Assessment objectives

The UK biodiversity indicators were comprehensively reviewed during 2011 and 2012 to ensure they continue to be based on the most robust and reliable available data; and remain relevant to the new international goals and targets. The UK Biodiversity Indicators in Your Pocket 2012 (BIYP 2012) sets out the current set of indicators, which now totals 24 (expanded from 18).

Mandate for the assessment

The UK is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and is committed to the new biodiversity goals and targets ‘the Aichi targets’ agreed in 2010 and set out in the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011 - 2020. The UK is also committed to developing and using a set of indicators to report on progress towards meeting these international goals and targets. There are related commitments on biodiversity made by the European Union, and the UK indicators may also be used to assess progress with these.

Conceptual framework and/or methodology used for the assessment

Other (please specify)

Each indicator is composed of one or more measures which will show trends over time.

URL or copy of conceptual framework developed or adapted

The methodology is described on http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-4230 and in the UK Biodiversity Indicators in Your Pocket 2012 publication which can be downloaded from: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/BIYP_2012.pdf

System(s) assessed

• Marine
• Coastal
• Inland water
• Forest and woodland
• Cultivated/Agricultural land
• Grassland

Species groups assessed

Birds, insects, mammals, plants, freshwater, marine, terrestrial, invasive

Provisioning

• Food
• Genetic resources

Regulating

• Air quality
• Regulation of water quality

Supporting Services/Functions

• Habitat maintenance

Cultural Services

• Recreation and tourism

Drivers of change in systems and services

Yes

Impacts of change in services on human well-being

No

Options for responding/interventions to the trends observed

No

Explicit consideration of the role of biodiversity in the systems and services covered by the assessment

Yes

Year assessment started

2007

Year assessment finished

Ongoing

If ongoing, year assessment is anticipated to finish

Periodicity of assessment

Repeated

If repeated, how frequently

Repeated annually

Website(s)

http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-4229

Report(s)

UK Biodiversity Indicators in Your Pocket 2012
BIYP_2012.pdf

Communication materials (e.g. brochure, presentations, posters, audio-visual media)

The 5th Biodiversity Indicators Forum’s agenda, presentations and draft meeting report are available on the website (http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5783)

Journal publications

The website includes links to reports and journal articles which underpin the methods for individual indicators

Training materials

Other documents/outputs

Tools and approaches used in the assessment

• Indicators
• Economic valuation
• Establishing common standards, methods and protocols

Process used for stakeholder engagement in the assessment process and which component

The UK biodiversity indicators have been developed in a co-operative fashion, with input from government, statutory agencies, non-governmental organisations, and academic institutes. A series of biodiversity indicator forum meetings have been held to debate issues and capture ideas from a variety of stakeholders.

Key stakeholder groups engaged

Government, statutory agencies, non-governmental organisations, academic institutes

The number of people directly involved in the assessment process

10-100

Incorporation of scientific and other types of knowledge

• Scientific information only
• Citizen science

Supporting documentation for specific approaches, methodology or criteria developed and/or used to integrate knowledge systems into the assessment

Information on statistical approach used in individual indicators fiches. See also http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-4230 ; http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/files/Statistical-release-UK-Biodiversity-Indicators-FINAL.pdf; http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5781

Assessment reports peer reviewed

Yes

Accessibility of data used in assessment

http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/files/Statistical-release-UK-Biodiversity-Indicators-FINAL.pdf. Data in each indicator is downloadable from the webpages for each indicator.

Impacts the assessment has had on policy and/or decision making, as evidenced through policy references and actions

The UK biodiversity indicators will form a major part of the UK’s 5th National Report to the CBD in 2014 but will be supplemented with other information relating to UK biodiversity and implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020. The indicators may be subject to further review, particularly as the reporting requirements of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive are clarified.

Independent or other review on policy impact of the assessment

No

Lessons learnt for future assessments from these reviews

Project team keep indicators under review on year to year basis

Capacity building needs identified during the assessment

Actions taken by the assessment to build capacity

Network and sharing experiences, Sharing of data/repatriation of data, Workshops, Communication and awareness raising

How have gaps in capacity been communicated to the different stakeholders

Discussion through Indicators Steering Group

Gaps in knowledge identified from the assessment

A gap analysis was conducted during the 5th Biodiversity Indicators Forum, http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5781

How gaps in knowledge have been communicated to the different stakeholders

• 5th Biodiversity Indicators Forum • The UK Biodiversity Indicators in Your Pocket 2012 publication