Southern Ecological Solutions (SES) has a proven track record delivering projects where Invertebrate survey and mitigation is required. Pride and diligence is taken to meet client’s ecological obligations and commercial needs in a cost effective and pragmatic way.
Habitat and Ecology
Invertebrates are animals without backbones and incorporate a massive range of species that in the UK alone number over 30,000 terrestrial and freshwater species and 7,000 marine varieties and include such taxoms as insects, moths and worms. Invertebrates are absolutely critical to biodiversity with life for vertebrates being impossible without them; as they facilitate vital processes such as pollination and form vital links within eco-systems e.g. providing food for birds and mammals.
Legal status and Planning Policy Protection
Due to their importance to bio-diversity and general decline invertebrates receive various levels of protection. Individuals are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) with the Conservation and Species and Habitats Regulations (2010) also providing protection for individuals and the mechanisms for the designation (and thus protection) of habitats.
Many invertebrates are listed as UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) priority species and as species of principal importance (Section 41) of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (abbreviated as NERC-S41). Although such species do not receive protection under criminal law their presence is a material planning consideration, consequently (following Natural England, 2010):
- Regional Planning Bodies and Local Planning Authorities will use the Section 41 list to identify the species and habitats that should be afforded priority when applying the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework to promote the “protection and recovery of priority species populations”
- Local Planning Authorities will use it to identify the species and habitats that require specific consideration in dealing with planning and development control, recognising that under NPPF the aim of planning decisions should be to avoid minimise impacts to biodiversity.
Survey
Survey methods applicable are determined on a site to site basis but may involve a selection of the following:
- Desk Study
- Visual Appraisal
- Field Sampling
- Habitat Associations: ISIS Analysis
