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.

The project outputs consisted of a web interface for configuring the mapper, a modern and feature-rich web application for displaying maps, and consultancy services to JNCC in managing their database and web mapping services.

The project drew on our knowledge of managing large spatial datasets, optimising web mapping services, familiarity with marine habitat classification systems, and expertise in creating interactive web mapping applications.

The new system is currently used to display marine protected area boundaries (MPAs) in UK waters by JNCC. It is also used for a diverse set of habitat and environmental variable datasets as part of the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet).

The mapper can be configured by JNCC staff, who decide which layers should be available, which are displayed by default, and how they may be filtered. It is not restricted to marine mapping and could be configured to display any tiled web mapping services.

Users of the map can search and browse layers, view information about specific habitats by clicking on the map, zoom to areas of interest using a gazetteer, change base maps, and filter layers for specific habitats for species. A permalink system allows users to save their current view of the map and share it with others via a URL.

The mapper is easily deployed and can run as a standalone application or it can be displayed within a content management system to maintain corporate identity. The styling of the mapper itself is customisable so that it can also be themed to meet the style guidelines of the hosting organisation.

This mapper has been one of several marine mapping web applications we have created over the last few years including the United Kingdom Directory of Marine Observing Systems (UKDMOS) ArcGIS desktop application and the Integrated Marine Data and Information System (iMarDIS) https://portal.imardis.org/.

Further information from Andy Brewer.

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 dataset was based upon Ordnance Survey MasterMap data, filtered to remove features that were unlikely to be hedges and excluding built up areas as garden hedges were not being targeted. These were then reviewed on the aerial imagery and assigned to one of the following types:

• Not a hedge
• Intensively managed
• Trimmed & dense
• Overgrown
• Line of trees
• Defunct
• Newly planted
• Recently coppiced
• Recently laid
• Woodland
• Uncertain

Hedges not included in the MasterMap data were also added, leading to a dataset of 22,370 features of which 17,013 were thought to be hedges. This was all undertaken in an incredibly short timescale, with data attribution starting on the 15th and finishing on the 27th December 2016.

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.

The work involved assessing data originally from the National Land Use Database of Previously Developed Land, British Geological Society BRITPITS data and Environment Agency Historic Landfill data. Each feature was interpreted on aerial photography to determine whether OMH was likely to be present. Where OMH was not thought to be present the feature was removed from the inventory. Where OMH was thought to be present the feature was replaced with an accurately mapped boundary. Attributes were recorded for each retained feature detailing the sources of information, the confidence that OMH was present and notes describing the reasons for any uncertainty.

The result was the first ever inventory that separated OMH from brownfield sites more generally. In total 141,153 features were checked, but only 8,410 (32,602 hectares) of these were believed to be possible OMH and were therefore retained in the inventory. Greater London was shown to have the highest density of possible OMH, though Middlesbrough and St Austell in Cornwall were also found to be hotspots (shown above).

The process of inventory creation and the results were recorded in a rule base and project report.

Further information from Claire Lush.

Natural England had collated a series of spatial datasets relating to surveys of subtidal and intertidal marine habitats. Though all were in digital Geographical Information System format, they were from a variety of sources with differing formats. These were standardised to MESH Translated Habitat DEF, including an assessment of MESH confidence, data cleansing and validation, quality assurance and production of MEDIN metadata. We used a range of tools within ArcGIS, QGIS, GRASS and MapInfo in order to quickly and efficiently produce accurate and reliable outputs. We also utilised four standard habitat translation tables to manually assure the EUNIS habitat identified. A generic process diagram was also created, that can be used to guide all future MESH translation work.

The data to be imported into Marine Recorder were reviewed so that issues could be identified and the approach to import could be agreed. Biotopes were assigned through expert assessment of the data, based upon faunal groupings from Bray-Curtis analysis, particle size distribution, geographic location and field survey notes for each sample. These were then compared with the Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and Ireland (Connor et al., 2004) for the final biotope assignment. The Marine Recorder spreadsheet import function was used to import the resulting data, with particle size and biotope entered manually. The imported data in the snapshot were then independently checked to ensure they were correctly attributed.

Further information from Claire Lush.

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.

The review of other habitat mapping activities highlighted the range of approaches in use, including the incorporation of existing data, remote sensing and field survey. These approaches were summarised to form a list of possible options for inventory creation, from which a preferred approach was selected based upon the options available and some innovation where solutions more appropriate to England were required.

The prototype inventories were created based upon data already available to Natural England. These covered the whole of England for all 64 terrestrial, freshwater and coastal Annex I habitats. The presence of Annex I habitat was identified based upon existing habitat data, automatically searching for habitat codes that correspond to each Annex I habitat. Coverage, gaps and confidence was assessed for each source dataset and resulting inventory.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

The Council’s nature conservation officers wished to maintain this data in HBSMR, as Designation data, and required a number of customisations to allow the data to be incorporated and managed.

exeGesIS was contracted to create a custom module for HBSMR to hold data for multiple surveys for each Local Wildlife Site designation record. Summary data was displayed on a custom tab on the Designation form that is only visible for Local Wildlife Site records.

A button next to each entry provides access to detailed survey information which is displayed on a custom pop-up form.

Local Wildlife Site searches can be executed from the Designations Index Form.

The customisations were successfully delivered and installed in early December 2013.

Further information from Keith Westcott

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.

exeGesIS developed a methodology for monitoring GI delivery, making an assessment of the delivery agreement against the GI delivered. This was based upon Natural England's existing Integrated Site Assessment methodology and encompassed ecology, access, green roofs and other aspects of GI delivery. It also allowed users to create bespoke targets against which to assess the site, to allow site-specific features to be considered.

The methodology was tested on four sites in the vicinity of Hull in March 2013 that included a range of features. Targets were established based upon the delivery agreements for each site, against which the sites were assessed. Any targets that were not met were identified and discussed.

This work was further developed in a second contract. We facilitated a workshop to focus Natural England's requirements for the survey methodology and, using consensus building techniques, agreed a reduction in the number of assessed features to make the methodology more user friendly. We then redeveloped the survey form, consulting further with Natural England to ensure the survey was suitable to the target audience and easy to use. We also wrote a comprehensive survey handbook to be used alongside the survey form.

The work was documented in a report to Natural England that covered the methodology development, selection of survey sites, results, redevelopment of the methodology, an assessment of the appropriateness of the methodology and recommendations for further development.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

Support is provided for entering data as CMSi monitoring projects associated with a site and for incidental records collected by volunteers. The module features a range of input forms that can be customised to suit a variety of recording needs. Data can be browsed from an intuitive tree interface, filtered, and viewed in the standard map window alongside other CMSi layers.

In addition, sophisticated reports can be specified using a wizard, which are then generated within the module and exported to GIS.

The system includes a mobile app (iOS, Android and Windows) and an API to communicate with the backend CMSi system. The mobile app is used by field surveyors throughout the GBNL consortium on iPads and a range of Android tablets. The surveyors record observations and sync these with the backend CMSi database. They typically deal with many thousands of observations and species dictionaries and data volumes are quite large.

The mobile app is map-centric and uses the device GPS and offline mapping for the entire country. The app also provides more advanced control over the map layers and allows additional KML and ESRI shape files to be imported and overlaid by the end user.

• 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.