Abstract
The project consists of three linked investigations to inform policy making and land management decisions concerning climate change and protected sites, and considerations towards managing adaptation and mitigation needs . The project requires the use of climate projections (UKCP09) to assess how protected sites could be affected under three climate change scenarios. The three investigations or sub-projects are: 1.To assess whether the current UK network of protected sites and the legal framework for it will be able to continue delivery of the intended objectives for biodiversity under climate change. 2.To determine the implications of climate change on implementation of Common Standards Monitoring of protected sites. 3.To provide a quantitative estimate of, and to review the contribution of Priority Habitats to mitigation of climate change. Each sub-project should produce an individual report. A summary report should be created from a synthesis and overall discussion using all of the results to enable an integrated overview. The summary report must also include identification of evidence gaps, common themes and policy implications. The sub-projects together must also be used to produce a short stand-alone policy note, which summarises the main issues. The three sub-projects are intended to develop the evidence base, from adaptation needs of protected sites to mitigation potential of Priority Habitats. Each sub-project is expected to progress in parallel with the other sub-projects and be carried out in collaboration with the other concurrent Defra-funded projects that are looking specifically at the impacts of climate change in particular, there are two projects in progress to assess the impacts of sea level rise on coastal and wetland habitats. The first is an Environment Agency project ‘Mapping the environmental consequences of flooding’ and the second is a Defra/Natural England project ‘Developing tools to evaluate the consequences for biodiversity of options for coastal zone adaptation to climate change’, which will be modelling the effects of climate change and sea level rise on coastal wetland habitat (above the mean high tide boundary). Other relevant projects include BICCO NET (Biodiversity Impacts of Climate Change Observation Network), which is reviewing data sets, including bird data from the BTO, for evidence of signals of the effects of climate change. There is also a project that is assessing the impacts of climate change on ornithological interest of UK Special Protection Areas. Contact details and further information will be available from the Defra Project Officer. Tenderers are invited to indicate how they will ensure collaboration with these projects.
United Kingdom