Conservation Method 1: Legislation & Protocols Flashcards
What is the main UK law that protects wildlife?
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
What is the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981?
- a Uk law including a lot of the legislation that protects wildlife in the UK
- it is the primary legislation in GB for the protection of Flora, Fauna and Countryside
Summarise what the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981 covers
- designated protected areas e.g. SSSIs and MCZs
-protection of wild birds and nests
-protection of mammal species and their habitats
-uprooting of wild plants- generally illegal
-Bats
What bird species are not protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981?
some ‘pest’ species and game birds because they can be legally hunted
Give 4 examples of mammal species protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
-otters
-hazel dormouse
-Red squirrel
-badgers and their setts
What are setts?
Tunnels
E.g habitats for badgers
How are bats protected by the Wildlife and Countryside act?
-they cannot be disturbed under the act
If woodworm treatment chemicals are used in roofs where bats reside, they must not be toxic to Bats
What are 4 things you cant do under the Wildlife and Countryside Act?
-undertake agriculture or forestry operations within national parks
-intentionally kill, injure or take any wild birds,eggs or nests
-pick,uproot,trade or possess wild plants
-release non-native species that might be detrimental to native wildlife
How efficient is legal protection of species?
- the laws can be valuable but they are rarely efficient alone
- it can be difficult to enforce them efficiently-broken through ignorance
What are the 3 groups that most wildlife protection laws fall under?
-legal protection of habitats and species
-trade controls
-organisations that aim to achieve sustainable exploitation
What does the legal designation of protected areas do/help?
-protect species and habitats
- restrict activities in and outside of protected areas
-management agreements between land owners and designating organisations
-restrictions on access
-international cooperation
There are 10 examples of legally protected areas, name 4
SSSI, NNR, SAC, SPA, Natura 2000 sites, Ramsar sites, MNR, LNR, MPA, MCZ
What does SSSI stand for?
Site of Specific Scientific Interest
What is an SSSI?
A formal conservation designation of an area that is of particular interest to science because of rare species or important geological or physical features
Can developments happen in SSSIs?
Mostly cant happen
How many SSSIs are in England and how much land do they cover?
4’100 sites covering 4’200 square miles
How many SSSIs are in Scotland and Wales and how much land is covered
-both have 12% of their land area covered by SSSIs
- Scotland has 3’900 square miles of SSSIs
-Wales has 1’000 SSSIs
Give an example of an SSSI
Harpsden and Peveril Woods, Oxfordshire
What does NNR stand for?
National Nature Reserve
Under what act are National Nature Reserves established?
National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949
What are NNRs?
Areas managed for the purpose of research and study of Flora,fauna, geological and physical features
They are managed for wildlife but also for people to enjoy
How many NNRs are there in England and what amount of land do they cover?
229 covering 363 square miles
Give an example of a NNR
Ainsdale Sand Dunes NNR, Merseyside
SAC
Special Area of Conservation
What are SACs?
Sites that have been adopted by the European Union and are formally designated by the government of each country in whose territory the site lies
What legislation are SACs designated under in England?
The Conservation of Habitat and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended) in England & Wales with a limited extent into Scotland and NI
The Conservation of Natural Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 in UK offshore territories
Who is the organisation responsible for SACs in the UK and how?
-JNCC
They advise the government on aspects of designation and management
SPA
Special Protected Area
What are SPAs?
Protected areas for Birds in the UK classified under the same legislation as SACa
What is the full name of the European birds directive?
The European Union Directive of Conservation of Wild Birds
How are SPA sites selected?
-to protect 1 or more rare, threatened or vulnerable bird species in Annex 1 of the Birds directive or certain regularly occurring migration species
How many SPAs are there in the UK?
252
Give an example of an SPA in England
Broadland SPA in Eastern England
What are Natura 2000 sites?
A network of core breeding/nesting sites for and threatened species and some rare natural habitat types that are protected in their own right