What is biodiversity?
Put simply, Biodiversity is the entire variety of species and
habitats on Earth. Contracted from “Biological Diversity”, it
encompasses every organism and every habitat or ecosystem where
they exist. No organism lives in isolation; their myriad ways of
interaction contribute to the balance of the global ecosystem and,
consequently, the survival of our planet. These interactions
provide us with fresh water, clean air, fertile soil, the
pollination of crops and flowers and act to breakdown and clean our
waste products. Biodiversity provides us with every essential for
life and is, of consequence, of inestimable value. In Suffolk, we
can appreciate an amazing variety and richness of biodiversity in,
for example, the sea, the coastal areas, river valleys, the high
claylands as well as our towns and villages. For further
information please visit
Natural History Museum biodiversity
Brief History of UK BAP process
The UK Government signed the
Convention on
Biological Diversity in 1992. In response to this it
produced the UK Biodiversity Action Plan describing the UK's
biological resources and it commits to a detailed action plan for
the protection of these resources has 391 Species Action Plans, 45
Habitat Action Plans. Major reviews of the Priority Species and
Habitats are underway, and the Targets for these priorities are
complete - Please visit
UK BAP
process and the reviews. Much of the UK BAP is delivered through
Local BPA partnerships, translating National targets into local
targets and action. In Suffolk most of the BAP plans are
based on National BAP plans however 6 plans are local only or
character plans, this is where the partnership has identified a
BAP priority which is either rapidly declining locally, or is
very rare in Suffolk or where Suffolk has a significant
population of a threatened species or habitat.
Describe Suffolk LBAP
The Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership was formed and began the
process of identifying BAP priorities in Suffolk in 1997, tranche 1
of plans were produced in 1998, tranche 2 in 2000, tranche 3 in
2003 and tranche 4 in 2006/7. There are currently 73 Biodiversity
Action Plans and these are an agreed set of targets and actions for
a species or habitat which have been agreed between the partners
who have committed to delivering the plan. There are 19 habitats
action plans and 54 species action plans currently.
Tranche 2 of the BAP is under revision and new plans are under
production, these are not available on the website currently but
they will be once completed.