Indicators of Sustainable Development

Quality of life counts: 2004

S LANDSCAPE AND WILDLIFE

Between 1990 and 1998, significant decreases were identified in plant species diversity in infertile and fertile grassland habitats and in tall grass and herb vegetation types.

In Great Britain in 2003, nearly half of lower plants and a third of vascular plants were 'threatened' or nationally scarce, whilst 16 per cent of vertebrates were considered 'threatened'

Although the overall area of woodland has increased over the last century, the area of ancient semi-natural woodland has declined and such woodlands have become increasingly fragmented.

The proportion of aggregates used that come from recycled material has increased from 10 per cent in 1989 (UK) to nearly a quarter in 2001 (England).

Ref No	Indicator		QOLC 1999		QOLC Updated Assessment
†New since QoLC (1999)			Change since		Change since
			1970	1990	1970	1990	Strategy
S1	Net loss of soils to development
S2	Concentrations of organic matter in agricultural topsoils
H13	Wildlife: Populations of wild birds (headline)	All species
		Woodland birds
		Farmland birds
S3	Trends in plant diversity
S4	Biodiversity action plans
S5	Landscape features	Hedges
		Walls, banks, etc
		Ponds
S6	Extent and management of SSSIs	Extent
		Management
S7	Countryside quality
S8	Access to the countryside †
S9	Native species at risk
S10	Area of woodland in the UK
S11	Area of ancient semi-natural woodland in Great Britain
S12	Sustainable management of woodland †
S13	Number of countries with national forest programmes
S14	Amount of secondary/ recycled aggregates used compared with virgin aggregates †
S15	Mineral working site land covered by restoration and aftercare conditions