Surveillance Schemes
JNCC’s surveillance programmes aim to contribute to the overall surveillance and monitoring needs within the UK. They achieve this by supporting efficient schemes that meet multiple requirements and support uses at UK, country and, where relevant, local scales. The programmes invest with partners in long-term schemes, most of which depend on a huge contribution of time and effort by skilled volunteers. Schemes are sufficiently widespread and systematic to allow for assessment of trends in distribution and/or population. Although the schemes are taxonomically based, in many cases their sampling strategies are designed to make them sensitive to the environmental and anthropogenic drivers of change operating at broad scales. Through analysis, they can provide information relevant to a wide range of policies.
JNCC and its partners are very grateful for the dedication and skills of volunteers, and the data they collect, which is so critical to our knowledge of UK biodiversity. The benefits to the volunteer community are also of great value, through supporting active outdoor lifestyles and encouraging knowledge of the natural environment on their doorsteps.
Partners from across our surveillance schemes work together to share best practice and tackle common issues through the Terrestrial Evidence Partnership of Partnerships (UKTEPoP) collaboration. JNCC also work with partners in the Terrestrial Surveillance Development and Analysis (TSDA) project to further develop this area, ensuring terrestrial surveillance schemes remain relevant and cost-effective and that we get as much benefit as possible from data collected.
Further information on the results, reports and publications associated with each scheme, as well as details on how to get involved, can be found on the relevant scheme’s website.
Structured schemes
In structured surveillance schemes, volunteers follow a pre-determined sampling protocol. This makes it easier to draw reliable conclusions from the data collected.
Breeding Bird Survey (BBS)
Partners: British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), JNCC, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
Summary: BBS is the main scheme monitoring population change in over 100 common breeding bird species in the UK. Mammals and butterflies are also optionally recorded.
Sampling Approach: Volunteers carry out repeat sampling of allocated random stratified 1 km squares, counting all birds seen or heard whilst walking 2 x 1 km transects.
Key outputs: Contributes to JNCC official annual statistic on breeding birds and UK Biodiversity Indicators C4a and C5.
Wetland Bird Survey (WeBs)
Partners: BTO, JNCC, RSPB, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT)
Summary: WeBS is the monitoring scheme for waterbirds in the UK, producing annual trends, along with information on population sizes and important wetland sites.
Sampling approach: ‘Core counts’ comprise nationally synchronised monthly complete counts of waterbirds within WeBS sectors (defined wetland sites). ‘Low tide counts’ are carried out at estuaries across the UK each year.
Key outputs: Contributes to JNCC official statistics (annual statistic on wintering waterbirds and periodic site trends for wetland birds) and UK Biodiversity Indicators C4a and C5. Data supports international conservation conventions and directives.
Goose and Swan Monitoring Programme (GSMP)
Partners: WWT, JNCC, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)
Summary: The GSMP monitors the abundance and breeding success of the UK’s native geese and migratory swans in the non-breeding season.
Sampling approach: GSMP uses several bespoke censuses and surveys.
Key outputs: Contributes to JNCC official statistic on wintering waterbirds and UK Biodiversity Indicators C4a and C5. Data feed into international multilateral environmental agreements (e.g. Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds), are used in reporting, and locally feed into site management plans.
Avian Demographics Scheme
Partners: BTO, JNCC, Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Natural England (NE), Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), SNH
Summary: This combines the Nest Record Scheme and the National Ringing Scheme to obtain data on population size, breeding success and survival rates.
Sampling approach: The Nest Record Scheme involves ad hoc collection of nest information. The National Ringing Scheme comprises three components: bird ringing at ad hoc locations, ringing at ‘Constant Effort Sites’ (repeated trapping or re-sighting at a set location following standardised protocol), and more intensive scientific studies in the ‘Retrapping Adults for Survival’ scheme.
Key outputs: Contributes to UK Biodiversity Indicator C5. Bird demographic data can help us understand mechanisms for change in populations and provide an early warning of population changes.
Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP)
Partners: A wide variety of partners
Summary: The SMP is the monitoring scheme for 26 species of breeding seabirds in the British Isles (including data from the Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man). Data is obtained on population trends, breeding success, adult survival and diet.
Sampling approach: Periodic complete censuses of seabird colonies in the UK, along with annual sample based recording.
Key outputs: Contributes to JNCC official statistic for breeding seabirds and to UK Biodiversity Indicators C4a and C5.
National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP)
Partners: Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), JNCC, NRW
Summary: The NBMP monitors population changes for 11 of the UK’s 17 resident bat species and has produced trends on these since 1997.
Sampling approach: The NBMP comprises several surveys focussed on different species. Key surveys include the ‘Field Survey’ (recording along transect routes in random stratified 1km squares), the ‘Waterway survey' (surveying for Daubenton’s bat along riparian transects), ‘Roost Counts’ and the ‘Hibernation Survey’.
Key outputs: Contributes to JNCC official annual statistic on the status of UK bats and to UK Biodiversity Indicators C4a and C8. Bats are strictly protected species and data from the NBMP provides an important source of evidence for reporting under the Habitats Directive.
UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS)
Partners: Butterfly Conservation (BC), CEH, JNCC, BTO
Summary: UKBMS records annual data on the population status of UK butterflies.
Sampling approach: Repeat recording of butterflies along transects in recorder selected sites and stratified random 1 km squares. UKBMS also includes some more rapid approaches targeted at specific species and sites (e.g. egg and larval web counts).
Key outputs: Contributes to JNCC official annual statistic on the abundance of UK butterflies and UK Biodiversity Indicators C4a and C6. Data also have value for local management.
National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS)
Partners: Botanical Society for Britain and Ireland (BSBI), CEH, JNCC, Plantlife (PL)
Summary: NPMS co-ordinates, collects and analyses data on plant communities in small plots across the UK, mostly within semi-natural habitats, to produce an annual indication of changes in plant abundance and diversity, and information on plant communities and habitats.
Sampling approach: Repeated recording in stratified random 1 km squares, in which around five subplots are surveyed to a specific protocol.
Key outputs: Data from the NPMS provides a valuable source of information on plant abundance within habitats of conservation value. The data are currently being used to develop an indicator of habitat quality.
Ad hoc recording schemes
Ad hoc recording is where volunteers are able to record species as and when they see them, without following a protocol that is based around a strict and pre-determined sampling approach. This encourages participation, as it allows volunteers to be more flexible. It can also introduce biases into the data, with volunteers more likely to record unusual and easily recognisable species, and more likely to record data in easily accessible locations. However, with enough data, these biases can be corrected for statistically, meaning this is nonetheless a very useful and complimentary approach to the structured schemes described above.
Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) collation of breeding bird records
Partners: RBBP, JNCC, RSPB, BTO, independent members
Summary: RBBP collate records of almost 200 species of rare breeding birds within the UK.
Key outputs: Contributes to UK Biodiversity Indicators C4a and C5. An annual report is published in the birdwatching journal British Birds.
Support of recording schemes and societies through the Biological Records Centre (BRC)
Partners: JNCC, CEH
Summary: The BRC website contains a complete list of supported recording schemes.
Key outputs: Distribution data contribute to red-listing and UK Biodiversity Indicator C4b and are shared via the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas.
Categories:
Published: .