News
This page holds an archive of news items written or published about Countryside Survey 2007.
Ponds, Soils and Headwater Streams reports now published
February 2010
Information on the state of the Great Britain’s ponds, headwater streams and soils is presented in three reports published today by the Countryside Survey partnership.
The reports show some positive signals for conservation of biodiversity, such as improvements in the quality of headwater streams, an increase in the number of ponds, a reduction in phosphorus in soils and recovery in some soils from the effects of acid rain. However, the reports also show some negative signals; for example, ponds in England and Wales are widely degraded and pond quality has declined over the past decade.
Key findings described in the Ponds report include:
- In 2007, the number of ponds in Great Britain was estimated to be 478,000.
- The 2007 survey provided evidence that as measured by their composition of plants, ponds in England and Wales were widely degraded, with around 80% of ponds being of Poor or Very Poor quality.
- There was a high turnover of ponds between 1998 and 2007, with an estimated 18,000 ponds lost and 70,600 new ponds created. New ponds were typically of better quality and supported more plant species than older ponds.
Key findings described in the Soils report include:
- Overall there was no change in carbon concentration in the soil (0-15 cm) in Great Britain of for individual countries between 1978 and 2007. This is important because soils hold a large amount of carbon which if released to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide could contribute to climate change.
- The recovery in soil (0-15 cm) pH detected by Countryside Survey in 1998 has continued amongst the less acidic, mineral and humus-mineral soils suggesting recovery from acidification.
- There were an estimated 12.8 quadrillion (1.28x1016) soil invertebrates present in the top 8 cm of Great Britain soils during the time of Countryside Survey sampling in 2007!
Key findings described in the Headwater Streams report include:
- Increases in the number of headwater stream plant species, and in habitat quality appear to have occurred throughout Great Britain.
- Overall, changes occurring to the ecological status of headwater streams are broadly positive, although some negative changes will need further investigation.
Copies of the full reports are available for downloading from the Technical Reports section of this website. The data underpinning these reports have been released previously and are available to download via the CS Data Access services.
More CS soils and freshwater data released
December 2009
The Countryside Survey partnership is pleased to announce that more soils and freshwater data have been released today (11 December 2009). The new data released includes: soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, metals and mesofauna; macroinvertebrates in headwater streams; and further data on pond numbers and condition. Some of these data have been collected for the first time as part of the 2007 survey, whereas others date back as far as 1978. A summary of all the datasets now available from Countryside Survey can be viewed by following this link: Summary of datasets.
New users will need to register to access the datasets. Existing users should have access using your current login details. We hope you will find the new data of interest and welcome your feedback.
Countryside Survey technical reports on Ponds, Headwater Streams and Soils are scheduled for publication in January 2010.
More CS data to be released in December
November 2009
The Countryside Survey partnership is pleased to announce that more summary and square level data from the 2007 Survey will be made available via this website at 09:30am on 11 December 2009.
The new data to be released will include:
- Soils data on nitrogen, phosphorus, metals and mesofauna.
- Headwater streams data on macroinvertebrates.
- Further data on pond numbers and condition.
Please note that in order for this new data to be added to the CS website it will be necessary to suspend access to the summary and square level data for a couple of days prior to the release. We hope this will not cause too much inconvenience.
Once this new data has been made available it will complete the planned release of the underlying data from the 2007 Survey and provide a unique resource for use by all in a wide range of potential applications.
Please also note that three reports on Ponds, Headwater Streams and Soils will be published in January 2010.
Northumberland landscape © Lindsay Maskell
England results from the 2007 Survey now available
September 2009
The results of the biggest and most comprehensive survey of England’s countryside and its natural resources are unveiled in a report published today by the Countryside Survey partnership. The new results for England show some positive signals for conservation of biodiversity across widespread and common habitats, but these signals become more mixed at the finer scale. Some of the key messages from the survey include:
- An increase in frequency of the plant species used as food by butterfly caterpillars and farmland birds in Broadleaved Woodland and Arable and Horticulture Broad Habitats, as well as along hedgerows.
- Based on vegetation criteria alone, almost 80% of ponds in England were in poor condition in 2007.
- Soil pH (in the upper 15cm) has increased in many Broad Habitats associated with recovery from previous high levels of acid deposition, though the impacts of these changes on vegetation are less obvious.
- The total length of woody linear features decreased by 1.4% and the total length of managed hedgerows decreased by 6.1% between 1998 and 2007, with a large proportion of these managed hedges turning into lines of trees and relict hedges.
- 50% of managed hedges were in good structural condition.
A fuller list of key messages can be found in the Executive Summary of the main report.
Dr Ian Simpson from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, who is the Project Manager for Countryside Survey, said of the England report: “It is the product of a highly successful partnership between the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and partner organisations. It is the first comprehensive Countryside Survey report for England and complements those launched recently for Scotland and Wales. The new results are vital scientific evidence documenting the state of the English countryside and the changes which have occurred since previous surveys.”
The England results from Countryside Survey in 2007 are now available from this website – visit the England Results from 2007 page to download a copy of the report in electronic format.
Diverse Clwydian landscape © Richard Evans
Wales results from the 2007 Survey now available
August 2009
The results of the most comprehensive survey of the Welsh countryside and its natural resources were published on 21st July in a report by the Countryside Survey partnership.
The report identifies some positive changes including an increase in the area of broadleaved woodland, an improvement in the physical condition of streams, an increased number of ponds, and a reduction in soil acidity in line with reduced emissions of sulphur. However, there is evidence that these changes have taken place against a general backdrop of decreasing plant species richness that is at odds with the aim of halting biodiversity loss. The survey also found that topsoil carbon stocks have remained stable over recent decades.
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Defra commissioned the UK wide survey on behalf of a partnership of governments, and their departments and agencies. The research in Wales was carried out by NERC’s Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government, Defra and Countryside Council for Wales (CCW). Additional funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and CCW allowed extra sampling in Wales to be carried out to produce the first ever country-level report for Wales.
Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones said: “The Countryside Survey provides a valuable and scientifically reliable insight into many aspects of the Welsh countryside, including the state and condition of our habitats, landscape features such as hedgerows, water systems and our soils. Evidence from the survey will have an important role in predicting the likely outcome of different policies and pressures such as agri-environment schemes and climate change.”
The Wales results from Countryside Survey in 2007 are now available from this website – visit the Wales Results from 2007 page to download a copy of the report in electronic format.
View of Strathmore towards Loch Broom © SNH
Scotland results from the 2007 Survey now available
June 2009
The results of the biggest and most comprehensive survey of Scotland’s countryside and its natural resources are unveiled in a report published today (25th June).
The results identify how the main features of the countryside have changed and include fields, woods, ponds, heath and heather moorland areas, hedges and streams. They show how numbers of plant species have responded to changing land use, how habitat quality and vegetation condition has altered and how soils are recovering from the effects of acid pollutants.
Minister for Environment Roseanna Cunningham said:
“Scotland’s landscapes and wildlife are part of our national identity and fundamental to our health, well-being and prosperity. This report by the Countryside Survey partnership will assist us in managing the environment for a healthy and prosperous future and contribute to a wider knowledge base for education and research.”
The main findings in Scotland are:
- The general picture in Scotland across the past decade is of improved ecological condition of streams, recovery from acidification in soils and restoration of broadleaved woodland.
- Between 1998 and 2007 upland habitats remained stable to an extent. Grasslands, woodlands and arable areas showed larger shifts with the area of broadleaved and mixed woodland increasing by 9%, reflecting new planting and the diversification of felled plantation forest.
- Across the same period, changes in habitat condition indicate less intensive management of many habitats and increases in tall, fast-establishing species resulting in net loss of species across many upland and lowland habitats.
- In headwater streams plant species richness was shown to have increased by 9%. The number of ponds also increased by 5%, mainly in the lowlands.
- Surface soils (less than 15cm deep) became less acidic indicating a gradual recovery from acid deposition in the past.
The Scotland results from Countryside Survey in 2007 are now available from this website – visit the Scotland Results from 2007 page to download a copy of the report in electronic format.
Countryside Survey square level data released
June 2009
Countryside Survey square level data is now available to download for a wide range of geographic regions across Great Britain (i.e. for squares that fall within the boundaries of pre-determined political and geographic areas like administrative counties and National Parks). This is an exciting new development for Countryside Survey, making the data freely and easily accessible to users for a variety of potential applications. The release covers square level data from 2007 and previous surveys comprising:
- Habitats and landscape features
- Vegetation
- Ponds
- Streams
- Soils
New users need to register to access the datasets. Existing summary data users need to agree to new terms and conditions.
New summary data released
We are pleased to announce the release of further data via the CS summary data access service.
The new release includes data from 2007 and earlier surveys comprising:
- Environmental Zone estimates for Broad Habitats, linear features and point features
- Environmental Zone and country estimates for soils data
- Environmental Zone estimates for freshwater data
Environmental Zones divide England (3), Scotland (3) and Wales (2) into regions on the basis of broad environmental characteristics. Detailed analysis and interpretation of these data and supporting evidence is ongoing and will be published in separate country-level reports for England, Scotland and Wales. These reports will be published in May 2009 and will be similar in structure to the UK Report (published in November 2008). Each report will present the results at both the country and Environmental Zone level and explore their implications and policy relevance.
Further summary data will be made accessible as it becomes available, with the intention of releasing the raw data for individual survey squares once the three country-level reports have been published. Please check the Countryside Survey website for future updates.
Left-right: Ed Mackey (SNH), Environment Minister Hilary Benn and Dr Peter Costigan (Defra) at the UK results launch event, held at the Royal Horticultural Society, London
Successful launch of UK results
November 2008
The UK results from Countryside Survey in 2007 were published on November 18th during a high profile launch event at the Royal Horticultural Society, London. The event was chaired by Edmund Wallis, Chairman of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and featured an opening address by Environment Minister Hilary Benn, who stressed the importance of Countryside Survey in underpinning Government policy:
“The countryside lies at the heart of our prosperity, health and well-being, " he said. "We must ensure that the landscapes, wildlife and ecosystems that provide us with the essentials of life are not only looked after but are improved for future generations. The health of the countryside is increasingly affected by climate change, pollution and the demand for land, so it is vital that we improve our understanding of their impact. The UK Countryside Survey provides that understanding [and] the hard scientific evidence that we need”.
Professor Alan Thorpe, Chief Executive of NERC, also emphasised the importance of the Survey, stating that: ”The changing ecology of the UK countryside is of growing scientific and political importance…Countryside Survey has provided us with a remarkably detailed 30-year record of where environmental changes have occurred. This is vital scientific evidence for policymakers and all those with interests in sustainable land management.”
The morning session of the event featured summary presentations from Dr Peter Carey (CEH), lead author of the UK report, and Dr Peter Costigan (Defra), Chair of the Countryside Survey Steering Group. The lunchtime session featured demonstrations of key components of the Survey. This was followed by two parallel sessions in the afternoon: one detailing the data products and upcoming Land Cover Map (chaired by Professor Mark Bailey of CEH), the other exploring future outputs and scientific applications (chaired by Dr Terry Parr of CEH).
The UK results from Countryside Survey in 2007 are now available from this website – visit the 2007 Reports page to download a copy of the report in electronic format.
UK results from the 2007 Survey:
launch date 18th November
November 2008
The UK results from Countryside Survey in 2007 are to be published on 18th November. The results will be made publicly available via the project website in the form of an electronic report. A launch event is also being held in London on the same day, involving keynote speeches, presentations, demonstration sessions and other activities designed to help communicate the cutting-edge findings delivered by the project (please note: attendance at the launch event is by invitation only).
The UK results will address many key questions about change in the UK Countryside, including:
- Has botanical diversity in the countryside changed?
- Has the length and condition of hedges changed?
- Has the area and condition of habitats changed?
- Have there been detectable effects of air pollution and nutrient inputs on vegetation and soils?
- Have climate change impacts been detected in the UK countryside?
The UK results are the culmination of many months of hard work carried out by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology: from the initial training of field surveyors, through managing and undertaking the field survey itself, to more recent data processing, analysis and report writing. The journey has been a long and often challenging experience for those involved, yet the quality of the results - coupled with their importance for the UK as a whole - has more than compensated for the effort invested.
Individual country-level reports for England, Scotland and Wales are due for publication in March/April 2009; licensed access to Land Cover Map 2007 data is expected later in 2009.
Please note: the UK results from Countryside Survey in 2007 are now available. Visit the 2007 Reports page for more information.
Countryside Survey Data Release Policy and Schedule Now Available
June 2008
The Countryside Survey data access release policy is now available, along with a schedule for the release of data from 2008-2010. This includes:
- Main Countryside Survey report for UK – proposed launch 18th November 2008
- Web access to summary data – from date of UK report launch
- Country reports for England, Scotland and Wales – expected March/April 2009
- Licensed access to data underpinning the UK and country reports – expected March/April 2009 onwards
- Licensed access to Land Cover Map 2007 data – expected September 2009 onwards
- Integrated Assessment report – expected March 2010
For more information visit the page on Data Access.
Countryside Survey contributes to ‘State of the Natural Environment’ report
May 2008
Natural England has recently published its ‘State of the Natural Environment 2008’ report, which for the first time brings together evidence about the current state of our natural environment and how it underpins our wellbeing and prosperity. By integrating this evidence, Natural England aims to provide an up-to-date resource for informing policies, priorities and decisions that may effect the natural environment. The report is intended for high-level strategic use, thereby complimenting the more detailed and scientific information provided by Countryside Survey.
Both Countryside Survey and Land Cover Map have contributed significantly to Natural England's report, by providing the main sources of data on the distribution and abundance of major habitats across England. Natural England is one of a partnership of organisations that is funding Countryside Survey.
On launching the report, Dr Helen Philips, Chief Executive of Natural England, said: "England needs a new approach to conservation if we are to tackle effectively the modern pressures on land created by climate change and development. We need to find ways to manage our landscape to create a mosaic of uses so that we can help wildlife survive. If we don't act, there's a real danger some of our most precious wildlife will be lost forever and our lives will be poorer for it”.
- For more information visit the Natural England website.
CS technology demonstrated at the Royal Society
April 2008
The Countryside Survey team was recently invited to demonstrate the ‘tablet PC’ (used to record field survey data) at an event held at the UK’s premier scientific institution, the Royal Society in London.
As part of the ‘eScience’ event hosted by NERC (a major sponsor of CS), the tablet was demonstrated to an audience drawn from a cross-section of scientific disciplines. Visitors were interested in the project as a whole, as well as the technology that underpinned the data gathering process. A team of four CEH staff were on hand to chat to visitors and explain what Countryside Survey is all about. The tablet was shown in action, with several visitors commenting on how big an advance had been made over previous paper-based techniques. The tablet’s mapping facilities, which can be used by people who have not been trained in GIS techniques, were also much commented on. The most frequent question from visitors was: “when will the data be ready?” So we already have some eager potential users of data, just waiting for the launch in November 2008!
- For more information visit the Royal Society website.
- Details of the e-Science programme are available on the NERC website.
Top skills of Freshwaters team recognised
February 2008
Three Countryside Survey researchers have recently been awarded the prestigious
freshwater macroinvertebrate species-level Identification Qualification (IdQs).
Tracy Corbin, Dr. James Pretty and Helen Vincent, who are all Centre
for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) staff, exceeded the challenging 90% pass
rate, whilst Tracy achieved a perfect 100%. All three are currently
identifying animals sampled from headwater streams across Britain as part
of last summer’s Countryside Survey.
IdQs are awarded by the Natural History Museum in London and give independent accreditation of identification skills. These latest awards reinforce the position of CEH as the leading laboratory in the UK for the identification of freshwater macroinvertebrates.
Dr. John Murphy, who is managing the freshwater component of Countryside Survey, said “Tracy, James and Helen have confirmed their status as national experts in their field. This is a great boost for Countryside Survey as it ensures that the data being produced are of the highest quality and reliability. We can use these data with the highest degree of confidence to accurately assess change in the biological condition of British headwater streams.”
For more information visit the Natural History Museum IdQ scheme website.
Land Cover Map – field reconnaissance completed and analysis underway
February 2008
The team behind the Land Cover Map (LCM), which forms one of the two main strands of Countryside Survey, has successfully completed its fieldwork and is now pressing on with data processing and analysis. The resulting dataset will be a world-leading product showing the stock and distribution of land cover and Broad Habitats* across the UK at a ‘field-by-field’ scale (features larger than 0.5 ha, or 50m square).
Fieldwork for the new LCM was successfully undertaken in 2006 and 2007 – in spite of unexpected challenges, such as flooding and outbreaks of both foot and mouth disease and bluetongue.
Fieldwork involved recording over 60,000 data points and 1,800 photographs across the UK. Fifteen field trips (each staffed by 3-person teams from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) covered roughly 9000 miles in total, visiting every UK landscape type – ranging from Welsh mountains and remote Scottish islands, to the loughs of Northern Ireland and the English coastline.
LCM survey teams used cutting-edge digital data capture technology, including tablet PCs and GPS receivers, to record data in the field against the corresponding satellite images. All of the software used was developed in-house by the LCM team, to meet the exact requirements of the reconnaissance survey.
Dr Geoff Smith, leader of the LCM team says: “We are now analysing and processing all of the information from a range of sources to produce a new LCM for the 2007 Survey. This includes integrating Earth Observation data [ie. satellite imagery] with digital cartography and other ancillary information, including for the first time Ordnance Survey MasterMap®. After the success of the reconnaissance survey it is now our intention to develop the LCM digital data capture system as a rapid survey tool for surveyors in other environmental fields.”
Early trials to extend the use of the digital data capture system, surveying woodland to estimate the quality of habitat for birds, have given very promising results. The new LCM dataset is due for publication in 2009.
See here for information on earlier Land Cover Maps.
* For more information on habitat types visit:
• Joint
Nature Conservation Committee UK Habitat Classifications
• UK
Biodiversity Action Plan: Priority Habitats associated with a particular Broad
Habitat
Field Survey now completed
November 2007
The survey teams have now finally hung up their waterproofs following a successful summer in the field. Survey was completed in 94% of all sites originally targeted – an outstanding achievement in light of the unforeseen challenges that arose during the course of the fieldwork; notably flooding and the outbreak of foot and mouth disease, which meant that some sites could not be accessed. In total, 591 1km squares were surveyed across Great Britain, making this the biggest Countryside Survey to date (the previous highest total being 508 squares in 1998).
One of the biggest successes was the use of digital data capture which involved, for the first time, use of portable tablet PCs to record information in the field. Data was backed-up daily to avoid accidental loss and overall the process proved much more efficient and reliable than using paper survey forms, which can be spoiled by wet weather.
Facts and figures from the field survey include:
- The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology undertook the whole of the Field Survey using 90 field staff, supported by co-ordinators and data specialists
- Over 9,000 days of surveyor effort were invested – roughly 25 years’ worth of study in total
- Health and safety was of an excellent standard with only two minor accidents reported (twisted ankles)
- The teams at CEH Monks Wood undertook the fastest survey, managing an average of 1.71km squares per week
- One surveyor from CEH Banchory calculated that she walked 234km, involving over 12,000m of ascent, just getting to the squares!
The Countryside Survey project management team would like to take this opportunity to say thank you and well done to everyone involved, and to especially thank the land-owners and organizations who permitted the surveyors to access their land.
Integrated Assessment Workshop – 30th November 2007
November 2007
The Integrated Assessment Work Package (WP6) of Countryside Survey is hosting a workshop on 30th November at Ergon House, London: 10.30am – 3.30pm. The purpose of the workshop is to:
- Review the scope of the integrated assessment and the proposed analytical framework
- Identify the key scientific challenges
- Refine the intended policy applications and reporting requirements
The workshop will review current progress and explore approaches to linking drivers of change to ecosystem services. There will be breakout sessions to discuss linking to external datasets, attributing ecosystem services and linking policy questions to conceptual models, or scenarios. The workshop is aimed at Countryside Survey stakeholders and partners, as well as those involved in developing the UK’s contribution to reporting on ecosystem services.
To register for the event and obtain a copy of the full agenda, please email Julie Delve in the Countryside Survey Project Office [e] jdelve@ceh.ac.uk
Highly qualified team plays major role in Countryside Survey soil processing
October 2007
The Countryside Survey soil processing team, based at CEH Lancaster, are currently hard at work processing over 11,000 soil samples from the 2007 field survey.
Work in the soils lab involves logging and processing the hundreds of cores that arrive every day. This includes performing invertebrate extractions; measuring, weighing, photographing, homogenising and analysing soil cores for pH; bashing cores to enable sieving; ascertaining stone volume; drying to give ‘loss on ignition’ (LOI) value; data inputting; re-analysing archive samples; and freezing some cores to provide an archival record.
The highly qualified team responsible for this work includes newcomers such as Annabel Rice, who joined the soils team this year after gaining first class honours in Ecology from Lancaster University (Annabel is pictured left alongside fellow first class honours graduate and former soil processor, Jenny Clapham).
Says Annabel: “I’m very happy to be working on such an important, world-leading project. It’s exciting knowing that this work is unique and also invaluable in answering key questions about environmental change. Countryside Survey has really widened my scientific experience, which will greatly benefit my future career”.
The results of the soils analysis will be published in 2008.
© Simon Grant, CEH
Countryside Survey success at Royal Welsh Show
September 2007
The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) joined over a thousand other exhibitors in helping to make this year’s Royal Welsh Show a success – despite the event being staged in the wettest weather since its move to Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, in 1963. Supporters of the show demonstrated their loyalty by turning up in force over the four days (23rd to 26th July), boosting the attendance figure to over 200,000 by the final day.
The CEH stand contained a wealth of information about Countryside Survey. Interactive features included a soil invertebrate extraction unit and microscope; a PC with interactive tablet software (specially customised for Countryside Survey); a weather station with electronic display; a fog collector; and a large “experimental roof”, allowing visitors to simulate the effects of climate change on whole ecosystems.
The stand was managed by staff from CEH's research site in Bangor and won the runner-up prize for “Best Exhibit of Educational and Instructional Value”. It was visited by thousands of people during the course of show - including Jane Davidson, Minister for the Environment and Jane Hutt, Minister for Education - all of whom enjoyed chatting to the scientists about their work.
- For more information visit the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show website
© Sue Wallis, CEH
Countryside Survey “ahead of the game” in monitoring updated UK BAP species
August 2007
The UK Biodiversity Partnership has released an updated List of Priority Species and Habitats that deserve the highest conservation protection. The new list, which was released in June 2007, is a result of the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken in the UK, involving two years of work and over 500 people. It contains 1149 species and 65 habitats that have been identified as priorities for conservation action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP).
The new list of endangered species and habitats has already been considered and included as part of the methodological development of Countryside Survey 2007. Preliminary work for the 2007 Survey has involved working closely with policy customers to determine which of the previous UK BAP priority habitats would be reported on. It has also involved matching the Survey’s own disaggregated code system (first developed in 1978 to classify Broad Habitats) with the priority habitat descriptions, as well as analysing previous data to determine previous extents. Field surveyors have also been asked to ensure that a vegetation plot is recorded for each priority habitat, including the allocation of plots to a National Vegetation Classification (NVC).
Priority habitats that the project expects to report on include:
- blanket bog
- woodlands (lowland beech, lowland mixed deciduous, wet woodland, upland mixed ash, upland oak, native pine)
- upland heath
- lowland acid grassland
- upland and lowland hay meadows
- fen
- ponds
- hedgerows
- cereal field margins
Says Ian Simpson, project manager of Countryside Survey: “Our early planning and consultation with partners has enabled us to devise methods to better respond to policy changes and the needs of policy customers, as well as furthering the project’s overall contribution to the UK BAP programme. In this respect, Countryside Survey is indeed ahead of the game in its forward planning”.
- For more information visit the UK BAP website.
UK’s biggest ever Countryside Survey starts this week
18th May 07
The biggest and most comprehensive survey of the natural resources of the British countryside begins this week. The Countryside Survey will be carried out by a team of over sixty specially trained scientists working for the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
More than 600 one kilometre squares of the English, Welsh and Scottish countryside will be surveyed over the next four months. Information will be collected on natural landscape features including plant communities and habitats within farmland, woods, heathland, moors, soils, small rivers and ponds. At the same time a complementary survey will be carried out in Northern Ireland, completing the picture for the UK.
The results of the survey will provide a unique audit of our environmental assets generating an overall picture of the current status of our countryside. This is especially important as the countryside faces major challenges such as climate change, pollution, non-native species and the introduction of new crops including biofuels. The first results are due in Autumn 2008.
The 2007 Countryside Survey is the fifth in a sequence that stretches back to 1978. The survey provides evidence that informs us about the status of our countryside and feeds into new Government policies. The last survey, which reported in 2000, demonstrated the effectiveness of this system by confirming a reversal in the decline of hedgerows. Countryside Survey data from 1978 onwards had provided evidence of the extent of this decline which led to changes in legislation and new agricultural policies encouraging more effective land management.
The full Countryside Survey partnership consists of the Natural Environment Research Council, the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and eight government departments and agencies headed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
- For more information on the current survey see:
www.countrysidesurvey.org.uk - See also the Press release
BBC Radio 4 Farming Today featured the start of the Countryside Survey on Wednesday 23rd May 2007. You can listen again to the interview with Dr Pete Carey, leader of the Field Survey via the Farming Today website until Wednesday 30th May 2007.
Countryside Survey training course takes place near Windermere
May 2007
65 ecologists and field surveyors assembled at a site near Windermere to be trained in all the specific details of surveying, according to Countryside Survey methods. They got to grips with the new equipment too (see next story). The three week course in April 2007 took place partly in the classroom and partly out in the field, in all kinds of weather.
Windermere was chosen as the best site for this course because the surveyors could be sent out to practise their new skills on different types of countryside or habitats, all within easy reach of base.
Cutting edge equipment gets its severest test
May 2007
This year’s survey sees the introduction of portable data recorders (similar to an extra-robust lap-top) and specially-developed software, to be used in all weathers by the surveyors. Previous Surveys saw surveyors struggling with numerous sheets of paper to record their findings, which then had to be transferred to computer back at base. Paper based recording was very difficult and awkward in bad weather, and transfer to computer was very labour intensive.
The new method of recording will hugely speed-up the whole process and allow the data analysis, data processing and the reporting to get underway much more quickly. It will also improve accuracy and data quality.