Introduction and the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies
The purpose of Site Condition Monitoring is to determine the condition of the natural features within each site.
This is to work out whether a natural feature is likely to maintain itself in the medium to longer-term under the current conditions. These include the management regime in place and wider environmental or other influences.
Monitoring guidance for protected sites has been produced by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee helps to ensure consistency in how features are assessed across the UK. The responsibility for condition monitoring of protected sites is a dissolved power within the UK. The relevant authorities are Natural England (England), NatureScot (Scotland), Natural Resources Wales (Wales) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – DAERA (N.Ireland).
Types of Protected Sites
There are various protected sites in the UK, with different underpinning legal protection. The most fundamental is the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) series, commonly seen as the backbone of protected site legislation.
On top of the SSSI series there are also:
- Species Areas of Conservation (SACs)
- Special Protected Areas (SPAs)
- Ramsar Sites
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
How many SSSIs are there?
The UK has thousands of these important sites.
- England has over 4,100 sites covering more than 4,200 square miles. Over half of this area is internationally important for wildlife.
- Scotland has far fewer SSSIs – just over 1,400 – but the area they cover isn’t far behind England. More than 3,900 square miles of SSSIs is over 12% of the country’s land area.
- Wales has about 1,000 SSSIs, covering some 12% of the nation’s land area.
- Northern Ireland has around 400 ASSIs which account for more than 8% of the landscape.
Wild Ecology's Role In Protected Site Monitoring
The responsibility for condition monitoring of protected sites is maintained by the various Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies. However, these SNCBs can contract out work to assist in gathering and processing the data from which condition assessments are made.
Wild Ecology has consultants experienced in undertaking condition assessments, for a range of designated species and habitats. We have knowledge and experience of Common Standards Monitoring Guidance from JNCC and appreciate the intricacies and variation in different sites – captured within the Favourable Condition Tables for Natural England.
Please get in touch to learn more about how Wild Ecology can deliver condition monitoring.