UK Biodiversity Action Plan - Introduction
At the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, many governments acknowledged that the planet's biological diversity was being seriously depleted. As a result, more than 150 countries world leaders signed The Convention on Biological Diversity and, in so doing, agreed to play a part in restoring the richness of our natural world.
The UK government was one of these signatories and began to fulfil their commitment in 1993 when they published the UK Action Plan after encouragement and pressure from environmental organisations. By 1995 The UK Biodiversity Steering Group had published action plans for many species and habitats detailing how they were to be protected, sustained and increased.
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is the UK government's response to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) signed in 1992.
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describes the UK's biological resources
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commits to a detailed plan for the protection of these resources
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has 391 Species Action Plans, 45 Habitat Action Plans and 162 Local Biodiversity Action Plans with targeted actions.
It was soon realised that if the national action plans are to be implemented successfully, much of the work must take place at a county level and so the Essex Biodiversity Project was formed in 1999. A project such as this has the capability to identify local issues and to harness local skills and expertise for the benefit of the county and the UK.
Essex Biodiversity Action Plan
The EBAP currently contains action plans for the 25 species and 10 habitats shown below. To download a copy of the EBAP in pdf format click on the appropriate section here: Cover and other pages, Introduction, Mammals, Birds, Other vertebrates, Plants, Invertebrates, Habitats.
Additional Plans are in production and can be accessed, when completed, from the "Review" section below.
Alternatively, the Essex BAP can be obtained from public libraries, or a ring binder document containing all the plans can be obtained from Essex County Council (contact Emma Simmonds)
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Mammals:
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Brown hare
Dormouse
Harbour Porpoise
Otter
Pipistrelle bats
Water vole |
Birds:
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Bittern
Grey Partridge
Skylark
Song Thrush
Stone Curlew |
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Other vertebrates:
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Great Crested Newt
Twaite shad |
Plants:
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Black poplar
Hog's fennel
Oxlip |
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Invertebrates:
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Bright wave moth
Desmoulin's whorl snail
Fisher's estuarine moth
Heath fritillary
Hornet robberfly
Shining ramshorn snail
Shrill carder bee
Stag beetle
White clawed crayfish
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Ancient/species rich hedgerows and green lanes
Ancient woodland
Cereal field margin
Coastal grazing marsh
Seagrass beds
Heathland
Old orchards
Reedbeds
Saline lagoons
Urban areas |
Each action plan in the EBAP is much more detailed than the national plans with specific and focused objectives concentrating on those species and habitats that are confined to, or are characteristic of Essex, as well as those that have declined regionally, nationally or globally. It is only the successful implementation of the EBAP that will ensure that we maintain our rich variety of life in the county.
Essex BAP Review
A sub-group was formed in May 2006 to review the species and habitats of Essex Biodiversity Action Plan and to revise the format. The new format will include targets and actions at a district level, where appropriate, and are intended to be realistic and achievable. Five habitat groups have been formed to drive the review process forward: Lowland Grassland, Heathland, Ancient woodland, Reedbeds and Brownfield sites.
Some new species and habitats have been included for which species/habitat plans will be drawn up:
All bats (in addition to Pipistrelle bat)
Scarlet Malachite beetle
Tiger beetle
Native oyster
Species-rich grassland (now published)
Brownfield sites
Veteran trees
Woodland Pasture
Saltmarsh