UK biodiversity change – a study of

over 12,000 species from 34

taxonomic groups
Charlie Outhwaite, Tom August, Gary Powney, Richard Chandler,
Richard Gregory, Ben Collen, Nick Isaac

@charlielouo

chaout@ceh.ac.uk
Monitoring biodiversity

European species indicators

The Living Planet Index
Biodiversity indicators:
Index value

Year
What about everything else?
• UK Biological records = Presence only data
• 34 taxonomic groups, over 12,000 species
Orthoptera Fungus Gnats Vascular Plants Shield Bugs Ladybirds

Dragonflies Rove Beetles Ants

Gelechiid Moths
Leaf and Seed Beetles
Freshwater Fish Carabids Lichens Caddisflies Weevils
Hypogean Crustacea Hoverflies
Bees Millipedes Spiders
Plant Bugs
Bryophytes Molluscs Aquatic Bugs
Stoneflies
Mayflies Soldier Beetles
Wasps Soldierflies
Empid Flies Centipedes Moths Craneflies

• Bayesian occupancy models for low recording intensity data Outhwaite et al (in review)
Results: Terrestrial species

Photo credits: Bee, wasp (Nick Owens), ant (Robin Williams), damselfly (Mario Finkel), ladybird (David Nicholls)
Results: Terrestrial species
Results: Freshwater species

• Lowest point in 1994.

• Known indicators of water
WWTD
quality.
• Urban Waste Water Treatment
Directive – Implemented 1991
Results: Freshwater species

Photo credits: Caddisfly (N Sloth)

Results: Botanical
Conclusions

Occurrence data allows us to monitor

more than the usual groups!

Not everything is declining.

Recovery is possible!
 @charlielouo
Acknowledgements
• Volunteers who collected the data.
• 32 recording schemes and societies and their organisers.
• Staff of the Biological Records Centre.

Thank you for listening!