State of Nature report - RSPB

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Paul Hobson (FLPA) Urban “... it came to me that Hyde Park... has always been, in spirit, a stretch of the countryside; and that it links Londons of all periods together most magically by remaining forever unchanged at the heart of the ever-changing town.” Dodie Smith, from I Capture the Castle
URBAN There are many different ways to define “urban areas”, but a sensible definition suggests that about 9.5% of the UK is urbanised – a figure which ranges from 3% in Scotland and Northern Ireland, to nearly 15% in England 1 . Urban areas contain about 80% of the human population 2 , with densities varying widely both within and between urban areas. Obviously, urban areas contain buildings, roads and other elements of the built environment, but also – crucially for wildlife – open spaces such as parks, woodlands, playing fields, gardens and allotments. Within this section we also consider brownfield land that has been previously developed and then abandoned, and the rich wildlife it can support. The built elements of urban landscapes provide little in the way of habitat for wildlife, but some species, such as the house sparrow, swift and several bats, rely on buildings for nesting and roosting sites. Some of these bats are rare or threatened, including greater and lesser horseshoe bats and grey long-eared bats. It is the space around buildings that provides opportunities for most species, and the extent and management of that space makes the difference between sterile, lifeless cities and those with wildlife that can enrich people’s lives. Our gardens are obvious spaces for nature, but allotments, cemeteries, playing fields and parks, derelict pockets of land and even old stone walls are equally important and can support rich communities of wildlife. Belfast’s parks are home to red squirrels, kittiwakes nest in Newcastle and otters swim through Edinburgh. The UK’s urban areas have the potential to hold a wealth of wildlife, if we give nature a chance. Kittiwake nesting in Newcastle However, an obvious pressure on urban wildlife is the need to house an expanding human population 3 . Following the Second World War there was a trend towards suburbanisation, with sprawling cities and new towns. In the 1980s, attention focused on developing brownfield sites and open spaces within urban areas, squeezing our urban wildlife even further. David Tipling Urban wildlife plays a crucial role in enriching people’s lives: without it, many people would have no access to nature and all the benefits it brings. The UK’s increasing human population means more pressure on urban green spaces, and less room for wildlife. Of the 658 urban species for which we have data, 59% have declined and 35% have declined strongly. Invertebrates are doing particularly poorly in urban environments with 42% (183) showing strong declines. Despite the fact that brownfield sites provide important refuges for a diverse range of wildlife, including many rare and threatened invertebrates, they are often viewed as ripe for development and receive little protection. STATE OF NATURE 2013 53
Page 3 and 4: STATE OF NATURE Foreword by Sir Dav
Page 5 and 6: UPLAND STATE OF NATURE 2013 29
Page 7 and 8: Although robust data are in short s
Page 9 and 10: ought species back from the brink o
Page 11 and 12: Wasps (175) All (5%) Moths (676) La
Page 13 and 14: MEASURING THE STATE OF NATURE Measu
Page 15 and 16: Although the evidence for the wides
Page 17 and 18: FARMLAND Farmland makes up around 7
Page 19 and 20: Why is farmland wildlife changing?
Page 21 and 22: Brown hares have benefited from hab
Page 23 and 24: lowland semi-natural grassland and
Page 25 and 26: Why is lowland semi-natural grassla
Page 27 and 28: Common lizard Steve Knell All six o
Page 29 and 30: UPLAND The UK’s uplands are the h
Page 31 and 32: o single factor is responsible for
Page 33 and 34: Golden eagles and other animals are
Page 35 and 36: WOODLAND Much of Britain was once c
Page 37 and 38: Why is woodland wildlife changing?
Page 39 and 40: Increased grazing pressure from dee
Page 41 and 42: COASTAL Wrapped in a narrow ribbon
Page 43 and 44: Why is coastal wildlife changing? T
Page 45 and 46: Genevieve Leaper Sea thrift on a cl
Page 47 and 48: FRESHWATER AND WETLANDS Freshwater
Page 49 and 50: Why is freshwater and wetland wildl
Page 51: Common frog Mark Sisson Freshwater
Page 55 and 56: Why is urban wildlife changing? A s
Page 57 and 58: The renovation or demolition of old
Page 59 and 60: URBAN Derelict, disused and unloved
Page 61 and 62: MARINE he UK is truly a maritime na
Page 63 and 64: hanges in the temperature, circulat
Page 65 and 66: Harbour seals have declined by near
Page 67 and 68: UK OVERSEAS TERRITORIES The UK has
Page 69 and 70: Just one individual of St Helena’
Page 71 and 72: EXTINCTIONS AND COLONISATIONS You w
Page 73 and 74: Little egret Ernie Janes The little
Page 75 and 76: CONSERVATION HEROES Picture the sce
Page 77 and 78: Climate change Climate change is al
Page 79 and 80: A: In some datasets, both total cha
Page 81 and 82: Watchlist indicator Between 1995 an
Page 83 and 84: 11: Fuller RM (1987) Biological Con
Page 85 and 86: in urban area: implications for nat
Page 87 and 88: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgements T
Page 89 and 90: Conchological Society of Great Brit
Page 92: The State of Nature report is a col

State of Nature report - RSPB

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