Recommendation 23

HM Government Acknowledged

Defra acknowledges this recommendation. The species abundance and extinction risk indicators were both developed using the best available data at the time. Although the indicators have been designed to represent wider species and habitats as much as possible, the taxonomic coverage is limited by data availability. The species abundance indicator was published for the first time as an Official Statistic in Development on 3 May 2024, and the publication will outline further development work that has been undertaken since the draft versions published in the Biodiversity Targets Consultation detailed evidence report. As this is an indicator in development, we will also be continuing to assess how we can improve it, including seeking feedback from stakeholders. More detailed information on each of the indicators is provided in the sections below. It is important to note just because a species is not included in the species abundance or extinction risk indicators, this does not mean that we will not be taking steps to conserve it. In addition, the species abundance and extinction risk indicators are not intended to be used in isolation to assess the status of species or the environment in England. The indicators should be considered within the wider context in which the targets exist, and they will be reported as part of the wider process under the Environmental Improvement Plan. We have a suite of biodiversity indicators that utilise different types of species data, including those reported under the England Biodiversity Indicators and the Outcome Indicator Framework. For example, England Biodiversity Indicator 10 (Status of Pollinating Insects) reports the change in distribution of 158 species of bee and 236 species of hoverfly in the UK. We will continue to review new data as it becomes available, to consider whether it meets criteria for incorporation into our suite of biodiversity indicators, in line with best practice guidance set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics. Species extinction The extinction risk indicator published in 2022 (D5: Conservation status of our native species) was based on the Statutory Nature Conservation Body approved Red Lists available at that time. Although the index comprises over 8,200 taxa, spanning hundreds of families and an estimated 20% of England’s native macro-species, we recognise that there are taxonomic gaps in coverage. The majority of terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate groups are represented in the indicator (for example, a high proportion of English beetles, true flies and true bugs are in the indicator). However, some groups are not represented, including numerically large groups such as moths, lice and the hymenoptera (e.g. ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies). Under Natural England’s rolling Red Listing programme, a Hymenoptera Red List is currently in preparation, as are plans for other new Red Lists. We will continue to review this new data as it becomes available. Even with these additional Red Lists, the concept of using a species from each family native to England is currently unachievable because groups have either not yet been Red List assessed or are too data poor for such assessment1. For example, we have little idea of the true population sizes and distributions of tardigrades, rotifers, nematodes, fleas, and mites. As a new parallel ‘baseline list’ would be limited to data that is potentially unreliable or has not been quality assured or peer reviewed, this is inadvisable.