Philip Farndon, Author at Wild Frontier Ecology

Why ecologists are now using UKHab surveys

April 6, 2023
Botantical

Graham conducting a habitat survey

You may have noticed that ecologists and consultancies are moving away from the use of the JNCC Phase 1 habitat survey methodology to conduct habitat surveys and are instead using the newer UK Habitat (UKHab) Classification Working Group methodology. The UKHab classification system was released back in 2018 and it has since seen a near industry wide uptake for using this methodology, including Wild Frontier Ecology.

UKHab is a much newer classification system compared to JNCC’s Phase 1 with the last edition published in 1992. Legislation, policies, industry standards and mapping have changed considerably in that time and the UKHab classification system now provides a more modern and simple classification tool relevant for the present day. UKHab also has a greater variety of habitat types available for the surveyor to classify habitats compared to the older Phase 1 classifications. For example, there are 29 different primary codes for grassland with different categories covering lowland and upland grasslands. There is no longer a ‘semi-improved grassland’ category which will be familiar to those who previously used the Phase 1 classifications.

Producing habitat maps within GIS is a key part of Wild Frontier Ecology’s work and UKHab is designed for producing maps within GIS. This easily helps us to produce detailed habitat maps for our clients, which becomes slightly trickier if you’re using the Phase 1 classifications as it was designed for producing maps with paper and colouring pencils. UKHab has a standardised symbology much like Phase 1, which makes the habitat maps easy to interpret.

Biodiversity Net Gain was enshrined in law within the Environment Act 2021 and is expected to become mandatory for all large development projects in November 2023. To produce a Net Gain assessment for a proposed development the practitioner must use DEFRA’s Biodiversity Metric. The Biodiversity Metric uses the UKHab classification methodology and it is one of the main reasons why many ecology practitioners have switched to using UKHab. It saves time for ecologists to use UKHab, as otherwise all habitats classified using Phase 1 will need to be reinterpreted to use DEFRA’s Biodiversity Metric.

Though there are many benefits to UKHab it is not perfect and will likely be continually updated in response to the feedback from ecologists and other practitioners.

Preliminary Ecological Appraisal – Grassland case study

March 23, 2023
Preliminary Ecological Appraisal

In September 2022 a small housing development was proposed for an area of retained tussocky grassland (0.3ha) in Norfolk. The client required a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) to assess the ecological impact of developing such a site. The PEA was used to support an outline planning permission application.

The site received an Extended UK Habitat survey which involved a walkover of the proposed development site and an assessment for the suitability of two nearby ponds for breeding great crested newts. The walkover identified the habitat type of the grassland as rank modified grassland with low floristic value, there were two fruit trees with bat roosting potential and the site is enclosed by largely native hedgerows of varying quality.

Slow worms are one of the reptile species that can be found in grassland habitats.

The report advised the client that further reptile surveys would be needed before any development works can begin, as tussocky grassland is favoured by reptiles. One of the trees with bat roost potential was also identified for further surveying effort, as the current plans showed the tree would be removed by the proposed development. A full, detailed investigation of all the potential roost features of this tree using torches and endoscopes was advised before the main bat activity surveys with a further two inspections within the bat activity season. The report also provided a Precautionary Working Method for great crested newts to avoid impacts to great crested newts during construction.

Our report supplied the client with provisional habitat mitigation including advice for planting six native fruit trees and the sowing of a wildflower meadow to compensate for the loss of grassland habitat. We also provided advice for ecological enhancements which included the incorporation of integral bat and bird boxes within all dwellings at the proposal site.

The flagging of the above further surveys from this report is important for the client as these surveys are typically only possible within a short survey window. Knowing these details will help the client to better plan the timescale for the development and what particular aspects may be possible at certain times of the year. The client is also now looking into the feasibility of retaining the fruit trees with bat roost potential.

Bats found in a building – A case study

March 13, 2023
Project Examples

Wild Frontier Ecology was commissioned to provide an ecological assessment report for the demolition and rebuild of a detached property and garage in Holt. An initial visual inspection in June 2021 found bat droppings were present in the loft of the house, and a single brown long-eared bat was roosting in the adjacent garage.

Brown long-eared bat

A dusk emergence survey was undertaken in July 2021 and a dawn return to roost survey was undertaken in August 2021. These confirmed that the garage building was also being used as a roost by a common pipistrelle bat. An assessment report was produced which allowed planning permission to be granted in January 2022.

Wild Frontier Ecology returned to the site and re-inspected in March 2022; as no bats had been recorded using the house the droppings were sent for DNA analysis. This confirmed that this building was also used as an occasional roost by a brown long-eared bat. A mitigation and enhancement plan was produced to ensure suitable compensation was in place.

Building demolition under way

A Bat Low Impact Class licence was used to legalise the demolition of both buildings in July 2022 under the supervision of an Ecological Clerk of Works. The garage roof was soft stripped by hand whilst the house was mechanically demolished following a full visual inspection of the known roost site. A translocation bat box was installed on a tree on site and the new building is now under way on site. This will include two integral swift boxes and an integral bat box.

Whilst our client was initially surprised to find bats roosting in the property they were happy with Wild Frontier Ecology’s professionalism, and that an effective and timely resolution could be put in place.