What is a Biodiversity Action Plan?

Action plans for the UK

Species and Habitat Action Plans have been developed which set priorities for nationally and locally important wildlife. Each plan has costed actions and targets, which are reported on the targets every 3 - 5 years.

Species Action Plans (SAPs)

• UK BAP Priority Species- the original 1994 list of 577 species has been reviewed and extended to include 1149 species.
• Action Plans including information on the threats, reasons for decline and priority actions to safeguard the future of 403 species will be in place.
• The remaining species require either action limited to research and/or monitoring or require action linked directly to a priority habitat action plan.
• A report by the Biodiversity Reporting and Information Group (2007) gives details of newly defined ‘Action Categories’ and action signposting that will be used to deliver shared actions and implement an Ecosystem Approach to biodiversity conservation.

• Species selection criteria -

  'Species of Conservation Concern'

  Species which qualify for one or more of the following are species of conservation concern:

  • threatened endemic and other globally threatened species
  • species where the UK has more that 25% of the world or appropriate biogeographical population
  • species where numbers or range have declined by more than 25% in the last 25 years
  • in some instances where the species is found in fewer than 15 ten km squares in the UK
  • species listed in the EU Birds or Habitats Directives, the Bern, Bonn or CITES Conventions, or under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wildlife Order (Northern Ireland) 1985

  UK BAP Priority Species

  Species which qualify for one or more of the following are priority species:

  • species which are globally threatened
  • species which are rapidly declining in the UK, i.e. by more than 50% in the last 25 years

Habitat Action Plans (HAPs)

• Broad Habitat Statements - summary descriptions of 28 natural, semi-natural and urban habitats and the current issues affecting the habitat and broad policies to address them
• UK BAP Priority Habitat Action Plans - The UKBAP review has seen an increase from 49 to 65 Priority Habitats. Detailed descriptions for each habitat, which fall within the Broad Habitat classifications, have been published. SMART targets to inform the maintenance, favourable condition, restoration and expansion for the original 49 habitats have been produced. Targets for the habitats added in 2007 are awaited.

Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs)

• Each Local Biodiversity Action Plan works on the basis of partnership to identify local priorities and to determine the contribution they can make to the delivery of the national Species and Habitat Action Plan targets. Often, but not always, LBAPs conform to county boundaries.
• The Cheshire region Biodiversity Action Plan covers the administrative areas of Cheshire, Halton, Warrington and Wirral (for a map click here).
• It includes species action plans for 45 species with national plans and an additional 32 plans for locally significant species. Plus 16 habitat action plans covering UK Priority habitats and a further 5 plans for locally significant habitats. Species and habitats requiring very similar conservation action are dealt with as grouped plans. The Cheshire region currently has 21 habitat action plans and 52 species action plans. Since the UK BAP Review the number of priority species and habitats within the Cheshire region has risen. To see an updated list of the priority species and habitats within the region click here or on the species and habitat action plan pages.
  
• To see a case study of how our LBAP works for individual species and habitats, click here.
• SMART targets for each Action Plan have been developed, you can find them on the Biodiversity Action Reporting (BARS) website. An explanation of SMART targeting can be downloaded here.