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A STATEMENT ON COMMON STANDARDS

FOR MONITORING DESIGNATED SITES

1. Introduction

1.1 One of the special functions of the three country agencies (Countryside Council for

Wales, English Nature and Scottish Natural Heritage) is the establishent of coon

standards throughout !reat "ritain for the onitoring of nature conser#ation. $his

inforation note describes the basic standards %hich relate to the onitoring re&uired

on statutory sites. $he standards ha#e been de#eloped by these agencies, together %ith

the En#ironent and Heritage Ser#ice in Northern 'reland and ha#e been agreed by

the oint Nature Conser#ation Coittee.

1. $he standards apply to statutory sites designated as Sites of Special Scientific 'nterest

(SSS's) and *reas of Special Scientific 'nterest (*SS's). $hey %ill also apply to areasdesignated as part of the Natura +++ series, (Special rotection *reas (S*s) under

the EC "irds -irecti#e and Special *reas of Conser#ation (S*Cs) under the EC

Habitats -irecti#e), together %ith asar sites designated under the Con#ention on

Wetlands of 'nternational 'portance.

1./ $he standards set out belo% pro#ide the basic frae%or0 re&uired to ensure consistent

onitoring throughout the 2. * glossary of the ters associated %ith coon

standards onitoring is pro#ided in *nne3 '. 4urther guidelines are being produced by

the country agencies to assist %ith the practical interpretation and application of these

standards. Once agreed they %ill be published by the oint Nature Conser#ation

Coittee. $he detailed ipleentation of the standards is the responsibility of the

indi#idual country agencies.

2. The need for common standards for site monitorin

.1 $here are se#eral benefits to be deri#ed fro ha#ing an agreed set of coon

standards for site onitoring5

*t a local le#el, staff ha#e a frae%or0 %ithin %hich they can de#elop their

prograe of site onitoring %ith the confidence that this is supported and

being ipleented throughout the country. $he standards enable staff to

a0e consistent 6udgeents about site condition and help to ensure that

6udgeents are coparable fro one person to another and fro one site toanother.

'f data are collected, anaged and e3changed follo%ing accepted standards

the costs of data e3change are substantially reduced. 7ess tie is spent

interpreting and reconciling data fro different sources and consistent data

facilitates the coparison of results in tie and space.

Coon standards allo% indi#idual agencies to establish procedures to ensure

data is pro#ided at the right tie, in the right forat. $he data can then be

aggregated and inforation produced at a range of geographical scales. $his

%ill enable obligations to report on the condition of designated sites at a

country le#el and at a nited 2ingdo le#el to be et.

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!. The "asic a##roach

/.1 'n de#eloping coon standards for site onitoring it is iportant to define %hat is

eant by onitoring. 'n these standards %e distinguish bet%een sur#eillance and

onitoring.

/. Sur#eillance relates to a continued prograe of sur#eys systeatically underta0en to

pro#ide a series of obser#ations o#er tie. Such prograes of repeated obser#ations

are #ery #aluable for establishing the trends in the coponents of nature conser#ation

at different geographic scales. Sur#eillance prograes and sur#ey inforation both

contribute to the national audit of %ildlife %hich ser#es a range of different purposes

including inforing decision a0ing, policy de#elopent and epo%ering

indi#iduals and groups to a0e %ise choices about the natural en#ironent.

Sur#eillance prograes can benefit fro agreed standards but this is not dealt %ith

further in this paper.

/./ 8onitoring is, in contrast to sur#eillance, the a0ing of an obser#ation to establish

%hether a standard is being et. $his can be established in a single #isit orobser#ation and does not re&uire inforation collected o#er tie.

/.9 $he purpose of site onitoring is essentially to5

-eterine %hether the desired condition of the feature(s) of interest for %hich

the site %as designated is being achie#ed. $his can enable 6udgeents to be

ade about %hether the anageent of the site is appropriate, or %hether

changes are necessary.

$o enable anagers and policy a0ers to deterine %hether the site series as

a %hole is achie#ing the re&uired condition, and the degree to %hich current

legal, adinistrati#e and incenti#e easures are pro#ing effecti#e.

/.: Standards for site onitoring need to be sufficiently robust so that they can be

ipleented consistently across the 2 by the different agencies, yet also be able to

cater for the different operational practices and systes that ha#e e#ol#ed in each

country. $he frae%or0 of standards ensures that the iniu re&uireents are

defined and are able to be deli#ered %ithin the resources a#ailable. $he detailed

operational de#elopent of these standards is the responsibility of each of the country

agencies. $he standards ust enable us to onitor all of the habitats, species and

earth science features protected %ithin the SSS's and *SS's, including those of

iportance in the Natura +++ net%or0 and asar sites.

/.; $he bul0 of the onitoring effort is li0ely to be underta0en by local conser#ation

officers in the course of their day to day duties although in soe situations, for

e3aple in the arine en#ironent, other specialists ay be re&uired. $he frae%or0

is designed to enable staff to underta0e the assessents re&uired bearing in ind the

%ide #ariation in types of site, interest features, 0no%ledge of natural changes %hich

occur and e#en the #ariation in the e3pertise and e3perience of staff. $he standards

facilitate &uic0 and siple 6udgeents but are also sufficiently robust to pro#ide the

re&uired le#el of &uality control and assurance that the assessents of site condition

are accurate and consistent across the country.

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$. The common standards

9.1 $he basic frae%or0 of coon standards for onitoring co#ers5

4eatures to be onitored

Conser#ation ob6ecti#esudging the condition of site features

ecording acti#ities and anageent easures

8onitoring cycle

eporting arrangeents

9. Features to be monitored

The features to "e monitored are %no&n as the interest feature(s) for &hich the

site has "een notified or' in the case of Natura 2((( and Ramsar sites' the features

for &hich the site is desinated.

'n onitoring, the special interest of the site ay not al%ays be dealt %ith as a single

entity since any sites ha#e a cople3 i3 of species, habitats or earth science

features %hich pro#ide the 6ustification for the designation of the site. Ho%e#er, the

indi#idual interest features can be identified, onitored and reported separately. $hese

interest features are described in the notification docuents and are the reasons %hy

the site %as designated. 'n the case of S*s and asar sites the interest features

%hich 6ustify the designation are recorded in the site docuentation. ntil S*Cs are

forally designated the interest features are those for %hich the site has been selected.

9./ Conservation Objectives

Conser)ation o"*ecti)es &i++ "e #re#ared for interest features on a++ sites. These

o"*ecti)es &i++ define &hat constitutes fa)oura"+e condition of each feature ",

descri"in "road tarets &hich shou+d "e met if the feature is to "e *uded

fa)oura"+e.

Each interest feature of a site %ill ha#e one or ore attributes that can be used to help

define fa#ourable condition. 4or species these ay include population si

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9.9 Judging the Condition of Sites

The condition of site features &i++ "e assessed aainst the fo++o&in cateories-

Fa)oura"+e maintained. *n interest feature should be recorded as

maintained%hen its conser#ation ob6ecti#es %ere being et at the pre#ious

assessent, and are still being et.

Fa)oura"+e reco)ered. *n interest feature can be recorded as ha#ing

recovered if it has regained fa#ourable condition, ha#ing been recorded as

unfa#ourable on the pre#ious assessent.

/nfa)oura"+e reco)erin. *n interest feature can be recorded as

recoveringafter daage if it has begun to sho%, or is continuing to sho%, a

trend to%ards fa#ourable condition.

/nfa)oura"+e no chane. *n interest feature ay be retained in a ore=or=

less steady state by repeated or continuing daage> it is unfa#ourable butneither declining or reco#ering. 'n rare cases, an interest feature ight not be

able to regain its original condition follo%ing a daaging acti#ity, but a ne%

stable state ight be achie#ed.

/nfa)oura"+e dec+inin. -ecline is another possible conse&uence of a

daaging acti#ity. 'n this case, reco#ery is possible and ay occur either

spontaneously or if suitable anageent input is ade.

0artia++, destro,ed. 't is possible to destroy sections or areas of certain

features or to destroy parts of sites %ith no hope of reinstateent because part

of the feature itself, or the habitat or processes essential to support it, has been

reo#ed or irretrie#ably altered.

Destro,ed. $he recording of a feature as destroyed %ill indicate the entire

interest feature has been affected to such an e3tent that there is no hope of

reco#ery, perhaps because its supporting habitat or processes ha#e been

reo#ed or irretrie#ably altered.

$hese categories %ill be used to assess and report on the condition of features of

interest and %ill replace the old loss and daage categories pre#iously used.

udgeents on the o#erall condition of a feature %ill be influenced by a #ariety of

factors and in soe cases a feature ay be assessed as being in fa#ourable condition

%hen only soe of the targets set for it ha#e been et.

9.: Recording Activities and Management Measures

Acti)ities on' or near' the site and #ractica+ manaement measures affectin the

condition of interest features &i++ "e inc+uded in the monitorin #rocess. This

information &i++ "e re#orted usin a set of areed cateories.

*n iportant part of onitoring is the potential of relating obser#ed changes in the

condition of the interest features to the reasons for such changes. *cti#ities being

carried out on, or near, the site ay be causing the feature to decline in condition, or

ay be constraining desired ipro#eents. Con#ersely, anageent easures ay

result in ipro#eents to the condition of features and the identification of such

easures %ill deonstrate their #alue and influence future anageent actions. $he

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result of such copliance onitoring %ill help infor #ie%s on %hether e3isting legal,

adinistrati#e, practical anageent and incenti#e easures are pro#ing effecti#e.

-ata fro other sources ay also pro#ide conte3tual inforation and help infor our

#ie%s on the success or other%ise of easures.

9.; Monitoring Cycle

The o)era++ c,c+e &i++ ensure that the interest features for a++ statutor, sites &i++ "e

monitored at +east once &ithin si ,ears. o&e)er' for an, #articu+ar site a++ the

interest features shou+d "e monitored &ithin a three ,ear #eriod.

$here is a need to onitor statutory sites and their interest features %ithin an agreed

cycle. $his cycle needs to ta0e account of the scale of onitoring re&uired, the li0ely

rate of change and the national and international reporting needs. *s 0ey reports on

European -irecti#es and international agreeents and Con#entions operate on a si3

year cycle this has been chosen as the o#erall cycle for onitoring in the 2. Within

the o#erall onitoring cycle, it %ill be useful to for a #ie% of the o#erall condition of

the features %ithin a proportion of the statutory sites on a ore fre&uent basis. Eachinterest feature %ithin a site should therefore be onitored, preferably %ithin the sae

year, but certainly %ithin a three year period. $his %ill enable an interi 2 %ide

report on a proportion of the statutory site net%or0 to be produced e#ery three years.

9.? Reorting Arrangements

Information on the SSSI and ASSI series &i++ "e #resented' at the /3 +e)e+' on the

"asis of the "iodi)ersit, "road ha"itat t,#es oriina++, descri"ed in the /3

4iodi)ersit, Action 0+an 5166$7 and on cateories a##ro#riate to the Geo+oica+

Conser)ation Re)ie&. Re#ortin on s#ecies is for an areed set of s#ecies

cateories. A fu++ re#ort &i++ "e #roduced once e)er, si ,ears &ith an interim

re#ort #roduced "et&een fu++ re#orts. The monitorin frame&or% &i++ enerateinformation on the condition of features across the statutor, site net&or% as a

&ho+e' or on the status of features &ithin indi)idua+ sites' and &i++ "e used to fu+fi+

re#ortin re8uirements under Euro#ean Directi)es and Internationa+

Con)entions.

eports on the condition of features are re&uired for a #ariety of purposes and on a

#ariety of scales. $he coon standard is to allo% the separate country accounts to be

copared and aggregated to produce a 2 account on the o#erall condition of features

and the acti#ities and practical anageent easures affecting the. $he standard

ust also enable ore specific accounts to be produced on the iportant habitats and

species co#ered by the "iodi#ersity *ction lan, the *nne3 1 habitats and *nne3 ''

species listed in the Habitats -irecti#e, *nne3 ' birds in the "irds -irecti#e andspecies and habitats co#ered by the asar Con#ention. 't ay also be necessary to

aggregate inforation on features to produce site based reports. 'ndi#idual country

agencies ay report in ore detail than these categories and ay %ish to report on a

ore fre&uent basis.

9. Further information

$he NCC is a coittee of the Countryside Council for Wales, English Nature and Scottish Natural

Heritage, together %ith independent ebers and %ith representati#es fro the

Countryside Coission and Northern 'reland. $he Coittee is supported by staff

fro the three agencies.

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4or further inforation on the prograe of %or0 associated %ith coon standards onitoring and

reporting contact5

Susan -a#ies, (*cting) Head of Habitats *d#ice, *d#isory Ser#ices, NCC, 8on0stone House, City

oad, eterborough, E1 1@. $el5 +1?// A;;A:, 4a35 +1?// :::B9A, E=ail5

-a#iessD6ncc.go#.u0

4or further details on operational ipleentation in each of the four countries contacts are as

follo%s5

England: -r 2eith orter, English Nature, Northinster House, eterborough E1 1*.

$el5 +1?// 9::19;, 4a35 +1?// :;AA/9, E=ail5 0eith.porterDenglish=nature.org.u0

Scotland: -r hil Sha%, Scottish Natural Heritage, *nderson lace, Edinburgh, EH; :N.

$el5 +1/1 99; ::9B?B?, 4a35 +1/1 99;??. E=ail5 eabDrasd.snh.deon.co.u0

Wales: -r $erry o%ell, Countryside Council for Wales, las !ogerddan, *beryst%yth, S@/ /EE.

$el5 +1B?+ A119, 4a35 +1B?+ AA/19, E=ail5 t.ro%ellDcc%.go#.u0

Northern Ireland: -r aul Corbett, En#ironent and Heritage Ser#ice, Coon%ealth House,/: Castle Street, "elfast, "$1 1!. $el5 +1/ :19??, 4a35 +1/ :9?++.

Anne I G+ossar, of terms used in Common Standards Monitorin and Re#ortin

$his glossary defines the ain ters used in coon standards onitoring and reporting. 't e3plains

the specialist technical ters used by the conser#ation agencies. $he glossary is not, ho%e#er,e3hausti#e. Only ters that are directly rele#ant to the Statement On Common Standards Monitoring

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ha#e been listed. Consistent terinology should be used in relation to all SSS's, *SS's, Natura +++

and asar sites.

Terms

Attribute! * characteristic of a habitat, biotope, counity or population of a species %hich ost

econoically pro#ides an indication of the condition of the interest feature to %hich it applies.

"iodiversity "road habitats! * frae%or0 classification of habitats contained in Biodiversity: The

UK Steering Gro! "e!ort(as aended by the $argets !roup) %hich can be used to describe the

%hole land surface of the 2, and the surrounding sea to the edge of the continental shelf in the

*tlantic ocean.

Comliance monitoring! 8onitoring to deterine %hether the anageent easures agreed for

particular designated sites are in place and operating.

Condition categories! $he generic ter describing the categories used for 6udging and reporting on

the condition of an interest feature.

Condition monitoring! 8onitoring to deterine the conser#ation status of interest #eatres onstatutory sites and to deterine %hether the conservation o$%ectivesfor particular sites are being et.

Conservation objective! * stateent of the nature conser#ation aspirations for the features of interest

on a site, e3pressed in ters of the #avora$le conditionthat %e %ish to attain for each interest

feature.

#estroyed! ecording of the condition of an interest feature as destroyed indicates that an entire

interest #eatrehas been affected to such an e3tent that there is no hope of reco#ery, perhaps because

its supporting habitat or processes ha#e been reo#ed or irretrie#ably altered.

Favourable $ maintained! *n interest #eatreis recorded under the condition category#avora$le=

maintained%hen its conser#ation ob6ecti#es %ere being et at the pre#ious assessent, and are still

being et.

Favourable $ recovered! *n interest #eatrecan be recorded in the condition category#avora$le=

recoveredif it has regained fa#ourable conditionF, ha#ing been recorded as unfa#ourableF on the

pre#ious assessent.

Favourable condition! $he target condition for an interest feature in ters of the abundance,

distribution andGor &uality of that feature %ithin a site, that %e ai the feature to attain.

Favourable conservation status- * range of conditions for a natural habitat or species at %hich the

su of the influences acting upon that habitat or species are not ad#ersely affecting its distribution,

abundance, structure or function throughout the E in the long ter. $he condition in %hich the

habitat or species is capable of sustaining itself on a long=ter basis.

Feature Monitoring Cycle! $he period %ithin %hich each indi#idual interest feature on a site should

be onitored. Set in the Coon Standards Stateent as / yearsI

%nterest feature! * habitat, habitat atri3, geoorphological or geological e3posure, a species or

species counity or asseblage %hich is the reason for notification of the site under the appropriate

selection guidelines or, in the case of Natura +++ and asar areas, the features for %hich the site

%ill be designated.

Monitoring! Sur#eillance underta0en to ensure that forulated standards are being aintained. $he

ter is also applied to copliance onitoring against accepted standards to ensure that agreed or

re&uired easures are being follo%ed.

Overall Monitoring Cycle! $he period %ithin %hich all designated sites and their interest features

%ill be onitored. Set as ; years in the Coon Standards StateentI

&artially destroyed! Where sections or areas of certain interest features are destroyed or parts of sites

are destroyed %ith no hope of reinstateent because the interest #eatreitself, or habitat or processes

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essential to support it, ha#e been reo#ed or irretrie#ably altered. Such cases %ould be recorded

under the condition category!artially destroyed.

&otentially damaging activities! *ny acti#ity occurring in an SSS' that has the potential to daage

the interest features for %hich the site has been designated.

Reorting categories! $he generic ter %hich refers to the categories that %ill be used to report the

results of SSS'G*SS' onitoring at the !"G2 le#el.

Reorting cycle! $he period %ithin %hich a definiti#e report on the condition of features protected

%ithin the SSS'G*SS' series %ill be produced. Set as once in e#ery ; years in the Coon Standards

StateentI

Surveillance! * continued prograe of (biological) sur#eys systeatically underta0en to pro#ide a

series of obser#ations in tie.

Survey! * set of standard obser#ations, usually obtained %ith a standard ethod and %ithin a

restricted tie period (see SrveillanceandMonitoring)

'arget! "road targets %hich describe the fluctuation of the attri$tesof an interest #eatre under

pre#ailing conditions. "ecause all features are sub6ect to soe change the targets ay e3press ho%uch change %e %ould accept %hilst still considering the feature to be in fa#ourable condition.

$hese %ill ser#e as a trigger echanis so that %hen changes that fall outside the thresholds

e3pressed are obser#ed or easured soe further in#estigation or reedial action is ta0en.

nfavourable $ declining! -ecline is another possible conse&uence of a daaging acti#ity. 'n this

case, reco#ery is possible and ay occur either spontaneously or if suitable anageent input is

ade. $his condition category can be recorded ore than once for a particular interest #eatre in

relation to a single daaging acti#ity.

nfavourable $ no change! *n interest feature ay be retained in a ore=or=less steady state by

repeated or continuing daage> it is unfa#ourable but neither declining or reco#ering. 'n rare cases,

an interest feature ight not be able to regain its original condition follo%ing a daaging acti#ity, but

a ne%, stable state ight be achie#ed.nfavourable $ recovering! *n interest feature can be recorded under the condition category

recoveringafter daage if it has begun to sho%, or is continuing to sho%, a trend to%ards fa#ourable

condition. $his category can be recorded ore than once for a particular feature in relation to a single

daaging acti#ity.

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