Biodiversity is a scientific term used
to describe the 'variety of life', or the range of plants, animals
and habitats that exist in a given area. The concept of
biodiversity entered public consciousness in June 1992 when 159
governments (including the UK) signed the Convention on Biological
Diversity at the Rio Earth Summit.
Maintaining a high level of biodiversity is important as
biodiversity provides a robust foundation for the earth’s life
support systems. Where biodiversity is damaged or reduced, such as
in monoculture crops, problems such as pest infestation or soil
erosion occur.
Although attention tends to be focused on glamorous, rare and
endangered species, it is just as important to consider the
survival of what is commonplace in the urban environment, where
plants and animals, the soil and water help to regulate
temperature, control pests, absorb pollution and provide aesthetic
relief.
Biodiversity in the UK
In 1994 the UK government launched a report entitled
Biodiversity: the UK Action Plan. This identified a range of
species and habitats across the UK, and identified a programme of
action to protect and enhance them over the next 20 years.
One of the recommendations of the report was for UK local
authorities to produce local biodiversity action plans, in
partnership with their communities.
Click here for further information on the
UK’s
Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) or here for the
City Biodiversity Action Plan.
Biodiversity in London
Discover more about the diverse landscapes and habitats of the
City of London's Open Spaces by downloading "Nature of the
City - A spotlight on biodiversity within the City of London's Open
Spaces"
Nature of the City front
cover (1.61mb)
Nature of the City (5.60mb)
Nature of the City back
cover (425kb)
The Greater London Authority Act 1999 places a statutory duty on
the Mayor of London to produce a regional biodiversity strategy.
The Mayor fulfilled this duty in July 2002.
Click here for further information on the
London
Biodiversity Partnership.
The City of London is committed to protecting the diversity of
nature. Now the biggest single landowner of open space in and
around London, the City of London continues to support the London
Biodiversity Action Plan and in particular the species action plans
which are relevant to the Square Mile, such as those for the
peregrine falcon and the house sparrow.
In the City of London owned
open spaces outside the Square Mile, a delicate balance
exists between the recreational pressure of several million
visitors per year and the need to protect this natural heritage.
Currently, the City of London has in excess of 70% of its land
designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest, two National
Nature Reserves and two Special Areas of Conservation.
Biodiversity in the City
In the past wildlife issues in the Square Mile have been
somewhat overlooked. This was primarily due to unique pressures on
the green spaces located in the area which mean that the protection
of biodiversity is a significantly different process than for other
local authorities. These include:
- The high density of buildings and built infrastructure
- The small size and isolated nature of existing open spaces with
in the City
- The demographic composition of the Square Mile (approximately
residents 7,800 - workers 312,000)
- The intense pressure on all outdoor space during the lunchtime
period
- The lack of local wildlife groups or individuals to record the
limited wildlife that currently exists
Despite this there are also a number of excellent ecological
resources in the City. Obviously our primary ecological resource is
the River Thames and it is recognised as a Site of Metropolitan
Importance for Nature Conservation. Our
Unitary Development Plan seeks to ensure that development does
not harm the river habitat, for example through encroachment into
the river.
We also have an extensive network of
small gardens and open spaces (especially churchyards)
scattered across the Square Mile. In these gardens and churchyards
there is also some scope for wildlife. As well as caring for these
gardens, the City of London monitors and protects the Square Mile's
trees, providing advice and guidance to developers. Trees are
protected by Tree Preservation Orders, Conservation Area
requirements and by general planning conditions. The choice of
trees in the City is strongly influenced by factors such as
environmental benefits and increasing the diversity of the tree
stock to ensure that there are trees in the City for many years to
come.
The Square Mile is also unique in that there is a tremendous
amount of opportunity to work closely with City businesses and
influence biodiversity at a corporate level. To address some of
these problems and opportunities the City of London commenced the
work of developing a biodiversity action plan for the Square Mile
in January 2002.
The City Biodiversity Action
Plan
In order to develop the action plan, the City of London set up a
steering group in early 2002. This is made up of many stakeholders
ranging from residents of the Square Mile, City of London staff,
City businesses, local wildlife experts and conservation groups.
Although this is a City of London led partnership, individual
members of the steering group are active key players in the
development of the City BAP and their work and enthusiasm towards
the project is key to its development.
To date the group has:
- Published (on the internet) the City Gardens Habitat Action
Plan:
- Published (on the internet) the Vertical Habitats Action
Plan
- Conducted a city roof top bid survey
- Co-operated in a species / habits survey in partnership with
the GLA to identify what biodiversity currently exists with
recommendations for improvement
- Identified suitable flagship species and habitats, which can be
monitored and promoted as an indication of local biodiversity.
These include:
- Produced the City Biodiversity Action Plan in July 2003
To request a hard copy
email
us.
- Initiated two workshops for the City of London’s planning
service on the value of green roofs and developed a guidance note
on green roofs for developers.
- Held and participated in a series of events to promote the City
BAP as part of an ongoing awareness raising programme.
- Supported the development of supplementary planning guidance
for open spaces in the City
- Formed the Barbican Wildlife Group - download the
BWG newsletter here (742kb)
Future Plans:
- Publish (on the internet) the Habitat Action Plan for the
Thames Foreshore
- Continue the implementation of the Habitat Action Plans.
- Develop Species Action Plans for the Peregrine Falcon, House
Sparrow and Black Redstart.
- Develop stronger links with City businesses in order to
identify and initiate activities and projects to improve
biodiversity.
- Develop advice on planning window boxes and containers for
biodiversity aimed at City residents.
- Identify appropriate biodiversity surveys in the City.
- Identify areas where practical projects can be developed in
order to raise awareness and increase biodiversity particularly
with City BAP partners such as
Thames
21 , Thames Estuary Partnership and
Livingroofs.org.
Where is the City’s biodiversity?
On the face of it there may not appear to be many wild things
living in the City, however, we have anecdotal reports of a
surprising variety of wildlife living in the City such as herons,
peregrine falcons and dragonflies.
We would like to know what you have seen, when and where. Please
email
us with the time dates and location of anything
interesting you have seen.