The NPMS aims to monitor the diversity, abundance and changes in plant communities across the UK. The data are used to provide insights into the status and trends in semi-natural terrestrial habitats across the UK.
Background
The NPMS was designed and developed by the JNCC, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI), UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) and Plantlife. Development of the scheme began in 2012, with 2015 being the first complete survey season.
JNCC is one of the NPMS’s core funding bodies and helps steer and promote the project and the data it provides. JNCC also provides a key connection between the NPMS and policy makers, as well as piloting relationship development through projects such as the UK Terrestrial Evidence Partnership of Partnerships (UKTEPoP).
NPMS would not be possible without the dedication and support of many talented volunteers. In 2023, approximately 320 sites were visited, creating 21,431 records of 954 different species/species groups. Using the Heritage Lottery Foundation figures, the time volunteers dedicated to NPMS in 2022 was valued at over £200,000.
Why do we monitor plants and habitats?
Plants are the building blocks and foundations of terrestrial habitats. It is therefore important to understand their abundance, diversity and how communities are changing to understand changes in habitats and the species that they support. Despite this importance, plants lacked a structured citizen science scheme until 2015 when the first full NPMS survey season was carried out.
Data from the NPMS are important to build understanding of the health and changes in terrestrial habitats within the UK. The data are currently being used to develop an indicator of habitat quality. The data produced also fills gaps not monitored by other schemes through targeting priority habitats and species.
Sampling approach/how are the data collected?
NPMS aims to resurvey sites over a number of years to be able to monitor long term changes in plant diversity and abundance. Volunteers are randomly allocated one or more 1km2 squares within a chosen region, which they are asked to visit and survey twice a year – once in late spring/early summer and again in the late summer.
Within each square, volunteers should create plots in which plant species are monitored. NPMS recommends that each square contains five plots – ideally 3 5x5m squares and 2 1x25m plots to cover linear features such as field margins and rivers. Each plot covers a single habitat, and where possible different habitat types.
Volunteers are provided a list of indicator species to record that have been carefully selected for each habitat type, the abundance of which can provide insights into the overall quality of the habitat. It is these species that volunteers are asked to record depending on their ID confidence level. Beginner, or ‘wildflower’ level volunteers record around 10-15 indicator species per habitat. Intermediate or ‘indicator’ level volunteers record from an expanded list of around 30 indicator species per habitat. Advanced, or ‘inventory’ level volunteers record all species. For each species recorded in the habitat plots, volunteers estimate their percentage cover within the plot and other plot attributes such as the percentage cover of bare ground, rocks, lichens and leaf litter. Volunteers also add environmental information and optional data such as plant height, and are encouraged to provide a photo of the plot to further aid in assessing changes in structure over time.
How and where data/results are available to stakeholders
NPMS data are held by UKCEH, and the dataset is published each year via the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Environmental Information Data Centre. Distribution data are also available via the NBN Atlas.
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