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Guidelines for selection of biological SSSIs
Rationale, Operational approach and criteria, Detail guidelines for habitats and species groups
JNCC
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is the forum through which the three country nature conservation agencies, the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), English Nature and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), deliver their statutory responsibilities for Great Britain as a whole and internationally.

Summary

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The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation. Its work contributes to maintaining and enriching biological diversity, conserving geological features and sustaining natural systems. JNCC delivers the UK and international responsibilities of the four country nature conservation agencies - Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside, the Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage. JNCC, originally established under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, was reconstituted by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. JNCC, working with the nature conservation agencies, is the focus for the guidelines for the selection of biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
 
The nature conservation agencies have a duty under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended, to notify any area of land which in their opinion is 'of special interest by reason of any of its flora, fauna, or geological or physiographical features'. Such areas are known as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The notification is made to owners and occupiers, local planning authority and the Secretary of State, who may make representations or objections to the nature conservation agencies regarding the notification. Any representation or objection made must be considered by the nature conservation agencies before a decision is made by them to confirm the notification.
 
In 1989 the then Nature Conservancy Council published guidelines for the selection of biological SSSIs. Since 1991 JNCC has been the focus for the production and revision of the guidelines.
 
The biological guidelines set out general principles upon which the nature conservation agencies reach judgements regarding special scientific interest. These principles are supplemented by details of wildlife habitat types and species groups.
 
The guidelines for the selection of geological and physiographical SSSIs are published separately by JNCC in volume 1 of the Geological Conservation Review.
 
In Northern Ireland the designation Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) is the equivalent of the SSSIs. The responsibility for the identification and designation of these sites rest with the Environment and Heritage Service, Northern Ireland. View the Guidelines for the selection of biological ASSIs.
 
 

Review of the Guidelines for the selection of biological SSSIs: timetable

 

The Guidelines for Selection of Biological SSSIs were originally published by the Nature Conservancy Council in 1989. Since then, a series of revisions have been made in the form of additional or revised chapters. However, the underlying rationale and operational approach have remained intact and broadly fit for purpose. Nonetheless, there is recognition that some updating is needed to take into account changes in governance, legislation and wider approaches to nature conservation being developed within the UK BAP and country biodiversity strategies.

 

The decision has been taken to carry out a light touch review of Parts A (Rationale) and B (Operational Approach and Criteria) of the Guidelines, which goes beyond merely tidying up the text, in order to take on board important issues in relation to the purpose of the SSSI network, such as the ecosystem approach and climate change adaptation. It is the view of the Inter-Agency SSSI Review Group that any revision of Parts A and B is likely to have implications for some elements of Part C (detailed Guidelines for Habitats and Species Groups), and further consideration may need to be given to this.

 

Timetable for delivery of the review of Parts A and B of the SSSI Guidelines

 

October - November 2010

  1. A list of consultees will be drawn up and these will be notified that they are to be invited to comment on the draft conclusions of the revision of Parts A and B.
  2. Expressions of interest will be sought from within the country conservation bodies for the role of Chief Editor.
  3. The inter-agency group will identify the key points of Parts A and B requiring revision, and a two phased approach will be taken, equating to tidying up, followed by addressing of technical issues.

  4. November 2010 – January 2011

  5. A Chief Editor will be appointed to lead on the revision of the text of Parts A and B of the Guidelines.
  6. Working with the inter-agency group, the Chief Editor will undertake work to modernise and clarify the language used, with removal of extraneous material.
  7. Following this, new text will be added by the Chief Editor, as advised by the IA Group, in relation to the key areas: changes to governance, legislation and wider approaches to nature conservation.
  8. Secretariat support will be sought to manage the stakeholder consultation process, with expressions of interest called for from within the country conservation bodies and JNCC Support Company.

  9. February 2011

  10. Draft revisions of Parts A and B to be presented to the Inter-Agency Science Management Group and Chief Scientists’ Group.
  11. Agreed draft revisions will be issued to consultees, for their views, by the end of February 2011.

  12. March-August 2011

  13. Mid-March: consultation closed, and comments assessed.
  14. The IA Group and Chief Editor will amend the draft review, as required. The revision period for review and amendments will span three months, i.e. April-June 2011.
  15. An agreed paper will be produced, including recommendations for amendments to Part C, where necessary, and submission via the Inter-Agency Science Management Group to the country conservation bodies, in June 2011.
  16. Comments back from the country conservation bodies (by mid-July 2011) and further revision (by the end of July 2011), prior to submission of the paper to Chief Scientists’ Group in August 2011.

  17. September 2011

  18. Submission of an approved paper to the Joint Committee meeting in September 2011.


 

 
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  • Download biological guidelines in sections


    Part A: Rationale (PDF, 613 kb) Foreword included in part A

    1. The purpose of the guidelines
    2. The objective of the SSSI system within an overall nature conservation strategy
    3. The concept of special scientific interest
    4. Rationale for evaluation and selection of a countrywide series of biological SSSIs
     
    1. Defining the basis for selecting the national network of sites
    2. The principles of site evaluation and selection
    3. International importance
    4. Assessment of site value
    5. Boundary of definition, size of area and site integrity
    6. Evaluation of habitat mosaics
    7. Evaluation of species-group combinations
    8. Total extent of SSSIs
      References for parts A and B
     
    • Download Part C: Detailed guidelines for habitats and species-groups
      Introduction (PDF, 21 kb)
      Chapter 1 Coastlands (PDF, 888 kb)

      Table 1 Habitat selection units for coastlands

      Table 2 Coastal habitat selection units and their NVC


      Note: This is the new chapter dealing with intertidal marine habitats and saline lagoons that was published in February 1996)
      Intertidel marine habitats and saline lagoons 
      Introduction (PDF, 226 kb)
      Intertidal habitats (PDF, 1.7 mb)
      Saline lagoons/Further information/References/Glossary (PDF, 832 kb)
      Annexes (PDF, 204 kb)
       
      Chapter 2 Woodlands (now includes Veteran Trees)(PDF, 576 kb)
      Table 3 NVC - woodland and scrub communities
      Table 4 Extent and localisation of British Woodland Stand Types
      Table 5 Main semi-natural structural types of tree layer in British woods
      Table 6 An approach to integrating differing woodland classification schemes for SSSI selection
      Table 7 A preliminary attempt to indicate the general relationship between the Stand Type classification and NVC for woodland
      Table 8 Field measures of the NCR criteria for British woods
      Note: Veteran Trees was added to this section in September 2006. Download Veteran Trees only (PDF, 30 kb)
       
      Chapter 3 Lowland grassland  (PDF, 242 kb)
      Table 9 NVC – lowland grassland communities
       
      Chapter 4 Lowland heathland  (PDF, 191 kb)
      Table 10 Heathland classification, distribution and selection requirements
       
      Chapter 5 Non-montane rock habitats  (PDF, 104 kb)
      Table 11 Geographical variation in the main floristic features of limestone pavements
       
      Chapter 6 Freshwater habitats (Note: This includes revisions published in December 1997)  (PDF, 638 kb)
      Table 12 TWINSPAN classification of standing water sites – submerged and floating vegetation
      Table 13 Key to standing water types (submerged and floating species)
      Table 14 Physical characteristics of standing water site types
      Table 15 NVC communities most common in emergent fringes of standing water site types
      Table 16 Classification of ditch vegetation types
      Table 17 Key to river types
       
      Chapter 7 Fens (PDF, 805kb)
      Table 18 NVC – communities of minerotrophic mires
      Table 19 Description, habitat conditions and range of fen communities
       
      Chapter 8 Bogs (PDF, 1.1 mb)
      Chapter 8 Bogs - Figures, Tables and Annexes (PDF, 657 kb)
      (Note:These are the revised guidelines published in December 1994)
      Table 20 Mire microforms
       Table 21 NVC – bog communities and subdivisions (Rodwell) and bog microtopes and communities (Lindsay et al)
       
      Chapter 9 Upland habitats  (PDF, 1 mb)
      Table 22 Synonymy of Birks & Ratcliffe's upland vegetation and those of the NVC
       
      Chapter 10 Artifical habitats  (PDF, 97 kb)
      Table 23 Types of artificial habitat
       
      Chapter 11 Vascular plants (flowering plants, ferns and their allies)  (PDF, 296 kb)
      Table 24 Red Data Book species of vascular plants
      Table 25 Nationally scarce species of vascular plants
       
      Chapter 12 Non-vascular plants (PDF, 483 kb)
      Chapter 12 Non-vascular plants - Tables (PDF, 916 kb)
      (Note: These are the revised guidelines published in February 1992)
       
      Chapter 13 Mammals (PDF, 298 kb)
      Table 26 Status and distribution of British mammals
       
      Chapter 14 Birds (PDF, 621 kb)
      Appendix A Criteria for 'Ramsar' sites and Special Protection Areas
      Appendix B An estimate of numbers of bird breeding and wintering in Britain
      Table 27 Abundance estimates of Birds breeding and wintering birds
      Appendix C Breeding bird assemblages of different habitats
      Table 28 Breeding bird assemblages of different habitats
      Appendix D Regional population densities in the uplands
      References (Chapter 14)
     
     
    Table 29 A scoring system for the selection of sites with assemblages of amphibians
     
    Chapter 16 Freshwater and estuarine fish (Note: This includes revisions published in December 1997) (PDF,77kb)
    Table 30 British freshwater, anadromous and estuarine fish and their distribution
     
     
     
     
    (Note: This is a new chapter published in June 2009)
     
    Acknowledgements (PDF, 15 kb)
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Please cite as: JNCC, Guidelines for selection of biological SSSIs