Drivers and pressures affecting terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity in Northern Ireland

Related Organizations

Table of Contents

• Foreword 9
• Executive summary and recommendations 13
• Our findings 13
• Recommendations 14
• 1. Chapter One: Introduction 17
• 1.1 The state of biodiversity: globally and nationally 17
• 1.2 Policy context 21
• 1.3 Aims, scope, and structure of this report 23
• 2. Chapter Two: Evidence and assessment 27
• 2.1 Evidence assessment – our approach 27
• 2.1.1 Our use of evidence 27
• 2.1.2 Our approach to evaluating confidence in the evidence 29
• 2.1.3 Our assessment of pressures affecting priority species and habitats 29
• 3. Chapter Three: Our assessment of the evidence 39
• 3.1 Land use change 39
• 3.1.1 Key findings 39
• 3.1.2 Strength of evidence 39
• 3.1.3 Our assessment 40
• 3.2 Pollution 56
• 3.2.1 Key Findings 56
• 3.2.2 Strength of evidence 56
• 3.2.3 Our assessment 57
• 3.3 Natural resource use and exploitation 65
• 3.3.1 Key findings 65
• 3.3.2 Strength of evidence 65
• 3.3.3 Our assessment 66
• 3.4 Climate change 71
• 3.4.1 Key findings 71
• 3.4.2 Strength of evidence 71
• 3.4.3 Our assessment 72
• 3.5 Invasive species 74
• 3.5.1 Key findings 74
• 3.5.2 Strength of evidence 74
• 3.5.3 Our assessment 75
• 3.6 Multiple pressures 79
• 3.6.1 Key findings 79
• 3.6.2 Strength of evidence 79
• 3.6.3 Our assessment 79
• 3.7 Cross border pressures 85
• 3.7.1 Key findings 85
• 3.7.2 Strength of evidence 85
• 3.7.3 Our assessment 85
• 4. Chapter Four: Our conclusions and recommendations 89
• References 92
• Annex One: Glossary of terms and acronyms 111
• Annex Two: Methodology and expert review 117
• Annex Three: Description of sub-pressures 124
• Figure 1. Interconnections between strategies and plans and the delivery of the Strategic Environmental Outcomes in the proposed Environmental Improvement Plan. 22
• Figure 2. Schematic of the methodology used in the assessment of drivers and pressures affecting terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity in Northern Ireland. 28
• Figure 3. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change framework for communicating confidence and uncertainty in evidence. The figure shows the relationship between the robustness of evidence (type, amount, quality and consistency) and agreement among source 29
• Figure 4. Frequency analysis of reported pressures on (a) priority habitats and (b) priority species in Northern Ireland. The pressures identified were categorised using the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services classification. 30
• Figure 5. Summary of population changes and pressures impacting farmland birds in Northern Ireland. Data are adapted from (1) our frequency analysis of the pressures on priority species (2) DAERA Environmental Statistics report 2024 (3) Breeding Birds Sur 47
• Figure 6. The number of (a) priority species and (b) priority habitats in Northern Ireland affected by one or more land use, pollution, natural resource use and exploitation, climate change, and invasive species pressures. 80
• Figure 7. Representation of the multiple pressures impacting the ecological status of Lough Neagh over different timeframes. 84
• Table 1. Relative frequency of sub-pressures affecting a) priority species and b) priority habitats in Northern Ireland. 32
• Table 2. Vectors for the introduction of invasive species to Northern Ireland (Source: Stokes et al. 2004).201 76
• Box 1. Counting the cost. Quantifying the decline in Northern Ireland’s biodiversity. 19
• Box 2. A focus on biodiversity: the sum of species, habitats and ecosystems. 23
• Box 3. The loss and future of woodland ecosystems in Northern Ireland. 35
• Box 4. The Irish hare. 42
• Box 5. Afforestation of upland habitats. 48
• Box 6. Bog Meadow, Belfast. 51
• Box 7. Drainage of peatland ecosystems. 53
• Box 8. Headwaters. 55
• Box 9. What are nutrients? 57
• Box 10. Chemical pollution. 61
• Box 11. Ecological footprint 66
• Box 12. The Lough Neagh ecological crisis 82
• Blank Page 1
• Blank Page 1
• Blank Page 1
• Blank Page 1