This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator C4b, Status of UK priority species - distribution.
Priorities for species and habitat conservation are set at a country level through country biodiversity or environment strategies. Each country has an identified list of priority species, which are of high conservation concern due, for example, to restricted range or population declines. The indicator therefore includes a substantial number of species that, by definition, are becoming less widespread.
Measures of distribution are less sensitive to change than measures of abundance (as included in indicator C4a). Nonetheless, if a species that has been declining starts to recover, its distribution will stabilize, and may start to increase. If the proportion of species in the indicator that are stable or increasing grows, the indicator will start to decline less steeply. If the proportion declines, it will fall more steeply. Success in each country can therefore be judged by reference to trends in indicators C4a and C4b, as well as other information on other priority species for which there are insufficient data for inclusion in the indicator.
The indicator shows occupancy changes of priority species in the UK: defined as those on one or more of the biodiversity lists of each UK country (Natural Environmental and Rural Communities Act 2006 - Section 41 (England) and Section 42 (Wales), Northern Ireland Priority Species list, Scottish Biodiversity List). The combined list contains 2,890 species in total. The priority species identified in each of the four UK countries were highlighted as being of conservation concern for a variety of reasons, including rapid decline in some of their populations. This indicator should be read in conjunction with C4a which provides data on those species for which abundance information is available.
This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator C4b the latest data are for 2012. The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.
