Guidelines for selection of biological SSSIs
Rationale, Operational approach and criteria, Detail guidelines for habitats and species groups
JNCC
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is the forum through which the three country nature conservation agencies, the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), English Nature and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), deliver their statutory responsibilities for Great Britain as a whole and internationally.
Summary
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the
statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature
conservation. Its work contributes to maintaining and enriching
biological diversity, conserving geological features and sustaining
natural systems. JNCC delivers the UK and international
responsibilities of the four country nature conservation agencies -
Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside, the
Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England and Scottish Natural
Heritage. JNCC, originally established under the Environmental
Protection Act 1990, was reconstituted by the Natural Environment
and Rural Communities Act 2006. JNCC, working with the nature
conservation agencies, is the focus for the guidelines for the
selection of biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSIs).
The nature conservation agencies have a duty under the
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended, to notify any area
of land which in their opinion is 'of special interest by reason of
any of its flora, fauna, or geological or physiographical
features'. Such areas are known as Sites of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSIs). The notification is made to owners and occupiers,
local planning authority and the Secretary of State, who may make
representations or objections to the nature conservation agencies
regarding the notification. Any representation or objection made
must be considered by the nature conservation agencies before a
decision is made by them to confirm the notification.
In 1989 the then Nature Conservancy Council published
guidelines for the selection of biological SSSIs. Since 1991 JNCC
has been the focus for the production and revision of the
guidelines.
The biological guidelines set out general principles upon
which the nature conservation agencies reach judgements regarding
special scientific interest. These principles are supplemented by
details of wildlife habitat types and species groups.
In Northern Ireland the designation Areas of Special
Scientific Interest (ASSIs) is the equivalent of the SSSIs. The
responsibility for the identification and designation of these
sites rest with the Environment and Heritage Service, Northern
Ireland. View the
Guidelines
for the selection of biological ASSIs.
Review of the Guidelines for the selection of biological SSSIs:
timetable
The Guidelines for Selection of Biological SSSIs were originally
published by the Nature Conservancy Council in 1989. Since then, a
series of revisions have been made in the form of additional or
revised chapters. However, the underlying rationale and operational
approach have remained intact and broadly fit for purpose.
Nonetheless, there is recognition that some updating is needed to
take into account changes in governance, legislation and wider
approaches to nature conservation being developed within the UK BAP
and country biodiversity strategies.
The decision has been taken to carry out a light touch review of
Parts A (Rationale) and B (Operational Approach and Criteria) of
the Guidelines, which goes beyond merely tidying up the text, in
order to take on board important issues in relation to the purpose
of the SSSI network, such as the ecosystem approach and climate
change adaptation. It is the view of the Inter-Agency SSSI Review
Group that any revision of Parts A and B is likely to have
implications for some elements of Part C (detailed Guidelines for
Habitats and Species Groups), and further consideration may need to
be given to this.
The timetable and tasks for the review of Parts A and B are as
follows:
December 2009
- A list of consultees will be drawn up and these will be
notified that they are to be invited to comment on the draft
conclusions of the revision of Parts A and B.
- The IA Group will identify the key points of Parts A and B
requiring revision, and a two phased approach will be taken,
equating to tidying up, followed by addressing of technical
issues.
January – May 2010
- The IA Group will undertake work to modernise and clarify the
language used, with removal of extraneous material.
- Following this, new text will be added in relation to the key
areas: changes to governance, legislation and wider approaches to
nature conservation.
June 2010
- Draft revisions of Parts A and B to be presented to the
Inter-Agency Science Management Group and Chief Scientists’
Group.
- Agreed draft revisions to be issued to consultees, for their
views.
July - October 2010
- Mid-July: consultation closed, and comments assessed.
- IA Group to amend the draft review, as required. Revision
period (review and amend, three months August-October).
- Production of an agreed paper, including recommendations for
amendments to Part C, where necessary, and submission via IASMG to
the Country Agencies.
- Comments back from the Country Agencies and further revision,
prior to submission of the paper to Chief Scientists’ Group in
October 2010.
November - December 2010
- Approved paper to be submitted to Joint Commitee meeting in
December 2010.
- Download biological guidelines in sections
- The purpose of the guidelines
- The objective of the SSSI system within an overall nature
conservation strategy
- The concept of special scientific interest
- Rationale for evaluation and selection of a countrywide series
of biological SSSIs
- Defining the basis for selecting the national network of
sites
- The principles of site evaluation and selection
- International importance
- Assessment of site value
- Boundary of definition, size of area and site integrity
- Evaluation of habitat mosaics
- Evaluation of species-group combinations
- Total extent of SSSIs
References for parts A and B
- Download Part C: Detailed guidelines for habitats and
species-groups
Introduction (PDF, 21
kb)
Chapter 1 Coastlands
(PDF, 888 kb)
Table 1 Habitat selection units for coastlands
Table 2 Coastal habitat selection units and their NVC
Note: This is the new chapter dealing with intertidal
marine habitats and saline lagoons that was published in February
1996)
Intertidel marine habitats and saline
lagoons
Chapter 2
Woodlands (now includes Veteran Trees)(PDF, 576 kb)
Table 3 NVC - woodland and scrub communities
Table 4 Extent and localisation of British Woodland Stand
Types
Table 5 Main semi-natural structural types of tree layer in British
woods
Table 6 An approach to integrating differing woodland
classification schemes for SSSI selection
Table 7 A preliminary attempt to indicate the general relationship
between the Stand Type classification and NVC for woodland
Table 8 Field measures of the NCR criteria for British woods
Note: Veteran Trees was added to this section in September
2006. Download
Veteran Trees only
(PDF, 30 kb)
Chapter 3 Lowland grassland
(PDF, 242 kb)
Table 9 NVC – lowland grassland communities
Chapter 4 Lowland heathland
(PDF, 191 kb)
Table 10 Heathland classification, distribution and selection
requirements
Chapter 5 Non-montane rock
habitats (PDF, 104 kb)
Table 11 Geographical variation in the main floristic features
of limestone pavements
Chapter 6 Freshwater habitats
(Note: This includes revisions published in December
1997) (PDF, 638 kb)
Table 12 TWINSPAN classification of standing water sites –
submerged and floating vegetation
Table 13 Key to standing water types (submerged and floating
species)
Table 14 Physical characteristics of standing water site
types
Table 15 NVC communities most common in emergent fringes of
standing water site types
Table 16 Classification of ditch vegetation types
Table 17 Key to river types
Chapter 7 Fens (PDF, 805kb)
Table 18 NVC – communities of minerotrophic mires
Table 19 Description, habitat conditions and range of fen
communities
Chapter 8 Bogs
(PDF, 1.1 mb)
Chapter 8 Bogs - Figures, Tables and
Annexes (PDF, 657 kb)
(Note:These are the revised guidelines published in
December 1994)
Table 20 Mire microforms
Table 21 NVC – bog communities and subdivisions (Rodwell) and
bog microtopes and communities (Lindsay et al)
Chapter 9 Upland habitats
(PDF, 1 mb)
Table 22 Synonymy of Birks & Ratcliffe's upland vegetation
and those of the NVC
Chapter 10 Artifical
habitats (PDF, 97 kb)
Table 23 Types of artificial habitat
Chapter 11 Vascular plants
(flowering plants, ferns and their allies) (PDF, 296
kb)
Table 24 Red Data Book species of vascular plants
Table 25 Nationally scarce species of vascular plants
Chapter 12 Non-vascular
plants (PDF, 483 kb)
Chapter 12 Non-vascular plants -
Tables (PDF, 916
kb)
(Note: These are the revised guidelines published in
February 1992)
Table 26 Status and distribution of British mammals
Appendix A Criteria for 'Ramsar' sites and Special Protection
Areas
Appendix B An estimate of numbers of bird breeding and wintering in
Britain
Table 27 Abundance estimates of Birds breeding and wintering
birds
Appendix C Breeding bird assemblages of different habitats
Table 28 Breeding bird assemblages of different habitats
Appendix D Regional population densities in the uplands
References (Chapter 14)
Table 29 A scoring system for the selection of sites with
assemblages of amphibians
Table 30 British freshwater, anadromous and estuarine fish and
their distribution
(Note: This is a new chapter published in June
2009)
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Please cite as: JNCC, Guidelines for selection of biological SSSIs