Office for Environmental Protection
Progress in improving the natural environment in England 2022/2023

Monitoring trends in species abundance and distribution provides a useful proxy for the state of biodiversity in England. Assessment of variation in species abundance is likely to identify changes in biodiversity earlier than species distribution.

While EA21 targets have now been set for species abundance (the 2030 species abundance target and the long-term target to reverse the decline of species abundance), there is a lack of publicly available plans and data with which to assess prospects of meeting them. This is despite the detailed specification of a list of the relevant species in schedule 2 of the Environmental Targets (Biodiversity) (England) Regulations 2023³². We discuss this further in Chapter 13.

In the ongoing absence of published data for the particular indicator of species abundance as specified in the above Regulations, we have continued to rely on the index for the relative abundance of priority species in England. The index relies on 153 priority species from a narrow taxonomic range. However, it is the most appropriate proxy indicator for wider species abundance.

We welcome the recent addition of data to 2021. However, it is regrettable that there has been a lack of data spanning the first five years of the 25YEP (2018 to 2022). Defra outlined⁴¹ that, set against a backdrop of continuing decline, the relative abundance of priority species index did not change significantly between 2016 and 2021 (Figure 2.1). We also note that the central estimates of the index (19.0 in 2016, 19.8 in 2021) have relatively broad and overlapping confidence intervals, which reduces confidence in determinations of change. Changes in abundance of this magnitude, in all likelihood, are also within the range of inter-annual variability.

By way of corroboration, and with some overlap in the underlying data, the change in average species abundance for terrestrial and freshwater species in England presented in the latest State of Nature report⁶ indicates declines continuing into 2020.

Chart showing the long-term changes in 153 priority species trends in England, from 1970 to 2021. 

Other biodiversity indices from the OIF provide useful context regarding progress towards improving nature recovery. Alongside the wider decline in species abundance, they show a mixed picture. For example, the distribution of priority species in England and the abundance of birds are declining, though the abundance of butterflies appears to be stabilising, and the abundance of bats is increasing.⁴²

The threat of extinction to UK species index shows little or no change in extinction risk. While there is an England level index for 2022,⁴³ it has not been backdated to establish trends.

The effective management of protected areas is an important component of improving wider species abundance, as well as being the subject of targets in its own right. The continued decline in the proportion of SSSIs in England that are in favourable condition or in unfavourable condition but are recovering, is concerning

A growing and resilient network on land and water that is richer in plants and wildlife

A protected areas network that is managed effectively will be important in achieving many domestic and international targets and commitments, including the ‘30 by 30’ commitments and EA21 targets related to species abundance and extinction (the 2030 species abundance target, the long-term target to reverse the decline of species abundance, and the long-term species extinction risk target).

However, the extent of SSSI protected areas on land and water has shown little or no change from 2017 to 2022 at both a UK and an England⁴⁴ level, and the condition of SSSIs in England has deteriorated. Outside these protected areas, assessing the progress of wider factors that will contribute to achieving both the ‘30 by 30’ commitments is challenging without appropriate monitoring.

Woodland area data indicate that between 2018 and 2023 there was an increase of 18,000 hectares, which indicates little or no change in our trend assessment. Year on year, this expansion of woodland cover does not appear to be at the scale required to achieve the 2050 target for woodland and trees outside woodland (an EA21 target).⁴⁵

Spatial data on land cover has been used to assess broader-scale change on land in England (Figure 2.2).⁴⁶ Detailed information on the data used is provided in the Methodological Statement. In the short term, between 2015 and 2021, we are encouraged to see a notable increase in land cover that is more likely to support large-scale nature-friendly habitats. These are forms of land cover that are typically less intensive in use, such as semi-natural grasslands and broadleaved woodlands. This does not equate to wildlife-rich habitats as defined in the Environmental Targets (Biodiversity) (England) Regulations 2023,³² and this therefore would not necessarily contribute to achieving the long-term wildlife-rich habitat restoration or creation target (an EA21 target). Nevertheless, it does provide a useful proxy until government develops a more precise metric.

In addition to the increases in land cover more likely to support large-scale nature-friendly habitats, urban areas have also increased in the short term (2015 to 2021). Regrettably, the commencement of Biodiversity Net Gain was delayed, and so will not contribute nationally to on-site measures where developments occurred until 2024.

Government publishes different national statistics on the area of land under agri-environment schemes. We have used Defra National Statistics for our analysis, which provide data up to 2022. National statistics published by the JNCC provide outputs up to 2020. Defra and JNCC data show that in 2020, 2.8 million hectares or 3.6 million hectares of land are under some kind of scheme, respectively. The two data sets have a consistent difference of almost 1 million hectares. It is essential that government is transparent and clearly sets out which monitoring data it will use to assess progress against uptake of nature-friendly farming.

Analysis of the uptake of agri-environment schemes shows that the area of land in these schemes has increased by 12.9% between 2017 and 2022, following a decline from 2013 to 2017. This recent increase is an encouraging trend but is from a low baseline position. This was due to many landowners not renewing existing agreements or signing up to new ones during the period of policy uncertainty after the EU exit referendum.

Graphic from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology showing land cover areas in England between 2015 and 2021 in kilometres squared above low tide, with the top five changes in land cover shown over the period. 

A growing and resilient network at sea that is richer in plants and wildlife

The assessment of trends in the marine environment has not changed substantially from our 2021/2022 progress report. The proportion of the marine environment that is in a protected area has shown a significant increase in the short term (from 2018 to 2023), which is an important step to achieving the ‘30 by 30’ commitments. This increase was driven by the designations of 41 sites and 12 additional features in 2019.

Despite recent encouraging developments regarding monitoring, a lack of historical monitoring of the condition of MPAs and marine good environmental status means that there is no comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of their conservation or management, nor the current state of the wider marine environment.

The UK government has supported the OSPAR Commission’s recent update of environmental indicators, a number of which support the assessment of marine good environmental status. We have not used OSPAR data for a trend assessment, but note that key indicators underpinning marine good environmental status have not improved, or have deteriorated, in the 2023 Quality Statement Report.⁴⁷ This also stated that additional measures are required to change a trajectory of nature decline to one of nature recovery, and that existing measures need to be more effective.

A summary assessment of the key trends we assessed is provided in Table 2.2.

Table 2.2. Thriving plants and wildlife – summary assessment of key trends

Indicator	Indicator Trend	Trend time period
Abundance of priority species		2016–2021
Threat of extinction to UK species		2018–2023
Condition of Sites of Special Scientific Interest  [that are in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition]		2018–2023
Extent of land cover more likely to support nature-friendly habitat		2015–2021
Area of woodland		2018–2023
Area under agri-environment schemes		2017–2022
Extent of UK area protected for nature on land and water		2018–2023
Achievement of marine good environmental status		N/A
Condition of marine protected areas		N/A
Extent of UK area protected for nature at sea		2018–2023