Landscape Scale Conservation

Why Landscape-Scale?

Changes in agriculture, technology and the economy have transformed the countryside in the last fifty years. Many species and habitats have survived within nature reserves and other protected areas but have declined dramatically in the wider countryside. Nature cannot thrive in isolated areas dotted across the landscape. It needs strong networks of habitats providing room to adapt, resilience to change and opportunities to spread.

Our natural environment provides us with many resources, from food and raw materials, to varied opportunities for exercise and relaxation. It provides clean air and water and carries out unseen but essential services such as nutrient recycling. For too long the natural environment has been regarded as something apart from economic and social activity. We aim to put it back where it belongs - as fundamental to our wellbeing and prosperity.

Climate change poses an additional challenge to wildlife. The approach of protecting only the isolated, highest quality sites will not be enough to provide the networks that wildlife will need to move within the changing landscape. The best insurance against declines in biodiversity and climate change is the creation of more robust and functional ecosystems across the landscape. Functional ecosystems are those with a more natural balance - that create and maintain habitats and allow species to live in viable populations, whilst continuing to carry out the vital services such as fixing carbon and water storage.

We can help nurture and expand these ecosystems by working across wider areas and networks of habitats, linking existing areas and restoring others. We need to 'think big' and aim to deliver projects at a landscape scale to achieve big benefits for the natural environment. We need to work with partners in a wide range of sectors to achieve a happier, healthier and more prosperous future.

Working at a landscape scale isn't just about creating bigger sites or more nature reserves: it is about taking a wider approach to the management of the countryside and green spaces in towns and cities. A high quality natural environment supports the economy, promotes health and wellbeing and provides us with clean air, water and flood protection.

More about the Landscapes for Living project can be found in this prospectus  (2.1MB) or on the West Midlands Biodiversity Partnership.

Worcestershire's Biodiversity Delivery Areas

The Worcestershire Biodiversity Partnership carried out an exercise in 2009 to identify priority areas for biodiversity delivery within the county, where partners felt that resources could best be focused to achieve maximum gain.

Between now and 2015 the Worcestershire Biodiversity Partnership will be focusing on increasing project delivery within five priority areas in the county. These were chosen after carrying out a local opportunity mapping exercise where partners used the best available data to identify where we believed habitat and species conservation targets could be met with most efficient use of available resources and existing support or partnerships.

The Worcestershire Habitat Inventory was a key source of information during the local opportunity mapping process.

Click on the map image to the right to show the Biodiversity Delivery Areas in more detail.

• Bow Brook  (689KB)
• Forest of Feckenham (532KB)
• Malvern Chase with Laugherne Valley (818KB)
• Severn and Avon Vales (354KB)
• Wyre Forest Acid Grassland and Heaths (460KB)

Planning Guidance  (2MB) was produced in August 2008 to demonstrate to local planning authorities how local opportunity mapping for biodiversity can make a major contribution to achieving national and regional policy objectives and meeting statutory requirements for enhancing biodiversity.

Biodiversity Opportunity Map for Worcestershire

This Biodiversity Opportunity Map  (1.6MB) gives guidance on some of the key opportunities for enhancing biodiversity that may exist within different areas of the county, in response to a need to identify where we can best focus effort to deliver which Biodiversity Action Plan targets.

By using the map, we want you to be able to consider how the delivery of your biodiversity project could contribute to bigger gains for biodiversity at a landscape scale, by working in partnership with other communities or organisations over a larger area.

The map is accompanied by a guidance note  (1MB) to inform your interpretation of the map.

For further information and support in developing biodiversity projects in Worcestershire, please contact the Biodiversity Officer on biodiversity@worcestershire.gov.uk or 01905 766852.

Wye, Severn and Avon Vales IBDA

The Worcestershire Biodiversity Partnership has also engaged with current work to develop a delivery strategy and project funding bids within one of eight new pilot landscape-scale areas in England.

The Wye, Severn and Avon Vales IBDA is one of eight new landscape-scale areas identified across England within which to pilot project delivery across county and regional borders. These eight areas were chosen by the England Biodiversity Group and are intended to demonstrate best practice in partnership working, levering of funding and the consideration of climate change adaptation needs.

• A project within the Bow Brook catchment in Worcestershire to focus on the restoration and management of lowland grassland.
• A project on the upper River Avon and the River Stour in Warwickshire to focus on floodplain restoration and management.
• A project to address traditional orchard restoration and management across the whole of the IBDA.