Status and trends of biodiversity, including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services
The United Kingdom (UK) is four separate countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as 14 Overseas Territories and 3 Crown Dependencies (see below). The ‘metropolitan’ UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) has a diverse mix of habitats and species for its small size (approximately 240,000km2); with a marine area approximately 3.5 times the size of the land area... More »
Main pressures on and drivers of change to biodiversity (direct and indirect)
The key drivers of change across terrestrial biodiversity in the UK, as identified in the NEA, are habitat change (land-use/condition) and pollution. Other threats to UK biodiversity are over-exploitation, invasive species, and climate change. As identified in Charting Progress 2, the main threats to the marine environment are fishing pressure, climate change, acidification, hazardous substances, and eutrophication... More »