JNCC supports and jointly funds UK-wide long-term biodiversity monitoring, focusing in particular on bats, birds, butterflies, plants, and pollinators. JNCC also contributes to the Biological Records Centre, which supports recording schemes and societies for a wide range of other taxa. Collectively this monitoring covers thousands of sites annually and provides a key source of evidence on how UK biodiversity is changing over time, which is then published each year as Official Statistics and contributes to UK Biodiversity Indicators (e.g. C4-C8). The large, long-term datasets generated are also used for many other purposes.
The monitoring is run and funded with partner organisations who have expertise in the relevant taxa, with data collected by skilled volunteers. This partnership and volunteer involvement is key to maintaining the quality and scale of monitoring in a cost-effective way, and also helps encourage wider interest in the environment. JNCC and all partner organisations are very grateful for the dedication and skills of volunteers, and the data they collect, which are so critical to our knowledge of UK biodiversity.
Contents
- Monitoring scheme methods
- Data management, analysis, and reporting
- JNCC Supported Monitoring
- Biological Records Centre (BRC)
- National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP)
- National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS)
- UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS)
- UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS)
- Breeding Bird Survey (BBS)
- Goose and Swan Monitoring Programme (GSMP)
- Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP)
- Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP)
- Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS)
- The Avian Demographics Scheme (ADS)
Monitoring scheme methods
Each of the monitoring schemes that JNCC directly supports each has a design that was developed collaboratively with experts for relevant taxa – details of these methods are given on the individual scheme pages linked below. Importantly, survey designs typically involve volunteers following established and consistent methods such as recording species while walking a set distance or in a specific area. Survey visits are also carried out at specified times of day and times of year. In addition, several monitoring schemes have a national survey design that determines where field sampling takes place (rather than volunteers being able to survey at any location of their choosing in the UK).
This standardisation and consistency in approaches facilitates comparisons over time and between locations, because we can be more confident that results do not simply reflect differences in methods or selective choice of survey sites. This is sometimes described as ‘structured monitoring’ (see Broughton and Pocock 2022): “Volunteers record following a protocol (which can be more or less prescriptive) provided by scheme organisers detailing how, when and where to record”
By contrast, it can be very difficult to implement large-scale volunteer-based structured monitoring for some groups of species. This can be because the pool of people with expertise in identification is small or because a suitable structured survey method is too time-consuming for volunteers to apply routinely. In other cases, a less rigid method can be important for encouraging wider participation. This means data collection can be viewed as a continuum from the structured recording described above through to semi-structured recording:
“Volunteers record when and where they choose, but they follow a protocol (which can be more or less prescriptive) provided by scheme organisers”
and unstructured or ‘opportunistic’ recording:
“Volunteers record how, when and where they choose, submitting the basic attributes of a biological record (what, when, where and who)” (Broughton and Pocock 2022).
Although data from less structured methods are more challenging to analyse, if treated correctly they can still be an important source of evidence on the status and distribution of species that are otherwise very difficult to monitor. This potential has been explored through work carried out in the Terrestrial Surveillance Development and Analysis programme.
Data management, analysis, and reporting
Monitoring schemes use a combination of automated and manual checks to verify and validate the data collected. Peer-reviewed methods are then used to produce annual trends that show how species populations (or similar measures) are changing in each of the four UK countries and for the UK as a whole. These trends produced from a number of the schemes are published as Official Statistics, which means they must comply with the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice. The point of first publication is JNCC’s website, and the full Statistics are also included in the annual reports published by each scheme. The final datasets are also generally made publicly available, with the exception of sensitive species (where the release of data could cause harm to the species – e.g. through persecution or collection). Data management, analysis, reporting, and access are described in the individual scheme pages.
JNCC Supported Monitoring
Each of the monitoring initiatives that JNCC directly supports is described in the pages linked below. The JNCC funding for these schemes is provided by the four countries of the UK, through their contributions to JNCC.
Biological Records Centre (BRC)
The Biological Records Centre (BRC) supports a wide range of national recording schemes and societies, and is run and funded in partnership between JNCC and UKCEH.
National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP)
The National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) monitors all UK bat species, in partnership with Bat Conservation Trust.
National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS)
The National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS) monitors plant communities across the UK, mostly within semi-natural habitats. NPMS is run and funded in partnership between JNCC, UKCEH, Plantlife, and the Botanical Society for Britain and Ireland.
UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS)
The UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (UK PoMS) monitors pollinating insects (bees and hoverflies) as well as providing insect group level information on flower visitation. UK PoMS is run and funded in partnership between JNCC and UKCEH.
UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS)
The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) monitors status and trends of UK butterflies, and is run and funded in partnership between JNCC, UKCEH, Butterfly Conservation, and BTO.
Breeding Bird Survey (BBS)
The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), monitors common and widespread terrestrial breeding bird species, run and funded in partnership with BTO and RSPB.
Goose and Swan Monitoring Programme (GSMP)
The Goose and Swan Monitoring Programme (GSMP), monitors a range of migratory goose and swan species that require different survey protocols from standard WeBS methods to achieve effective monitoring. The scheme is a partnership with BTO and NatureScot.
Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP)
The Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) collates breeding records of almost 200 rare bird species in the UK. RBBP is run by an independent panel made up of representatives from JNCC, BTO and RSPB and a number of ornithological experts. The panel is funded in partnership between JNCC, BTO, RSPB.
Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP)
The Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP) monitors the population changes of our internationally important breeding seabird species at coastal and inland colonies across the UK. SMP is funded jointly by BTO and JNCC, in association with RSPB.
Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS)
The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS), monitors a wide range of waterbirds outside of the breeding season on coastal and inland wetland areas and is run and funded in partnership with BTO and RSPB.
The Avian Demographics Scheme (ADS)
The Avian Demographics Scheme (ADS) encompasses bird ringing and nest recording. Collectively, this provides annual data on abundance, survival, breeding success, and phenology, as well as information on bird movement and migration. Demographic monitoring includes the Nest Record Scheme (NRS), Constant Effort Sites (CES), Retrapping Adults for Survival (RAS), as well as the wider Bird Ringing Scheme. The Avian Demographics Scheme is run and funded in partnership between JNCC and BTO.
ADS data contributes to UK Biodiversity Indicator C5. Bird demographic data from CES, RAS, and NRS contribute to the annual BirdTrends report and help identify mechanisms of population change. Ringing and nest recording data are also used for a wide range of purposes, including understanding migration to assess disease risk.
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