HABITATS FOR WILDLIFE The species and biodiversity that occur in a catchment landscape are supported by the network of natural habitats and greenspaces that currently exist in the catchment landscape. Ecological theory suggests that the habitat patches must be of a particular extent and have sufficient connectivity between them in order for the landscape to have a functional ecological network and for the assemblage of species to be supported at the correct level. The indicator for habitat provision was assessed by determining the area of priority natural habitats in each spatial unit and ranking them to indicate the highest to lowest need/opportunity for improvement.
STRATEGIC TARGETING
Designated sites for nature conservation There are numerous different types of wildlife designations, with differing levels of protection. The map below shows some of the key sites for wildlife in the study area, including EU, national and local designations.
Priority habitats The priority habitat inventory dataset provided by Natural England (NE) shows the distribution of habitats of principal importance, identified in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006) Section 41. It replaces NE’s previous separate BAP habitat inventories.
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