Setting conservation objectives
Natural variation
Discussion and advice on conservation
objectives
The development of the management scheme is based
upon the advice of the country conservation agencies,
which have a special duty to advise the relevant
authorities as to the conservation objectives for
a site. At the time the sites were proposed, a citation
was produced which identified the interest or conservation
features for which the site would be designated.
The conservation objectives for the site should
ensure the interest features are being maintained
in a favourable condition on the site. Once the
management group has been formed, either voluntarily
of formally, the agencies will propose draft objectives
for discussion with the aim of establishing agreed
objectives.
The following discussion on setting and providing
advice on the conservation objectives draws largely
from the guidance recently developed by the country
conservation agencies (EN et al 1998). In
relation to setting conservation objectives, the
UK common standards for monitoring designated sites
(JNCC 1998) ensure that:
"Conservation objectives will be prepared
for interest features on all sites. These objectives
will define what constitutes favourable condition
of each feature by describing broad targets, which
should be met if the feature is to be judged favourable.
Each interest feature of a site will have one or
more attributes that can be used to help define
favourable condition. For each species these may
include population size, structure, habitat requirements
and distribution. Attributes of habitats may include
area covered, key species, composition and structure
and supporting processes.
Broad targets will be identified for those attributes
that most economically define favourable condition
of the interest feature. Because all features are
subject to some degree of change, the targets may
express how much change would be accepted while
still considering the feature to be in favourable
condition. If a feature changes to the extent that
it falls outside the thresholds expressed then this
acts as a trigger for remedial action or further
investigation.
In some cases relatively little may be known about
the interest feature so it may be difficult to define
favourable condition. In such circumstances the
use of current condition will be considered as the
definition of favourable condition, in the absence
of any evidence that the current condition was unfavourable".
In line with these common standards, the UK country
conservation agencies will aim to ensure that when
setting conservation objectives, they are:
- specific - relate to a particular interest feature
and define the condition(s) required to satisfy
the conservation objective;
- measurable and reportable - enabling monitoring
to be undertaken to determine whether the conservation
objectives are being met and for the purposes
of Article 17 of the Habitats Directive;
- realistic - given a reasonable time-frame and
application of resources;
- consistent in approach - the structure of conservation
objectives should, as far as is possible, be the
same across all European marine sites, and at
sites supporting the same interest feature, use
similar attributes and targets to describe favourable
condition; and
- comprehensive - the attributes and targets should
cover the properties of the interest feature necessary
to describe its condition as either favourable
or unfavourable.
Natural
variation
Country conservation agencies and relevant authorities
will need to assess the effectiveness of management
measures towards achievement of the conservation
objectives, and to do this, they will need to be
able to make judgements in the future about how
the observed condition compares to the favourable
condition of an interest feature. This is complex
because over time there are natural variations in
the size of species populations and the species
composition of habitats.
The scale and extent of natural variation is often
difficult to predict so for a number of interest
features selected under the Habitats Directive it
will be difficult to precisely define favourable
condition. In these cases it will be particularly
important to exercise caution when defining the
favourable condition and perhaps more importantly
when subsequently comparing the observed condition
with the favourable condition. For some attributes
natural variation is cyclic, whilst for others the
trend may be successional, for example through the
silting up of inner estuaries. These differences
will be reflected in the different ways that targets
are expressed for interest features.
In many cases the favourable condition of an interest
feature will need to refer to the condition of the
feature at the time the site was designated and
monitoring undertaken relative to this value(s).
Over time the understanding of variability should
improve with a view to establishing more precise
targets for all features in European marine sites.
Such information will be produced as a result of
surveillance and monitoring and may be augmented
by targeted studies. The country conservation agencies
will draw on the best available information from
all sources, including local expert knowledge.
Discussion and advice on conservation
objectives
The conservation objectives for the interest feature
of each site will include their associated targets
(where such targets have been identified). Discussions
will take place with relevant authorities and others
on the conservation objectives before finalising
the advice, in order to draw on the knowledge and
experience of these authorities. For most European
marine sites, a management scheme will be developed
in wide consultation with interested parties, and
conservation objectives will be part of such schemes.
The spatial extent of interest features within
a site, and therefore the related conservation objectives
and targets, will be mapped with reference to known
landmarks or seascape features within the site boundary
so that the feature can be unambiguously located.
Within the context of the management scheme this
could be developed into a zoned approach where activities,
interest features and conservation objectives are
visually demonstrated in a clear manner. Such zoning
may not be applicable to all European marine sites.
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