Following a review of approaches used in Ireland and other countries, it was clear that the approach should consider the number of occupied hectads (10 km × 10 km squares). Following discussion with other experts, we set the following thresholds:

• Rare species occur in 10 hectads or fewer. 10 hectads equates to about 1% of the land area of Ireland.
• Scarce species occur in between 11 and 50 hectads. 50 hectads equates to about 6% of the land area of Ireland.

We tested these on existing datasets for macro-moths and water beetles. We developed a set of PostgreSQL/PostGIS views that consistently processed and analysed these raw biodiversity datasets. We also generated standardised distribution maps for all 861 insect species through a novel use of atlas functionality in QGIS.

We also pushed the process further to provide additional insights into the distribution of each species. This included:

• Distinguishing coastal species, defined as species where 75% of occupied hectads were within 1 km of the coastline. To aid interpretation, inland and coastal hectads were shaded differently on the maps.
• Identifying geographic skew in species distributions, calculated using the spatial distribution of the underlying records. This skew was presented on each map as standard box-and-whisker plots, and using cardinal and intercardinal compass directions (e.g. north-eastern).
• Recognising species that had a patchy distribution using a DBSCAN cluster analysis algorithm. This helped to identify species that had no clear geographic skew but were nonetheless geographically restricted.

We also considered whether it was possible to assess the abundance of a species in the hectads from which it was recorded. This needed to overcome the effect of variable recording effort, which means that abundances in different datasets are not comparable. We therefore developed a Normalized Hectad Abundance Score, which scored the abundance of each species from 0 (lowest abundance, which is usually an average of 1 record per hectad) to 1 (the species with the highest average number of records per hectad) within each dataset.

All this information was clearly included on the maps, to facilitate the expert review of the results.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

Deer are large animals that are a potential hazard to vehicles on the road. Each year in the UK alone, it is thought that over 700 people suffer injuries or fatalities and over £17 million is spent on vehicle repairs because of Deer Vehicle Collisions (DVCs). In Scotland, a combination of increasing deer populations, especially in the central belt, and a growth in traffic has led to an increase in DVCs.

Exegesis was awarded a contract to collect and analyse data on Deer Vehicle Collisions (DVCs) in Scotland between 2019 and 2021. This work involved obtaining DVC records from a variety of sources in the public, private and third sectors, collating it into a consistent database, and analysing the data to identify trends and highlight areas of concern. This continued work undertaken since 2008 that had established data collation, processing and analysis protocols.

We added 5,479 records of DVC incidents in Scotland, bringing the total in the database for 2008 to 2021 up to 22,753 records. These were analysed in detail and a full report produced. Key findings included:

• Whilst there has been no recent significant increase in DVCs in Scotland overall, there has been a general increase in the central belt that has been offset by a decrease in northern Scotland (see map).
• Dusk is the worst time for DVCs, especially in May and June when overall numbers of DVCs are higher. This information can be used to target mitigation activities.
• There was no evidence of a decrease in DVC incidents resulting from travel restrictions introduced due to the Covid-19 pandemic (shown below). This contradicts claims of an anthropause where human impacts on wildlife were reduced. Nevertheless, the number of DVCs reported by members of the public, who would have been affected by the restrictions, were clearly suppressed. This suggests that freight traffic, which was largely unaffected by travel restrictions, was the cause of many DVCs during this time.

We also developed a new approach to analysing DVC risk on sections of the trunk road network, by using a moving window algorithm to identify the parts of roads with the most DVCs. We identified the blackspots with the highest DVC risk from the results. Most of these proved to be junctions surrounded by woodland in the more urban central belt. We recommended actions to mitigate the risk at the 10 worst blackspots.

The report has been published by NatureScot. We also produced a short non-technical summary of the key results.

Further information from Richard Griffiths.

The objectives of this review were to:

• Review the ecosystem effects of common cord-grass
• Map the distribution and extent of common cord-grass in Ireland
• Review the options for the control and management of common cord-grass
• Develop a common cord grass control action plan that can be applied to coastal sites in Ireland

Literature review suggested that the perceived impacts of common cord-grass are often speculative. There was evidence of an impact on macrobenthos diversity, which may explain reported impacts on wading birds that feed on these organisms. There is also evidence that it can impact eelgrass Zostera beds. However, few other reported impacts had strong support and there were suggestions that common cord-grass might facilitate other species. There are also uncertainties about the relationship of sediment regimes and common cord-grass, and the potential impact of management and dieback.

Data analysis was undertaken in PostGIS. The extent of common cord-grass was determined based on the two Saltmarsh Monitoring Projects and the SAMFHIRES project. These provided excellent and up to date coverage, suggesting that the extent of common cord-grass was in the range 688 to 1,223 ha. These data combined with presence based records of the species showed that common cord-grass was widely distributed in Ireland, with records intersecting 167 out of 214 coastal sites.

The threat posed by common cord-grass to Annex I habitats was assessed. It was found to pose a substantial threat to three Annex I habitats, with particular concern for the rarest habitat considered (H1420).

Based on the literature review, a mixture of cutting, smothering, excavation and herbicide application could be used to control common cord-grass. However, this came with caveats, as some techniques, such as cutting, are unlikely to be effective on their own, and all techniques risk impacting other species and habitats in the vicinity. We therefore developed a management decision tool to help guide managers though the analysis required to determine the amount of survey and management action required for a site. This was provisionally implemented on the 167 coastal sites with records of common cord-grass to estimate the extent and costs of actions required.

Note that common cord-grass is currently subject to a degree of nomenclatural uncertainty. Formerly known as Spartina anglica, it is now considered to be a member of the genus Sporobolus, as Sporobolus anglicus. However, this change has not been universally accepted.

Further information from Claire Lush.

The aim of the project was to establish the suitability of aerial imagery taken from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to investigate the spatial and temporal extent of bait digging at selected sites in Wales.

Sites were flown at low tides and ortho-rectified seamless mosaics produced. Shore survey and ground truthing was also undertaken, and control holes dug to investigate the persistence of bait digging evidence on different shores. The shores were revisited to assess whether the control holes were still visible, to give an indication of the persistence of damage. The ortho-rectified imagery was used to create bait digging intensity maps on a variety of shore types.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

NRW contracted Exegesis to establish a vegetation monitoring programme that would allow the development of the saltmarsh to be assessed and better understood. This involved:

• Collection of high-resolution aerial photography using out fixed-wing drone.
• The generation of an accurate height model.
• Capture of vegetation communities based on species dominance from the aerial photography and data collected in the field. The resolution of the aerial photography made sub-metre precision mapping possible.
• The selection of three transects across the main site.
• Detailed survey of a series of randomly located 2×2 metre quadrats along the transects, located using a high precision GPS.
• Photographs of transects, quadrats and features of interest.
• A full technical report detailing the methodology and results.

The report recommended repeat monitoring surveys following the same methodology and using the same quadrat locations, so that future vegetation change could be quantified and characterised.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

The surprising answer is 'probably yes'.

We identified the Saproxylic Quality Index (SQI) as the best available measure of quality, as it was felt that a site's saproxylic (wood decay) beetle fauna would be a good surrogate of wider wood decay habitat quality, which is one of the most important elements of wood pasture and parkland. We combined available SQI scores with the wood-pasture and parkland inventory we had previously created for Natural England to create a sample dataset of 98 sites. We then analysed the sample data against other available data, including tree records from the Ancient Tree Hunt, geography, climate, designations and habitat networks using PostGIS and multiple regression analysis in the statistical package R. The models produced were refined to identify the model best able to predict wood-pasture and parkland quality.

Eleven site attributes were included in the final model for predicting SQI score. Sites in the south east and lowland sites tended to have higher scores, suggesting that warmer and less exposed sites were better for saproxylic beetles. Unsurprisingly sites with higher numbers and densities of veteran or ancient trees also tended to have higher scores, owing to the increased volume of wood decay habitat present.Sites that were in a landscape with other wood-pasture and parkland were also found to have higher SQI scores.

The best model proved to be remarkably good at predicting the SQI score of the sample. It suggested that sites with a predicted score of 600 or more were likely to have an actual score of at least 400 - itself quite a high score. This suggests that if the model were applied to the wider wood-pasture and parkland inventory it could be used to predict SQI scores and identify sites that could be targeted for survey.

However, this was a proof of concept study, so the model needs more work before we can conclusively state that wood-pasture and parkland quality can be predicted. This includes further refinements to identify attributes that help predict quality. It then needs to be tested to determine how well it predicts SQI scores for sites that were not part of the sample. We hope to be able to continue this work, as we believe the improved model could be very valuable for targeting entomological survey effort.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

Exegesis, working in partnership with NatureBureau, were contracted to undertake an EU LIFE+ supported review of S. anglica as part of Natural England's Improvement Programme for England’s Natura 2000 Sites.

S. anglica has been implicated in a number of impacts on saltmarsh habitats, including increased accretion rates, changed to erosion patterns, reductions in eelgrass Zostera beds and glasswort Salicornia communities, and reduction of areas suitable for bird feeding. We conducted a review of these impacts, which led us to conclude that the overall impact of S. anglica could not clearly be regarded as either positive or negative, as it is hard to separate the impacts caused by S. anglica from those resulting from other processes. For example, causal links between S. anglica and reduction in bird feeding areas were not identified. There is also evidence of S. anglica co-dominating with Salicornia in mixed communities where only S. anglica was known previously, possibly due to a decrease in accretion rates.

We collated recent survey data and species records to assess the extent and distribution of S. anglica. Unfortunately, due the limited coverage of recent survey data very few areas of S. anglica dominated communities could be identified, so the estimate of extent was considered to be a gross underestimate. Recommendations were made to gain a more complete knowledge of the extent of S. anglica using remote sensing and field survey. In contrast, data showing the distribution of S. anglica were more readily available than previously, allowing detailed distribution maps to be created. These showed that the distribution of S. anglica appears to have been relatively stable, having changed little since 1970.

We developed a S. anglica monitoring protocol that aimed to collect information that could be used to determine the extent of S. anglica and to help decide whether management was required. Draft survey forms were tested on sites in the Severn Estuary, Essex coast and North Northumberland Coast, following which improvements were made.

A review of S. anglica control techniques was undertaken, covering physical removal, cutting, grazing, smothering, rotoburying, treatment with herbicides and biological control. This allowed the most effective methods of controlling S. anglica to be identified, but it was noted that any control should be undertaken cautiously and based upon sound evidence, as its removal was likely to result in sediment discharge and potential impacts on designated features. A management decision flow chart was created that aims to help managers of Natura 2000 sites decide where management is most appropriate.

Read the report.

We subsequently undertook a similar review of common cord-grass in Ireland.

Further information from Claire Lush.

Exegesis were contracted to investigate the distribution of non-native species on protected sites in England, in order to help develop a programme of work to tackle INNS. This involved:

• the development of a master list of 3,687 non-native species (NNS)
• the collation of nearly five million records from the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Gateway and a range of Natural England and third party datasets
• spatial analysis of NSS distribution against Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) boundaries in SQL Server

We presented the results in Microsoft Excel workbooks showing the NNS that had been recorded from each site. Each spreadsheet could be filtered, allowing only the data within a specific site or region to be displayed. This showed that 98% of SACs, 99% of SPAs and 87% of SSSIs had records of NNS. Potential INNS intersected with 90% of SACs, 96% of SPAs and 75% of SSSIs.

The results for seven sites were reviewed against on the ground knowledge by Natural England site staff to determine any differences. We also made a comparison against data in Natural England’s ENSIS database. These comparisons demonstrated the case for increasing data flow by increasing awareness.

Based on the results, we undertook a review of the recording, systems and data flow processes within Natural England. We recommended and costed the use of the NBN Gateway as a data repository and the use of existing Natural England systems for recording and interrogating INNS data. Additional recommendations were made to improve data flow more generally.

Read the report.

Further information from Claire Lush.

Cefas have a responsibility to monitor the intensity of fishing activity. Data was collected using monitoring patrols that record any sightings of fishing vessels. To remove any observation bias from the sightings, GPS data was also collected showing the route followed by the patrol vessel. Cefas had an existing manual process that was used by a specialist to import the GPS tracks and vessel sightings from the Cefas monitoring vessels and undertake the analysis of standardised fishing effort in MapInfo.

The objective for this project was create a toolkit that would automate the processing steps so that non-technical users could undertake the analysis.

The specific aims of the Fishing Effort Toolkit were to:

• produce a simple tool that automated the process for end users
• allow users to configure the tool to use multiple
• import GPS track data used by the monitoring vessels
• import sighting data from standard spreadsheet
• allow batch import of vessel tracks and sightings
• standardise the calculations for each fisheries area
• provide the option to export vessel counts
• allow fishing effort to be analysed for one or multiple years
• assess confidence in the fishing effort score based on observation effort
• allow users to thematically map the outputs using pre-defined classifications

The Fishing Effort Toolkit was developed in MapBasic and added a custom menu to MapInfo that allowed users to configure the toolkit and undertake the required processing steps using user-friendly interfaces. The toolkit was optimised to use data from the preceding processing stage when available so that the processes could be run with minimal user input.

Further information from Claire Lush

The survey was undertaken by our mini-plane less than 24 hours after the initial request was made. In order to attain the highest level of spatial accuracy, ground control points were taken with a high precision GPS unit. The images were orthorectified and mosaicked to create a single image using Pix4UAV advanced processing software.

We also used Pix4UAV to generate a digital surface model (DSM) to enable 3D analysis to be undertaken. This DSM was compared against lidar data, which provided a baseline height for the site before the addition of material. The lidar data was subtracted from the DSM to give the change in height, which was then analysed to determine the volume of additional material within discrete patches identified from the aerial photography. The volumetric analysis was undertaken using GRASS and verified with MapInfo Engage 3D.

The aerial images, DSM and outputs of the analysis were provided to the client, along with a report describing the methodology used and the results.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

Because of the biodiversity importance of OMH the habitat was identified as a Biodiversity Action Plan habitat in 2007. However, such sites are threatened by redevelopment (due to their usual status as brownfield sites), inappropriate ‘restoration’, inappropriate management or natural succession. There is very little knowledge of the distribution of OMH, as there is no data that identifies OMH sites at a national level.

exeGesIS were awarded this project in 2011, which has increased understanding of OMH in England and Wales by identifying the key features that are found within such habitats and enhancing knowledge of the distribution of such sites. This involved the development of a new survey methodology and a survey of 98 survey sites to identify OMH habitat, as well as a survey of invertebrates on 50 of the sites - the largest single survey of its kind in the UK. These surveys provided invaluable information on the importance of OMH sites to conservation and the recognition of important sites remotely and in the field.

The results of this work were:

• A handbook for the identification and survey of OMH sites.
• A provisional national inventory of OMH sites in England and Wales, along with an inventory data capture rule base.
• An integrated OMH survey website, including a map of OMH sites and survey data entry forms.
• Field survey data supplied to the NBN Gateway.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

Over three separate contracts between 2012 and 2016 exeGesIS collated maps of GI delivery and captured the information, which was supplied in ESRI ArcGIS format. Maps were collated from local planning authority websites or the relevant Natural England casework officer. Collated maps were registered in GIS and areas of UK Biodiversity Action Plan habitats and other GI were separately mapped and attributed. In total, 753 cases were mapped amounting to 3,485 polygons (21,342 ha). As part of the first contract, the dominant land use was also extracted from Land Cover Map 2007 to indicate the habitat present prior to GI delivery. Brief reports were produced detailing the process and results, and summarising gaps in the information where maps were not available.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

The objective of this project was to summarise how the fisheries habitats developed during the CCW habitat sensitivity project (Hall et al., 2008) intersected with SACs, SAC features and fishing activity. This sets the fisheries sensitivity work in the context of the Habitats Directive.

The intention was to revise the boundaries of SAC features and the extent of fishing activity as additional information became available. A toolkit was required so that the analysis could be repeated whenever revisions were made to the source data. The tools were created as a series of MapBasic scripts which used existing SAC, SAC feature, habitat and activity layers to calculate the areas of each habitat and feature affected by fishing activity.

The outputs were to be used by CCW to determine whether sensitive habitats were subject to fishing activity and whether these situations occurred within SACs and SAC features. These outputs will allow staff to provide appropriate advice regarding planning applications, assist in the development of marine policy to protect sensitive habitats, provide a baseline to liaise with fishermen about where and how they fish and target management of SACs to areas which are potentially adversely affected by fishing activity.

Further information from Claire Lush.

In addition to the survey, the actual path line for the Wales Coast Path was digitised and categorised based on BS7666 standards.   

The survey was completed with the goal of providing a summary of the condition of the Wales Coast Path. It was also intended to act as a resource for local authorities responsible for maintaining the path as it passes along the coast.

After the survey all data was made available to NRW via a dedicated data management system. The Wales Coast Path Quality Management System is hosted and supported by Exegesis and available to NRW staff for the purposes of managing the Wales Coast Path.

For more information, please contact Simon Allen. 

JNCC commissioned Exegesis to investigate and mobilise the available data on the 120 species covered by the Annexes, in preparation for the third report, due in June 2013. These data were sought from third-party data holders, initially determining the data that exists and then working towards mobilising it on the NBN Gateway so that it could be used for reporting. Mobilising the data also involved validating and preparing the data for submission where required.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

The task required analysing approximately 1500km of path network around the coastline of Wales. A route was supplied by NRW, this was then split and labelled with attributes according to the surface of the path, the requirements of NRW and BS7666 guidelines.

The path was redrafted several times to improve accuracy and reflect changes agreed between landowners and the NRW that occurred during the project. The end result was a path digitised to OS Mastermap data to an accuracy of <5m. 

For more information, please contact Simon Allen. 

This application helps keen anglers keep track of their season, while also providing analysis and high quality data to the biologists at the Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre and Rivers Trusts, to help manage the waters sustainably. The collection of diary and catch data can be searched and analysed in various ways, with fully interactive mapping. The site was built within a Content Management System to allow the project partners to update the content.

• The development of a survey methodology that can rapidly and effectively assess the status and condition of non-statutory woodland habitats in England and Wales.
• The development of a sampling strategy, to identify a representative sample of woodland sites upon which to test the survey methodology.
• An assessment of landscape change in woodland cover in the immediate vicinity of the survey sites, making use of modern aerial photographs and historic data.

The survey methodology was tested on 100 sample sites spread across England and Wales and from a range of size classes. The main outputs from the work were a woodland condition assessment manual along with a bespoke survey database, a full project report and baseline data on the condition of non-statutory woodlands in England and Wales. The report included an extensive regression analysis of woodland attributes against condition, which enabled surrogates for favourable condition to be suggested.

The project report and woodland survey methodology can be downloaded from Defra's website. Further information from Crispin Flower.

Over successive years these data were assessed to refine the boundary and attribute information associated with each polygon in the inventory and additional data were sourced regionally for inclusion. A data capture rule base was created and maintained throughout these projects, to act as a guide to wood-pasture and parkland assessment. Data were assessed against historic maps and aerial photography, as well as modern data sources. Ground truthing was undertaken in the west midlands and south west, through which the inventory data capture rule base was refined to ensure the best assessment of available datasets.

The resulting provisional inventory mapped 156,838 ha of wood-pasture and parkland, though this was known to overestimate the actual extent, and it was estimated to include over 5,000 sites made up of over 7,500 polygons.

Further information from Claire Lush.

Data were collated to create a dataset of candidate Greenspaces, an access network dataset and an access point dataset, all of which were checked by local authority staff. In addition the data was validated by undertaking a survey of greenspace type, condition and access points for a sample of 250 non-Local Authority sites. 

Population for each settlement was calculated from national census data. Analysis was undertaken to determine the area within the distance criteria for each Greenspace access point.

These data were then used to calculate the percentage of the population in each settlement which passed the criteria. The results were reviewed by local authority staff via a website, which allowed comments to be left and read by others. The data was then reprocessed to produce the final outputs.

Further information from Claire Lush.