Scotland's Wildlife – an assessment of biodiversity in 20

- the number of adults in Scotland visiting the outdoors annually remained at
around 78% (2003-2007);
- in a survey of attitudes to biodiversity in 2006 and 2009, around 80% of adults
in Scotland responded positively to questions of interest in, relevance of, and
concern for Scotland’s biodiversity;
- involvement in biodiversity conservation (2006-2008) and membership of
biodiversity NGOs (2007-2009) increased.
2.3 Site condition monitoring outcomes
Protected sites are important because their special characteristics and natural
processes favour biodiversity. Two of Scotland’s 22 biodiversity indicators reflect
notified habitats and notified species.
Site-based conservation of nationally and internationally important habitats, species and
geological features is undertaken through a network of 1,451 protected areas (Sites of
Special Scientific Interest, Ramsar, Special Areas of Conservation and Special
Protection Areas). The extent of protected areas exceeds one million hectares, or about
12% of Scotland.
Some 2,370 habitat and 601 geological features assessed for condition include blanket
bogs of the Flow Country; montane habitats of the Cairngorm mountains, and ancient
rock formations at Knockan Crag. Their condition by October 2010 was as follows:
- 55% of habitat features (non-geological) were in favourable condition; 17% were
in unfavourable recovering; and 27% were unfavourable.
- 99% of marine and 83% of coastal features were favourable/unfavourable
recovering.
- 78% of freshwater and 76% of wetland features were favourable/unfavourable
recovering.
- 66% of upland, 65% of woodland, 81% of lowland heathland and 65% of
lowland grassland features were favourable/unfavourable recovering.
- 96% of geological features were favourable/unfavourable recovering.
Approximately 370 species are notified on protected areas in Scotland. Species are
notified for reasons such as rarity (e.g. the great crested newt, which has declined
across Europe), or international importance (e.g. lichens of the west coast of Scotland,
which are unrivalled elsewhere in Europe). Their condition was assessed from 2,093
monitoring observations of individual species or species assemblages. By October 2010
their condition was as follows:
- 70% of species populations were recorded as favourable and 6% were
unfavourable recovering; 24% of species populations were in an unfavourable
condition.
- The percentage of species that were favourable/unfavourable recovering in the
different categories was: 98% of land mammals; 100% of amphibians, 97% of
dragonflies; 93% of marine mammals; 85% of fish; 84% of invertebrates; 74% of
birds; 96% of butterflies; 81% of non-vascular plants and 57% of vascular plants.
- Conversely, 43% of vascular plants; 19% of non vascular plants; 16% of birds;
16% of invertebrates; 15% of fish; 7% of marine mammals and 4% of dragonflies
were in an unfavourable condition.
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