NORTHERN IRELAND COUNTRYSIDE SURVEY AND HNV FARMLAND Richard

NORTHERN IRELAND COUNTRYSIDE SURVEY AND HNV FARMLAND Richard Weyl and Mark Wright Biodiversity Unit Northern Ireland Environment Agency

Northern Ireland Countryside Survey Background • Field-based ecological research programme – – • Science-based record of habitat change information – – – • supported by NIEA (and her predecessors) carried out by the University of Ulster in 1980 s, 1990 s and 2000 s. records the fine scale structure of habitats can be used to measure environmental policy effectiveness report on the stock of habitats and more recently ecological condition of habitats. NICS is structured on statistical sampling principles and standardized protocols for habitat field survey.

NICS Methods • Field survey is carried out in quarter kilometre grid squares (0. 25 km 2) throughout NI. – • Different sample intensities have been used in different years – • • Samples are stratified based on the NI Land Classification and also by linear length of coastline for coastal sample squares (also at 0. 5%) 0. 5% in 2007 (288 sample squares). Field mapping is based on a primary habitat classification, defined by vegetation structure and species composition. Areas of primary habitats can be estimated from sample squares by statistical analysis.

Results • Only a part of the data has been analysed • Publications – – NICS 2007: Broad habitat change 1998 -2007 NICS 2007: Field boundaries summary 1998 -2007 Semi-natural habitat analysis (in house) NI State of Biodiversity Report 2010 (in prep) • Website – http: //www. doeni. gov. uk/niea/index/publications. htm

Status of HNV farmland Broad habitats • Extent of semi-natural vegetation in 2007 – 622, 906 ha (44 % of NI land cover). – most abundant neutral grasslands and bogs followed by broadleaved woodland, wetland open water. • Change in semi-natural vegetation – Overall loss of 26, 530 ha (4%) – Large loss of neutral grassland, – Large increase in broad-leaved woodland • Change in other land cover types – Decrease in arable and horticulture – Increase in improved grassland urban • Changes are mostly a continuation of those observed between the 1980 s and 1998, and reflect changing economic drivers resulting in more intensive farming, farming abandonment and development pressure.

Change in Broad habitat area 1998 2007 (ha) Change (ha) (%) Broadleaved/Mixed & Yew Wood. 63507 81699 18193 28. 65* Coniferous Woodland 62135 60617 -1518 -2. 44 Roads / Tracks & Hard Verge. 29449 30951 1503 5. 1* Arable and Horticulture 57213 48917 -8295 -14. 5 Improved Grassland 554982 573010 18028 3. 25 Neutral Grassland 263902 231116 -32786 -12. 42* Calcareous Grassland 1765 1802 37 2. 12 Acid Grassland 13324 10369 -2954 -22. 18 Bracken - dense 3084 2645 -439 -14. 25 Heath (Dwarf Shrub) 13909 16751 2842 20. 43 52935 47255 -5680 -10. 73 164216 160902 -3314 -2. 02 61785 61332 -453 -0. 73 Rivers & Streams 5390 5495 105 1. 96 Montane¹ <735 -- -- Inland Rock 7969 5450 -2520 31. 62 Urban/Built Up Areas 56847 74098 17251 30. 35* Supralittoral Rock 1717 1581 -136 -7. 94 Supralittoral Sediment 1859 1995 136 7. 33 1415986 Broad Habitats Fen, Marsh & (Wetland) Swamp Bog Standing Open (Waterbodies) Total Area Water Change

Transitions between land cover types 1998 -2007 BH 12 Bog 161, 000 ha (11%) BH 11 Fen, marsh, swamp 47, 000 ha (3%) 3, 000 ha 2, 000 ha 3, 000 ha BH 01 Broadleaf woodland 82, 000 ha (6%) 3, 000 ha BH 02 Coniferous woodland 61, 000 ha (4%) 2, 000 ha BH 05 Improved grassland 573, 000 ha (41%) 9, 000 ha 6, 000 ha 9, 000 ha BH 04 Arable 49, 000 ha (4%) BH 17 Buildings 74, 000 ha (5%) 20, 000 ha 1, 000 ha 5, 000 ha BH 06 Neutral grassland 231, 000 ha (16%)

Changes within land cover –types and NI priority habitats • • 31% decrease in fen meadow 30% decrease in species-rich dry grassland 22% decrease in acid grassland 31% increase in upland heathland

Potential for detailed analyses habitat condition • Each parcel or polygon sample has associated attribute information which can be used to assess condition – ~ 1/3 of the area of species-rich dry grassland has some degree of scattered scrub cover – Mean Sphagnum cover of blanket bog 13%

Application to HNV farmland • NICS is sample-based, independent, can be used to measure stock, condition and change over time in geographic areas, needs sufficient sample size • Case study – Northern Ireland ESAs 1998 - 2007 – Rye grass ↓ 1. 3% inside ESA; ↑ 4. 4% outside ESA; – Other agricultural grassland ↑ 4. 4% inside ESA; ↓ 17. 5% outside ESA – Species-rich dry grassland ↑ 7% inside ESA; ↓ 42% outside ESA – Fen meadow ↓ 19% inside ESA; ↓ 27% outside ESA

SUMMARY • NICS has great potential to contribute to monitoring HNV farmland • Needs better and more secure resourcing • Needs to be shared between across Government Departments

thank you!