Roger Thomas Countryside Council for Wales delivered a presentation on Eco-systems delivery in Wales.

1. Roger Thomas
Countryside Council for Wales

2. Devolution, the SEB
& an ecosystems approach
Roger Thomas - CCW

3. 1536……....
.

4. ….and 415 years later
then in 1964

5. But are we so
different?

6. Context is similar……
Global
recession
Public
service
cuts
Rio +20

7. .…challenge is the same
• Living within natural limits
and
• Demand for ever-higher
standards of living

8. Response is different
• Natural Resource Planning
• Delivery via a Single
Environment Body

9. Progress towards the SEB

10. Ecosystems Approach - Principles
COBD 2004
Sustainable
Use
Conservation Equity

11. The Process

12. Assessment of ecosystem services (Bridgend CBC)
Major contributing Availability and quality of
features to ecosystem data
goods and service
Soil type (and geology of General, strategic level data
the area of land) readily available
Habitat type General, detailed level data
available
Position in the landscape General detailed level data
available
What management is Some detail available
being implemented

14. rent
Cur
Pote
ntial

15. Opportunities layers created
Ecosystem Greatest potential for service
service enhancement
opportunity
Soil Carbon Degraded peat based soils which are currently managed intensely or degraded
bogs soils which are heavily drained
Vegetation Carbon Areas within the woodland network which are not planted
Water Regulation Areas upstream of urban settlements on steep slopes where habitats could be
restored to help regulate water (e.g. woodland / heathland and hedges)
Pollination Areas where there is little existing evidence of flowering plants
Recreation Areas 300m from an open space or footpaths where there is a high population
density [data is at different scale]
Woodland network Previously wooded land near to existing woodlands
Wetland network Flat areas adjacent to existing wetland or the rivers, on land with less nutrient
burden
Grassland network Areas with less of a nutrient burden near existing grassland (eg older pasture
which can easily revert)
Heathland network Areas adjacent to existing heathlands that are not too heavily managed and
therefore are likely to have an appropriate soil nutrient budget

16. Current and potential ecosystem services

17. Using the information…….
Supplementary Planning
Guidance
Natural Resource
Management
Plan
April 2014
Site Design
Briefs

18. AONBs – at the sharp end
• local knowledge
• community
engagement
• consensus