A decline in the UK’s biodiversity was revealed by the publication of the State of Nature Report 2023 on 28 September.
Multiple conservation organisations, including the National Trust, have compiled data to assess the state of the UK’s wildlife and environment.
The report found that one in six species is at risk of national extinction.
Hilary McGrady, Director General for the National Trust, said: “It’s not too late to act. But we need to do it now.”
Birds have suffered the most severe impact, with 43 per cent of species in decline. They are followed by amphibians and reptiles, with 31 per cent of species at risk. Since records began in 1970, the populations of 753 terrestrial and freshwater species have declined by an average of 19 per cent.
The quality of wildlife habitats has also been assessed, and the results may partially explain this decline in biodiversity. Only 44 per cent of woodlands are certified as sustainably managed by the UK Woodland Assurance Standard. Moreover, roughly half of all woodland cover is made up of non-native tree species.
The proportion of lakes, rivers, and estuaries in “good or high” ecological status has remained at 36 per cent for the last decade, and less than one-fifth of farmland can be considered “nature-friendly.” This has particularly affected farmland birds, which have seen average declines of 58 per cent. The decline of pollinating insects is a threat to food security due to their importance to UK agriculture.
Peatlands are an effective carbon store, and their restoration is crucial to mitigate the effects of global warming. However, only 25 per cent of the UK’s peatlands are in good condition.
Under the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), the UK has committed to implementing strategies to reverse this decline. Sustainable management schemes have improved the harvest of fish stocks over the past 20 years, and 5,000 hectares of degraded peatland are being restored each year.
However, scientists warn that current efforts do not go far enough in repairing damage to natural habitats. According to the Report: “nature-friendly farming needs to be implemented at a much wider scale to halt and reverse the decline in farmland nature.”
Evidence suggests that targeted species recovery action may be the key to restoring vulnerable populations.
Image via Sarah Challen Flynn