Statistical News Release: The Proportion of Scotland's Protected Sites in Favourable Condition 2020

13 May 2020 – Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has today released the latest figures tracking the proportion of Scottish natural features in favourable or recovering condition.

The main findings show that, as of 31st March 2020, 78.8% of Scotland’s natural features on protected nature sites are either in or recovering towards a favourable condition. This figure represents a 2.8 percentage point increase since the current protocols were established in 2007, despite a 0.1 percentage point decrease since last year. A difference of less than +/-1 percentage point from last year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change.

The report draws on annual monitoring carried out by SNH of the condition of the 5,389 natural features across Scotland. As of 31st March 2020, 5,315 natural features were assessed, divided into three categories: habitats (78.7% in favourable condition), species (73.1% in favourable condition) and earth sciences, which includes geographical outcrops and landforms, fossil beds, and caves (97.4% in favourable condition).

Note that 59 SCM feature assessments were completed in 2019/20, a reduction compared with previous years (373 in 2018/19 for example). This has been a planned reduction in direct monitoring activity to allow investigations into future monitoring methods including the utilisation of new technologies. As a result, there have been fewer changes to the condition of features in the year and this is likely to have contributed to the small change in the indicator as compared to recent years.

Overall, the condition of 17 natural features on protected areas has improved to favourable or recovering condition, whilst 19 have deteriorated to unfavourable condition.

Other findings of note from the report include:

• 2 natural features were assessed for the first time and were found to be in favourable condition.
• Vascular plants saw a 1.3 percentage point increase in natural features in favourable condition (this represents two features improving), the largest increase overall, followed by heath with a 0.8 percentage point increase and uplands with a 0.6 percentage point increase.
• Fish saw a 4.4 percentage point decrease in natural features in favourable condition (this represents 2 features declining), the largest decrease overall, followed by wetland and woodlands, both with a 0.9 percentage point decrease.
• The natural feature types with the highest proportion in favourable condition were dragonflies (100%), marine habitats (98.1%), and earth science (97.4%). Dragonflies and marine habitats have remained stable since last year but earth sciences have seen a 0.2 percentage point decrease since last year.
• The natural feature types with the lowest proportion in favourable condition remains marine mammals (57.1%), woodlands (64.3%) and birds (67.8%).
• As there were fewer assessments this year, 9 natural feature types have no change in their proportion of features in favourable condition.

Invasive species are the main reason for natural features being in unfavourable condition, representing 21.0% of all negative pressures, which is the same as last year. This category includes both native species such as bracken or nettles, and non-native species such as rhododendron or Japanese knotweed, the removal of these species has to be undertaken to promote recovery to favourable condition.

There are 426 natural features with no on-site remedy which is an increase from 424 last year. These are features where the pressure is beyond the boundary of the feature itself or nearby and so to bring these natural features into favourable condition is beyond local management.

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