AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
UK Biodiversity Indicator D1c, Status of pollinating insects

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator D1c, Status of pollinating insects.

Nature is essential for human health and well-being.  Pollination is an important ecosystem service that benefits agricultural and horticultural production, and is essential for sustaining wild flower biodiversity; bees and hoverflies are popular insects.  Pollination depends on the abundance, distribution and diversity of pollinators.  It is therefore important to assess the population dynamics and distribution of those species that provide the service: the pollinators.  Wild bees and other insect pollinators are probably less abundant in total than they were in the 1950s, and many species have become less widespread, particularly those species associated with semi-natural habitats.  At the same time, a smaller number have become more widespread.  This may have implications for the pollination service they provide to crops and wild flowers (Potts et al. 2010; Garratt et al. 2014).

Occupancy of pollinators refers to the overall area where each species is found and does not refer directly to their abundance.  The reduction in the index shows that overall pollinators are becoming more restricted in their distributions so that on average in any one place the diversity of pollinator species found is reduced.  This does not necessarily mean that the abundance of pollinators has declined, as some species may have become more abundant.  National level data on changes in abundance of pollinators is not currently available.

The indicator illustrates changes in pollinator distribution (bees and hoverflies) in the UK between 1980 and 2010.  The indicator is based on 213 species of pollinator (105 species of bee and 108 species of hoverfly), and measures change in the number of 1km grid squares across the UK in which they were recorded - this is referred to as the 'occupancy index'.  Bees and hoverflies are key pollinators and are presented here as an indicator of overall pollinator trend.  Other taxonomic groups (e.g. some butterflies and moths) can provide pollination services but are not yet included in the indicator.

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator D1c the latest data are for 2010.  The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator D1b, Removal of greenhouse gases by UK forests

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator D1b, Removal of greenhouse gases by UK forests.

The benefits that humans receive from the environment have become more widely recognised.  The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the more recent UK National Ecosystem Assessment both highlighted that ecosystems and the services they deliver underpin our very existence.  We depend on them to produce our food and timber, regulate water supplies and climate, and breakdown waste products.  We also value them in less obvious ways: contact with nature gives pleasure, provides recreation and is known to have a positive impact on long-term health and happiness.  Measuring the status of ecosystem services is therefore a critical aim of the indicator set.  Greenhouse gas removal is a regulating service that contributes to reducing the scale and future impacts of climate change (climate change mitigation).

UK forests are a large store of carbon and also act as an active carbon 'sink', removing carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere and storing it as carbon in living biomass, leaf litter and forest soil.  This sequestration of CO2 is an essential ecosystem service.

The data presented are from the UK's Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) greenhouse gas inventory, which provides estimates of the annual rate of emissions and removals of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)) from the atmosphere by forests in the UK between 1990 and 2013 (Figures D1bi and D1bii).  LULUCF emissions and removals are given in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent. The carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) of a mixture of greenhouse gases is the quantity of CO2 that would have the same global warming potential.  

Showing greenhouse gas removals by type of woodland is interesting from a biodiversity perspective as it allows a clearer presentation of the contribution made to greenhouse gas removals by broadleaf woodland, most of which constitutes priority habitat.  Data inputs and some model components used to produce the estimates of greenhouse gas removals, published in the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry greenhouse gas inventory (LULUCF), are currently under review and likely to change in 2016.

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator D1b the latest data are for 2013.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator D1a, Fish size classes in the North Sea

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator D1a, Fish size classes in the North Sea.

Change in relative abundance of large fishes is likely to affect marine ecosystems in a number of ways.  Fewer large fishes will reduce the amount of predation on smaller prey species and allow increases in their abundance and biomass. In turn this will affect the structure and stability of the ecosystem.  The indicator responds to fishing impacts on the fish community because larger fish are more likely to be caught by trawls and because larger species of fish are more likely to decline in number for a given rate of fishing.  When fish communities are more heavily fished, the proportion of large fish is expected to fall and, when fishing is reduced, the proportion of large fish is expected to rise.  Some variation in the proportion of large fish will be driven by environmental variation, but available evidence suggests environmental effects on this indicator are relatively small in relation to fishing effects over periods of a few years.

The indicator shows changes in the proportion, by weight, of large individuals equal to or over 40cm in length in fish populations in the North-western part of the North Sea.  The indicator is based on standardised annual research survey trawls.  During the 1980s, large fish in the North Sea fish community included cod (Gadus morhua), haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), saithe (Pollachius virens), ling (Molva molva), anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius) and rays (Batoidea).  Recently, haddock have formed a substantial part of the large fish catches in the North-western North Sea, along with cod and saithe.  

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator D1a the latest data are for 2014.  The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Species point records from 1993 MNCR Newbiggin to Saltburn littoral survey

This survey was carried out as part of the Marine Nature Conservation Review (MNCR). The MNCR was started in 1987 by the Nature Conservancy Council and subsequent to the Environment Protection Act 1990, was undertaken by JNCC on behalf of the conservation agencies up to its completion in 1998. The MNCR was initiated to provide a comprehensive baseline of information on marine habitats and species, to aid coastal zone and sea-use management and to contribute to the identification of areas of marine natural heritage importance throughout Great Britain. Data collected through the MNCR was stored in the Marine Recorder database, and has been extracted from Marine Recorder to produce this dataset. For more details, see http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-1596.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator C8, Mammals of the wider countryside (bats)

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator C8, Mammals of the wider countryside (bats).

Bat populations are considered to be a good indicator of the broad state of wildlife and landscape quality because they utilise a range of habitats across the landscape and are sensitive to pressures in the urban, suburban and rural environment.  All bats and their roosts are protected by domestic and European legislation.  The UK is a signatory to the EUROBATs agreement, set up under the Convention on Migratory Species, with the intention of conserving all European bat populations.  The wider relevance of bats as biodiversity indicators is presented in Jones et al. (2009).

The indicator shows changes in the population size of eight widespread bat species, based on summer field surveys and roost counts and winter hibernation counts.  Population change between 1999 and 2014 is analysed using a statistical model developed by the Bat Conservation Trust. 

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator C8 the latest data are for 2014.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator C6, Insects of the wider countryside (butterflies)

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator C6, Insects of the wider countryside (butterflies).

Butterflies respond rapidly to changes in environmental conditions and habitat management, occur in a wide range of habitats, and are representative of many other insects, in that they utilise areas with abundant plant food resources.  Butterflies are complementary to birds and bats as an indicator, especially the habitat specialists, because they use resources in the landscape at a much finer spatial scale than either of these groups.

The indicator consists of two measures of annual butterfly population abundance: the first for specialist butterflies (species strongly associated with semi-natural habitats such as unimproved grassland) and the second for butterflies found in both semi-natural habitats and the wider countryside.  Both measures show marked fluctuations from year to year, principally in response to weather conditions.  

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator C6 the latest data are for 2014.  The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator C3b, Status of UK species of European importance

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator C3b, Status of UK species of European importance.

Article 17 of the European Union Habitats Directive requires Member States to report every six years on progress made with maintaining and/or restoring favourable conservation status for habitat types and species of community interest.  These are habitats and species for which the UK has European-level conservation responsibilities. 

Details of exactly what information is to be delivered is laid out in the report format and guidance notes.  Each assessment needs to conclude whether the species is in one of the following states:
- Favourable
- Unfavourable-Inadequate
- Unfavourable-Bad
- Unknown

However, it is likely to take time before species move from unfavourable conservation status to favourable conservation status, so for the unfavourable assessments, an assessment of trend is made to determine if the species is improving, declining, or stable. 

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator C3b the latest data are for 2013.  The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator C3a, Status of UK habitats of European importance

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator C3a, Status of UK habitats of European importance.

Article 17 of the European Union Habitats Directive requires Member States to report every six years on progress made with maintaining and/or restoring favourable conservation status for habitat types and species of community interest.  These are habitats and species for which the UK has European-level conservation responsibilities. 

Details of exactly what information is to be delivered is laid out in the report format and guidance notes.  Each assessment needs to conclude whether the habitat is in one of the following states:
- Favourable
- Unfavourable-Inadequate
- Unfavourable-Bad
- Unknown

However, it is likely to take time before habitats move from unfavourable conservation status to favourable conservation status, so for the unfavourable assessments, an assessment of trend is made to determine if the habitat is improving, declining, or stable. 

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator C3a the latest data are for 2013.  The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator C1, Protected areas

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator C1, Protected areas,

Designation and management of protected areas are key mechanisms for taking action to reverse the loss of biodiversity.  These protected areas cover many of the most valuable sites for biodiversity in the UK with associated legal mechanisms for safeguarding habitats and species.  Wider countryside designations have a number of purposes, including conservation and public enjoyment. 

In a densely populated country like the UK, where the landscape and habitats have been modified by centuries of use, protected areas often need to be actively managed to ensure the species and habitats they contain persist into the future.  The condition indicator is a measure of the outcomes of management action and conservation policy on protected areas.

The extent indicator is a calculation of the net (non-overlapping) extent of protected areas using mean high water as the boundary between the at-sea and on-land measures.  The indicator was expanded in 2014 to include wider countryside designations, sites designated under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar sites), and new marine protected areas.  In 2015, National Nature Reserves were added to the indicator.  

Sites are designated with the aim of conserving specific biological or geological features.  The condition of these features is assessed on a rolling cycle against agreed standards.  A monitoring programme was initiated in 1998 to evaluate the outcomes of management action and conservation policy.  The indicator (Figure C1ii) identifies the proportion of these features - by feature or by area - that are in a desired state (favourable) or have appropriate management (recovering).  The underpinning legislation for A/SSSIs extends to low water, so the condition part of the indicator is, effectively, a terrestrial measure. 

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator C1 the latest data are for 2015.  The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator B7, Surface water status

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator B7, Surface water status.

Surface waters with good status support a diverse assemblage of aquatic invertebrates, fish, mammals and birds.  The EU Water Framework Directive aims to improve and integrate the way water bodies are managed throughout Europe.  Member States aim to reach good chemical and ecological status in inland and coastal waters by 2027 at the latest.  The UK is striving to improve and protect the condition of the water environment, and objectives to improve and protect each water body have been set, as well as measures defined to ensure the objectives are met.

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is an important mechanism for assessing and managing the water environment in the EU, through a six yearly cycle of planning and implementing measures to protect and improve the water environment.  The indicator shows the percentage of surface water bodies in each status class and the change in the percentage of water bodies in the UK awarded a good or high surface water status class under the WFD between 2010 and 2015.  Over 10,300 water bodies were assessed in each year of the indicator; including rivers, canals, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters.

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator B7 the latest data are for 2015.  The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator B6, Pressure from invasive species

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator B6, Pressure from invasive species.

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) identifies invasive non-native species as a major threat to biodiversity.  Many non-native species do not threaten biodiversity but invasive non-native species can spread disease (e.g. signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus), modify ecosystems (e.g. rhododendron Rhododendron ponticum), drastically reduce populations of native species (e.g. American mink Mustela vison), or hybridise with native species (e.g. ruddy duck Oxyura jamaicensis).

Under the CBD, the United Kingdom has an international obligation to address the impacts of invasive non-native species.  In 2008, the UK Government published the Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain.

The indicator (Figure B6i) shows the change in number of invasive non-native species established across more than 10 per cent of the land area of Great Britain, or more than 10 per cent of the extent of the coastline.  There are 180 established invasive non-native species included within the indicator, comprising 39 freshwater species, 34 marine species and 107 terrestrial species. 

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator B6 the latest data are for 2015.  The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator B5b, Marine pollution

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator B5b, Marine pollution.

Pollution by hazardous heavy metals and pesticides can have adverse effects on the marine environment and biodiversity.  Pollutants enter coastal waters either directly from point sources on UK coasts and estuaries or are carried via rivers.

One of the goals of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (the OSPAR Convention) is to implement the Hazardous Substances Strategy by making progressive endeavours, through appropriate actions and measures, to move towards the targets of the cessation of discharges, emissions and losses of hazardous substances by the year 2020.

The indicator shows changes in the relative input of six of the most hazardous substances to the UK marine environment; five heavy metals (cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc) and one organic compound, lindane (also known as gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane).

While many measures have already been put in place to prevent these persistent contaminants from entering the environment (e.g. bans on lead in petrol, marketing restrictions on the use of cadmium and mercury, a ban on the use of lindane), there are still reservoirs of these contaminants from legacy use in soils and sediments which are mobilised by various weather events.

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator B5b the latest data are for 2013.  The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Species point records from 1995 MNCR western Scotland lagoons survey

This survey was carried out as part of the Marine Nature Conservation Review (MNCR). The MNCR was started in 1987 by the Nature Conservancy Council and subsequent to the Environment Protection Act 1990, was undertaken by JNCC on behalf of the conservation agencies up to its completion in 1998. The MNCR was initiated to provide a comprehensive baseline of information on marine habitats and species, to aid coastal zone and sea-use management and to contribute to the identification of areas of marine natural heritage importance throughout Great Britain. Data collected through the MNCR was stored in the Marine Recorder database, and has been extracted from Marine Recorder to produce this dataset. For more details, see http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-1596. Records currently considered sensitive have been removed from this dataset.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
UK Biodiversity Indicator B5a, Air pollution

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator B5a, Air pollution.

The air pollutants - sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia - can contribute to acidification, and nitrogen oxides and ammonia can contribute to terrestrial eutrophication.  Both problems can adversely affect semi-natural ecosystems.  Exceeding the critical load for acid deposition may have direct effects, for example by altering the soil pH and therefore the range of associated species, or indirect effects, for example by increasing dissolved aluminium concentrations in soil and water.  Excess nitrogen as a nutrient can lead to leakage of nitrogen from soil systems, causing eutrophication of inland waters, or affect species composition, for example by triggering accelerated growth of some species at the expense of others.

Critical loads are thresholds above which significant harmful effects occur on sensitive UK habitats.  Approximately 78,000km2 of terrestrial habitat is sensitive to acid deposition.  About 73,000km2 is sensitive to eutrophication; much of this is sensitive to both.

This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator B5a the latest data are for 2012.  The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee