I don't think you understand what EU member states are reporting on. The UK reports on habitats and species of community interest in the Atlantic biogeographical region. Each of the biogeographical regions have different habitat and species lists corresponding to their climatic and edaphic conditions and the distributions of species across the Continent and so they are not directly comparable. Even then, not all countries within a biogeographical region have all the habitats and species of community interest, and thus the report masks big differences between countries, such as on the proportion of vegetation types protected that are dependant on agriculture, and of which the UK has many. We lack many primary habitats that other countries have. Moreover, we lack mammal species of community interest that most other member states have. Thus the UK is actually far worse than is shown.
Sophie this is very interesting but I take on board your last point about how difficult it is to interpret data gathered in different ways and over different time scales. However, I think it is important we don’t denigrate UK without good evidence because we need to take heart from the many success stories, including excellent rewilding experiments and reintroduction/ natural recolonisation/ expansion of many species, including a number of charismatic species like red kites, sea eagles, cranes, beaver, pine martin, etc The truth is the British Isle have never been as biodiverse as mainland Europe since the last ice age. The North Sea cut off the spread of species that may have eventually found their way here by land. The second important factor is that we are now more biodiverse than at any other time in the last 10,000 years. This is because many species have been introduced and become naturalised, and because climate change is encouraging some European species to head north. There have been relatively few extinctions and a large number of new species colonising UK, including species like brown hare, poppies and sweet chestnut which have become deeply rooted in our culture. Sometimes I think it would be worth celebrating these gains rather than, as the media is inclined to do, beat ourselves up as the ‘most nature deprived country in Europe’.
Thank you for reporting on this. It is confusing! Is there some way you could update us eco-minded folk in UK (feeling incredibly despondent about current ongoing environmental degradations here eg HS2 etc), about the UK organisation we need to look out for in relation to maintaining ongoing environmental checks and controls now we have left EU?
I don't think you understand what EU member states are reporting on. The UK reports on habitats and species of community interest in the Atlantic biogeographical region. Each of the biogeographical regions have different habitat and species lists corresponding to their climatic and edaphic conditions and the distributions of species across the Continent and so they are not directly comparable. Even then, not all countries within a biogeographical region have all the habitats and species of community interest, and thus the report masks big differences between countries, such as on the proportion of vegetation types protected that are dependant on agriculture, and of which the UK has many. We lack many primary habitats that other countries have. Moreover, we lack mammal species of community interest that most other member states have. Thus the UK is actually far worse than is shown.
Sophie this is very interesting but I take on board your last point about how difficult it is to interpret data gathered in different ways and over different time scales. However, I think it is important we don’t denigrate UK without good evidence because we need to take heart from the many success stories, including excellent rewilding experiments and reintroduction/ natural recolonisation/ expansion of many species, including a number of charismatic species like red kites, sea eagles, cranes, beaver, pine martin, etc The truth is the British Isle have never been as biodiverse as mainland Europe since the last ice age. The North Sea cut off the spread of species that may have eventually found their way here by land. The second important factor is that we are now more biodiverse than at any other time in the last 10,000 years. This is because many species have been introduced and become naturalised, and because climate change is encouraging some European species to head north. There have been relatively few extinctions and a large number of new species colonising UK, including species like brown hare, poppies and sweet chestnut which have become deeply rooted in our culture. Sometimes I think it would be worth celebrating these gains rather than, as the media is inclined to do, beat ourselves up as the ‘most nature deprived country in Europe’.
Thank you for reporting on this. It is confusing! Is there some way you could update us eco-minded folk in UK (feeling incredibly despondent about current ongoing environmental degradations here eg HS2 etc), about the UK organisation we need to look out for in relation to maintaining ongoing environmental checks and controls now we have left EU?