No consistent relationship found between habitat scores determined using the Biodiversity Metric and presence of species of conservation priority
Hawkins I., Zu Ermgassen S., Grubb H., Treweek J., Milner-Gulland E.
The extent to which the DEFRA Biodiversity Metric can be considered a genuine reflection of overall biodiversity is key to the success of Biodiversity Net Gain: a legal requirement for developers by late 2023. We conducted a preliminary study to explore relationships between Metric scores and other biodiversity data, comparing Metric scores for 110 individual habitats with records of species of conservation concern. We found no consistent relationship between a habitat’s distinctiveness or condition score, and the number of conservation priority species. We also demonstrated the value of consultancy site visits, as these data are additional to existing Records Centre data on protected species. Our study highlights that further research is required to evaluate the relationship between Metric outcomes and wider biodiversity, ensuring that the Metric can be relied upon to deliver genuine BNG and that its general application will not have negative unintended consequences on species of conservation value.