Cooper A, McCann T, Meharg M J
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, BT52 1SA, Coleraine, Ireland.
J Environ Manage. 2003 Mar;67(3):283-90. doi: 10.1016/s0301-4797(02)00180-9.
A habitat monitoring programme, the Northern Ireland Countryside Survey, carried out by the University of Ulster for the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, is described. It was based on a random sample of quarter kilometer grid squares, stratified by multivariate land classification. Estimates of change in habitat area between 1987-1992 and 1998 are presented and used to assess policy-related priorities for biodiversity conservation action in widespread habitats in Northern Ireland (NI). The basis of the assessment is Broad Habitats, a classification developed as part of the United Kingdom (UK) Biodiversity Action Plan. Improved Grassland, Neutral Grassland and Bog Broad Habitats occupy the largest area of NI, which holds a large proportion of the UK Neutral Grassland and Fen Marsh and Swamp Broad Habitat resource. The greatest net area increases with time were in Improved Grassland (33%), Coniferous Woodland (12%) and Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland (9%). The greatest net area decreases were in Neutral Grassland (-32%), Arable and Horticulture (-25%), Fen, Marsh and Swamp (-19%), Bog (-8%) and Calcareous Grassland (-7%). These changes are a function of agriculture, public and private forestry, building construction and peat cutting for fuel. The Key biodiversity issue is seminatural Broad Habitat loss, in particular, Neutral Grassland and Fen, Marsh and Swamp, highlighting the lack of effective action for protecting biodiversity in the countryside as a whole. The extent to which current land use is shown to be driving change, indicates that biodiversity conservation action through implementing landscape-scale agri-environment measures could deliver major biodiversity gains. The reliable information on recent changes, provided by the Northern Ireland Countryside Survey, has been used to guide conservation planning. Future re-survey will allow the effectiveness of the conservation strategy as it applies to the countryside as a whole, to be determined. As decisions on land use increasingly have a strong European dimension, concerted action for protecting biodiversity in the countryside as a whole is needed. This would be promoted by a structured sampling approach, based on standard habitat mapping procedures.
本文介绍了阿尔斯特大学为北爱尔兰环境部开展的一项栖息地监测计划——北爱尔兰乡村调查。该计划基于四分之一平方公里网格方块的随机样本，并按多元土地分类进行分层。文中给出了1987 - 1992年至1998年栖息地面积变化的估计值，并用于评估北爱尔兰（NI）广泛栖息地中与生物多样性保护行动相关的政策重点。评估的基础是“广泛栖息地”，这是作为英国生物多样性行动计划的一部分而制定的分类。改良草地、中性草地和沼泽广泛栖息地占据了北爱尔兰最大的面积，北爱尔兰拥有英国中性草地以及泥炭沼泽和沼泽广泛栖息地资源的很大一部分。随着时间推移，净面积增加最大的是改良草地（33%）、针叶林（12%）和阔叶林、混交林及紫杉林（9%）。净面积减少最大的是中性草地（-32%）、耕地和园艺用地（-25%）、泥炭沼泽、沼泽和湿地（-19%）、泥炭地（-8%）和钙质草地（-7%）。这些变化是农业、公共和私人林业、建筑施工以及用于燃料的泥炭开采的结果。关键的生物多样性问题是半自然广泛栖息地的丧失，特别是中性草地以及泥炭沼泽、沼泽和湿地，这凸显了在整个农村地区保护生物多样性缺乏有效行动。当前土地利用导致变化的程度表明，通过实施景观尺度的农业环境措施来保护生物多样性能够带来重大的生物多样性收益。北爱尔兰乡村调查提供的关于近期变化的可靠信息已被用于指导保护规划。未来的重新调查将能够确定适用于整个农村地区的保护战略的有效性。由于土地利用决策越来越具有强烈的欧洲层面因素，因此需要采取一致行动来保护整个农村地区的生物多样性。这将通过基于标准栖息地测绘程序的结构化抽样方法来推动。
