The Isles of Scilly Biodiversity Audit 2008 - Cornwall Wildlife Trust

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RecommendationsRecommendation 1 – SurveyPromote and instigate survey work for those speciesand habitats on the Isles of Scilly priority lists inSection 4 which need further research to establish theirlocal conservation needs and status.The priority tables in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 illustrate thelarge gaps in our knowledge about many species andhabitats. For these species and habitats further surveywork is required in order to determine their level ofsignificance to Scilly. Once this has been established,a decision can be reached as to whether they shouldremain on the priority list.Research into local rarity and threats will help toestablish whether these species need prioritisation.Baseline data is lacking for many species and habitatsagainst which to measure change. Initial habitatmapping of many of the priority habitats is stillneeded in order to measure changes in the extent ofhabitats and for planning habitat management.Recommendation 2 – Monitor and ResearchSupport and instigate monitoring and research ofspecies and habitats on the Isles of Scilly priority list.Monitoring of priority habitats and species isrecommended particularly where local threats havebeen identified. There is some monitoring currently inplace and this should be supported and extended toother habitats and species as identified in the tables inSections 4.1 and 4.2.Further research and recording of priority speciesand habitats should be encouraged. This includesassisting where possible towards the completion ofthe All Taxon Biodiversity Inventory for the marinelife of the Isles of Scilly. The production of a ScillyRare Plants Register similar to that being producedfor Cornwall is recommended in order to provide amore complete picture of the rare and special florain Scilly. It is further recommended that a satellite ofthe Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall andthe Isles of Scilly is established on Scilly to supportmonitoring efforts and promote biological recording ingeneral.actions outlined in this report and will make asignificant contribution to the achievement of many ofthe other key recommendations.Recommendation 4 – Marine Protected AreaWork towards the inclusion of the Isles of Scilly ina South West or National Marine Protected Areanetwork.Marine Protected Areas are a simple way of managingresource use in the marine environment, providingprotection for the entire ecosystem. Along with othermeasures a network of MPAs can reduce pressure andpromote recovery of biodiversity.Recommendation 5 – Additional PlansConsider producing separate Action andImplementation Plans for those species and habitatsnot covered under recommendations 1 to 4.Priority habitats and species which fall outside theIoSWT holdings and any Marine Protected Area that isestablished should be considered for the production ofseparate Action and Implementation Plans. Experiencefrom Cornwall’s Biodiversity Initiative has shownthat the number of separate plans should be kept toa minimum. Where priority species occur within apriority habitat their conservation should be achievedthrough the habitat action and implementation plan.Recommendation 6 – Conservation Advisory GroupMaintain the Conservation Advisory Group for theIsles of Scilly as a focus for delivering biodiversityaction on Scilly.The Conservation Advisory Group should takeownership of this Biodiversity Audit and beresponsible for its delivery. Resources should besought to ensure that these recommendations canbe taken forward into programmes of work andthat their actions can be achieved. There may bea need to produce a further volume which buildson this Biodiversity Audit to detail how theserecommendations can be implemented. Best practiceshould be shared between this group and theequivalent group in Cornwall.Recommendation 3 – Manage IoSWT land holdingsImplement, maintain and monitor the work plansoutlined in the Management Plans for Isles of ScillyWildlife Trust holdings produced in conjunction withthis report.Management Plans for all the Isles of Scilly WildlifeTrust holdings were produced in parallel with thisreport. It is strongly recommended that these plans beimplemented as they support the wider biodiversityIsles of Scilly biodiversity audit Page 116
Glossary6Alluvial sediment – particles derived from river-bornesourcesBasic soils – alkaline soils, soils with pH greaterthan 7.Benthic - in or on the sea bedBiodiversity Action Plan (BAP) – The UK BAP isthe Government’s response to the Convention onBiological Diversity signed in 1992. It describes theUK’s biological resources and commits a detailed planfor their protection. It is made up of Species ActionPlans, Habitat Action Plans and Local BiodiversityAction Plans with targeted actions.Biotope - an area of uniform environmental conditionsproviding a living place for a specific assemblage ofplants and animals.Circa-littoral – 40-65m depth zoneDemersal – the area just above the sea bedDiadromous – fish which spend part of their lifecyclein freshwater and part in the seaDraw down zone – the area on the margins of a pondor lake which become exposed to air when waterlevels drop.Ecological niches - an area or position in theenvironment that tends to suit a species long termsurvival and welfare,Epiphyte – a plant which grows on another species ofplant or animal.Infauna – Organisms living within the sediment or seabed.Interstitial – the spaces between things, such as sandgrainsIntertidal – the area between high tide and low tidewhich is covered at high water and exposed at lowwaterLittoral – of or on the shoreLusitanian species – species whose geographicalrange includes the Iberian Peninsula, particularlythose with a stronghold in that area.Meiofauna – animals of microscopic size living insediments, marine meiofauna is found from the shoreto the deep sea.Mesotrophic – an environment such as a bodyof water with intermediate levels of productivity(between oligotrophic and eutrophic).NS (Nationally Scarce) – a species recorded from 16 to100 10 km squares of the British National Grid.Oligotrophic – an environment that offers little tosustain life, such as a body of water with low nutrientlevels.Pelagic – associated with the open seaPlankton – small, free floating organisms of the sea orother aquatic environmentClose up of sea urchin spines and tube feet. Photo: Malcolm NimmoIsles of Scilly biodiversity audit Page 117
Page 1 and 2:
The Isles of ScillyBiodiversity Aud
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ContentsForeword Page 5Acknowledgem
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ISLES OF SCILLY BIODIVERSITYForewor
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ExecutiveSummary1 IntroductionObjec
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1Introduction1.1 Objectives of Isle
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2Isles of ScillyBiodiversityThe bio
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2.2.1.1 Marine algae - seaweedsOver
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2.2.1.2 Charophytes - StonewortsOve
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2.2.1.5 Bryophytes - Mosses andLive
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2.2.1.7 Porifera - spongesOverviewS
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die-off occurred. The timid burrowi
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2.2.1.10 Arachnida - Spiders andrel
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2.2.1.12 Myriapoda - Centipedes and
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2.2.1.14 Orthoptera - Crickets,Gras
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2.2.1.16 Lepidoptera - Butterflies
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2.2.1.18 Hymenoptera - Wasps andBee
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2.2.1.20 Coleoptera - BeetlesOvervi
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2.2.1.22 Mollusca - Slugs, snails,b
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2.2.1.24 Echinoderms - sea urchins,
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2.2.1.26 Lesser-studied phylaOvervi
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2.2.1.27 Amphibia - frogs, toads an
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with herring Clupea harengus and ma
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2.2.1.29 Terrestrial ReptiliaOvervi
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2.2.1.31 BirdsOverviewSeabirdsThe I
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2.2.1.32 Terrestrial MammalsOvervie
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commonest species of dolphin in the
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Habitat Areas -An IntroductionSt Ma
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2.2.2.1 Arable Field MarginsOvervie
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2.2.2.3 Coastal Vegetated ShingleOv
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Rocky reef with jewel anemones Cory
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2.2.2.6 Intertidal BouldersOverview
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2.2.2.8 Lowland HeathlandOverviewLo
Page 65 and 66: 2.2.2.10 Marine Sands and GravelsOv
Page 67 and 68: 2.2.2.11 Maritime Cliff and SlopesO
Page 69 and 70: 2.2.2.13 ReedbedsOverviewReedbeds a
Page 71 and 72: 2.2.2.15 Seagrass BedsOverviewSeagr
Page 73 and 74: 2.2.2.16 Standing Open Water(Eutrop
Page 75 and 76: 2.2.2.18 Wet WoodlandOverviewThis h
Page 77 and 78: 3.1 Nature ConservationOverviewPubl
Page 79 and 80: 3.2 AgricultureOverviewAlthough tou
Page 81 and 82: 3.3 FisheriesOverviewFor many years
Page 83 and 84: 3.4 Built DevelopmentOverviewAs wit
Page 85 and 86: 3.6 Air & Terrestrial PollutionOver
Page 87 and 88: chemical dispersants will only be u
Page 89 and 90: 3.9 Climate Change / Sea LevelRiseO
Page 91 and 92: 3.11 Economic DevelopmentOverviewTh
Page 93 and 94: 4Priorities for BiodiversityConserv
Page 95 and 96: Gracilaria bursa-pastoris A red sea
Page 97 and 98: Eriopus apiculatus A moss RDB Shade
Page 99 and 100: Spergularia bocconei Greek Spurrey
Page 101 and 102: Lucernariopsiscampanulata A stalked
Page 103 and 104: Agrochola lychnidis Beaded Chestnut
Page 105 and 106: Aphrosylus mitis A fly NS Uncommon
Page 107 and 108: RecommendationRecommendationRecomme
Page 109 and 110: Prionace glauca Blue Shark BAP Comm
Page 111 and 112: 22Cygnus columbianusbewickiiTundra
Page 113 and 114: RecommendationMARINE MAMMALSSpecies
Page 115: 5Recommendationsfor ActionThe role
Page 119 and 120: Bibliography7Aprahamian M and Robso
Page 121 and 122: Harris T (1972) The Marine Flora an
Page 123 and 124: Scilly, Journal of Conchology 4, 28
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