BRIEFING
NOTE
Biodiversity
How to use this document
This document is intended to provide useful background information for teachers and youth leaders. It can
be used to help develop ideas for Scotland’s Environment Web youth discussion and competition entry.
Things you could do
Here are some ideas of the type of things that you can do.
Green spaces
Think about how to get the largest variety of wildlife in the green
spaces within towns and cities.
You could do a biodiversity survey of the school grounds, park or
other green space close to where you live.
• What could you do to improve the area that you surveyed?
•Do you need to change the way it is managed (how often the grass is cut) or change what is grown (wild flower meadow)? •How could you do this?
•Who would you need to talk to?
If this survey is repeated with another class in a few years’ time,
then you will be able to see how the area has changed over that
period of time.
Gardens
Do a survey of the front gardens in a street and score them in
terms of their value for wildlife.
• What types of animals would you like to see?
• Do the gardens provide the right food, and good places to live and to breed?
• What could you do to change the way people look after their gardens so that your street is more attractive to interesting wildlife?
Supported by
Biodiversity
www.environment.scotland.gov.uk
1
Adopt a plot
There are lots of small plots of land in our
towns and cities which are not used. Often
there are only a few square metres.
Do a survey of these areas of land describing
what condition they are in.
•What could you do to make them suitable for wildlife and look more attractive?
Your countryside
Do a study of how part of the countryside near you has
changed over the years (for example the size of fields or the
number of trees and hedgerows).
Look for the information on maps, photographs and stories
about the local area. Perhaps you can talk to older people
who can remember how things have changed.
•
What effect have these changes had on wildlife?
•
Can you find any evidence of these changes?
Choose an area of the countryside and try to think of what
needs to be done to improve it for wildlife.
•
How could you help this to happen?
You can use ispot to help you
identify species and to capture your
observations. By doing this you
can make the things you see into
a proper biodiversity record! Many
plant and animal records have been
collected over the last hundred
years or more by non–specialists
and this is one area where you can
make a real contribution to science.
It’s called citizen science and it’s
open to all of us!
www.environment.scotland.gov.uk
2
Biodiversity
GLOW debate
A GLOW meet will take place on 6th November 2013 in association with Education Scotland.
For those who have not previously participated, a GLOW meet provides the opportunity for
hundreds of schools to come together for a one hour debate using web technology.
During the event, students will be given the opportunity of putting questions to a panel of
experts. Members of the panel will each give a brief presentation before it’s over to the
students to find out more.
The topic for this GLOW meet is ‘think about what needs to change in your local community
that will make a difference to your environment and what role can you play in making it
happen?’.
It is suggested that each participating schools will have already surveyed their school grounds
or other area that they consider to be part of their home patch and have a good idea of what
they value and what they would like to change.
It could be a biodiversity survey or any other aspects of the environment that is relevant to you.
A prize will be awarded for the best question!
Public discussion
Scotland’s Environment Web is also leading a public discussion covering the key issues relating
to our environment. Three workshops will be held in various locations around Scotland. Members of the public will be invited to come along and provide valuable information and
opinions on the issues important to them both locally and nationally. Following the workshops, there will be a similar discussion online. The online forum will take place in the autumn. You
can encourage your group to speak to their parents about the Youth Discussion and encourage
them to take part in the Public Discussion which will run at the same time.
www.environment.scotland.gov.uk
3
Biodiversity
Background information
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of life. It is the inter-connection
of plants, animals, habitats and people.
The concept of biodiversity embraces all living things,
from the tiniest garden ant to the magnificent stands of
the Caledonian pine woods. Biodiversity is everywhere.
It is in window boxes, wildwoods, rainforests, on
roadsides, along the shoreline and seas and in the sky.
Scotland
In Scotland, there are around 90,000 different species
inhabiting a variety of habitats and scenery. From the jagged
peaks of the Cuillin Hills in Skye to the rich agricultural land of
East Lothian, the land and freshwater habitats support a wide
variety of life.
This is what makes Scotland such a special place. The seas
around our shores are also a crucial part of this rich biodiversity
mix. Scotland’s shores are lapped by the warming influence of
the Gulf Stream but also by currents emanating from the Arctic.
This leads to a climate that is ever-changing and unpredictable.
These influences help to determine the mix of plants and
animals that can survive here.
www.environment.scotland.gov.uk
4
Biodiversity
Biodiversity under threat
The range of species and habitats in this country is one of our key assets, but
there are major concerns about the state of our nature. A recent review of the
state of our nature is available at
www.rspb.org.uk/stateofnature
and it paints a concerning picture of
some aspects of the natural world.
The assessment looks back over 50 years at
most and it is clear that most declines in
species populations and distribution are linked
to loss of habitat. The report highlights some key
issues of concern in Scotland particularly:
•The population of some of Scotland’s most threatened animals, such as the red squirrel and mountain hare may still be declining, although numbers of pine martin have started to recover.
•5 out of the 12 common species of seabirds in Scotland have declined strongly in recent years. Small changes to sea temperatures appear to be affecting entire food webs and this may explain these dramatic declines. Off-shore harbour seals have also declined significantly.
•Of the remaining hundred or so birds species which have been assessed, the number which have declined is similar to the number which have increased, so the position is one of little change.
•Out of 20 butterfly species assessed in Scotland, there have been only slight increases or decreased in populations. Only the Grayling has declined strongly. Many species of butterfly and moth have spread north as temperatures rise. The Comma and Holly Blue are examples of species that have increased their range in this way.
www.environment.scotland.gov.uk
5
Biodiversity
• Flowering plants show similar patterns of change in Scotland compared to the UK picture: 54% of species are declining and 28% have declined strongly.
•
The great yellow bumblebee used to be found across the country but its range has drastically reduced over the last 100 years. It is now only found in the very north and west of Scotland. The loss of flower-rich habitats, as a result of farming practices, is thought to be responsible.
• Some 44% of our internationally important blanket peat bog was lost to tree planting and drainage from the 1940s to the 1980s.
•
Over the last few hundred years, Scotland’s woodland cover has been reduced to around 4% of its former extent. In recent years, Caledonian pinewoods have begun to gradually increase, however, in some areas an invasion of rhododendron is an issue for Scotland’s woods. It grows vigorously and shades out many competing native plants. It also carries a fungus-like disease that threatens some commercial forestry.
www.environment.scotland.gov.uk
6
Biodiversity
What you can do to help
These adverse changes described above remind us nature can sometimes do with a helping
hand. Providing space for birds, bees and butterflies in your garden is one of the most practical
ways of helping nature. You may even like to consider doing some voluntary work at your
local nature reserve. Honing your identification skills of one particular group of plants or
animals would help you take part in a wildlife survey of your local area.
Biodiversity - focus on species
Scotland biodiversity is rich and varied. In this Year of Natural Scotland 2013, it is the ideal
time for us all to find out more about Scotland’s biodiversity – the plants and animals that
make up so much of our great outdoors.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has identified five particularly iconic species (The Big Five) that
you could focus on and they are described below. Activities and apps are also available to make
the experience more fun and rewarding.
For more information visit: www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/YNS/Big5Funbook.pdf
Biodiversity - focus on habitats
This is the second main element of biodiversity – our many and varied habitats that are such
an integral part of the landscape of Scotland. A selection of a few of the more significant
habitat types are described below:
For more information www.snh.gov.uk/about-scotlands-nature/habitats-and-ecosystems/
www.environment.scotland.gov.uk
7
Biodiversity
Your next steps
Read the competition briefing, think about
what has been discussed during this session
and if any of the ideas can be used as your
group’s competition entry
Encourage your group to speak to their parents
about the Youth Discussion and encourage them to
take part in the Public Discussion.
Find out more
• www.environment.scotland.gov.uk
• www.snh.gov.uk
• www.scotland.gov.uk
• www.visitscotland.org
• www.rspb.org.uk
• www.swt.org.uk
• www.bumblebeeconservation.org/
• www.plantlife.org.uk/scotland
www.environment.scotland.gov.uk
8
Biodiversity
Curriculum for Excellence outcomes relating to biodiversity
SCN 4-01a: I understand how animal and plant species depend on each other and how living things are
adapted for survival.
SCN 3-01a: I can sample and identify living things from different habitats to compare their biodiversity
and can suggest reasons for their distribution.
SCN 0-03a: I have helped to grow plants and can name their basic parts. I can talk about how they grow
and what I need to do to look after them.
SCN 3-03a: Through investigations and based on experimental evidence, I can explain the use of different
types of chemicals in agriculture and their alternatives.
SCN 4-03a: Through investigating the nitrogen cycle and evaluating results from practical experiments, I
can suggest a design for a fertiliser, taking account of...
SCN 2-03a: I have collaborated in the design of an investigation into the effects of fertilisers on the
growth of plants.
SCN 1-03a: I can help to design experiments to find out what plants need in order to grow and develop. I
can observe and record my findings.
SCN 4-02b: I can contribute to the design of an investigation to show the effects of different factors on
the rate of aerobic respiration and explain my findings.
SCN 3-02a: I have collaborated on investigations into the process of photosynthesis and I can
demonstrate my understanding of why plants are vital to sustaining life.
SCN 4-02a: I have propagated and grown plants using a variety of different methods. I can compare
these methods and develop my understanding of their commercial
SCN 1-02a: I can explore examples of food chains and show an appreciation of how animals and plants
depend on each other for food.
SCN 2-02b: Through carrying out practical activities and investigations, I can show how plants have
benefited society.
SCN 2-02a: I can use my knowledge of the interactions and energy flow between plants and animals in
ecosystems, food chains and webs.
SCN 2-01a: I can identify and classify examples of living things, past and present, to help me appreciate
their diversity.
SCN 0-01a: I have observed living things in the environment over time and am becoming aware of how
they depend on each other.
SCN 1-01a: I can distinguish between living and non-living things. I can sort living things into groups and
explain my decisions.
Curriculum for Excellence outcomes relating to my local environment
SOC 1-07a: I can describe and recreate the characteristics of my local environment by exploring the features
of the landscape.
SOC 0-07a: I explore and discover the interesting features of my local environment to develop an awareness
of the world around me.
SOC 2-12a: By comparing my local area with a contrasting area outwith Britain, I can investigate the main
features of weather and climate.
SOC 2-10a: Having explored my local area, I can present information on different places to live, work and
relax and interesting places to visit.
SOC 1-14a: Through activities in my local area, I have developed my mental map and sense of place. I can
create and use maps of the area.
SOC 1-13a: Having explored the landscape of my local area, I can describe the various ways in which land
has been used.
SOC 2-13a: I can explain how the physical environment influences the ways in which people use land by
comparing my local area with a contrasting area.
TCH 4-02a: I can examine a range of materials, processes or designs in my local community to consider and
discuss their environmental, social and economic impact.
SOC 4-10c: Having studied an economic activity, I can explain its development and assess the impact of
change within its locality and beyond.
SCN 4-18a: I can monitor the environment by collecting and analysing samples. I can interpret the results to
inform others about levels of pollution.
www.environment.scotland.gov.uk
9
Biodiversity