve it? Even if that project is a rewilding one, therefore open ended, it is still important to know what is happening to biodiversity as a result of our actions (or inaction).
Climate change will have a range of significant impacts on people, as well as our planet. It will also change our biodiversity and natural processes globally. Changes in climate and weather, and rising temperatures will change our ecosystems and species beyond recognition. In many cases, wildlife will need to commute north or to habitats higher in elevation to survive this change, and we will see more exotic species reaching our shores to adapt to the change in conditions and habitat types.
Nature in the United Kingdom is in decline. Populations of priority species have decreased by more than 60% since the 1970s, and there is no evidence of a reversal in this trend. UK landscapes are under more pressure than ever to deliver housing, infrastructure and food. Several species, including once common animals such as the European hedgehog, are in danger of disappearing forever. We need to ensure that policy and conservation methods protect the best of the biodiversity that we have left within the UK.
Defra are looking to release an upgraded biodiversity impact calculator - the Defra Biodiversity Metric - to assist with the quantitative assessment of net gain and no net loss. Yet its failure to assess biodiversity means Ecosulis remains one step ahead. Sara King, Our Biodiversity Assessment Specialist, provides a summary in this article.
Scotland is one of the wildest places in the UK, with mountains, lochs and woodland extending out for miles. It is where the first beaver reintroduction trial sites were established in the UK; where pine martens roam and osprey soar through the skies. Experiencing these areas allows you to believe that Lynx, elk and wolves could be reintroduced to these areas more successfully than in southern England, for example.
The British Standard for Biodiversity BS42020 was published in 2013 and the Ecosulis quality system meets the requirements of the standard; however, it is only just starting to filter into planning applications and is becoming increasing recognised as a standard to adhere to. The standard was written for Ecological Consultants, Local Planning Authority ecologists, and anyone else in the ecology profession, to provide a national standard of working. The standard has been written to be used throughout the UK, independent of legislation and policy.
Ecosulis are now offering a Pioneering Pre-Acquisition Rapid Risk Assessment to allow an initial ecological site assessment to be made at the pre-acquisition stage. Ecology can have timing constraints and constraints to layouts, especially where notable habitats or protected species are present. There are too many projects where ecological consultants are brought in at a late stage when the layout has been fixed, and as a result it can be difficult and expensive to change the layout to accommodate ecological mitigation.