This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
New Scottish biodiversity list
15/12/2005
Christmas favourites the turtle dove and the robin are amongst the species and habitats identified in the first stocktake of Scotland's most important species.
The wide ranging list published today, celebrates the array of living things that make Scotland's natural environment special, from fungi and lichens to red squirrels and whales.
Over two thousand animals, plants and habitats are included on the Scottish Biodiversity List which provides information to public bodies who have a statutory duty to conserve biodiversity and safeguard our natural heritage.
Scottish Natural Heritage will use the list to inform current work to draw up a framework of priority species for Scotland.
Deputy Environment Minister Rhona Brankin said:
"I am committed to protecting Scotland's rich and varied natural heritage and believe the Scottish Biodiversity list is an important resource that will help us to achieve this.
"Public bodies play a unique role in the conservation of Scotland's natural resources. The Biodiversity list will help them in this work by providing detailed information quickly and which is easily accessible."
The list is required to be published under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004. The work was overseen by scientists from the Scottish Biodiversity Forum who worked with consultants Scott Wilson and a wide network of specialists and experts who provided information and time to the process.
Much of the data that has informed the development of the list only exists because of the tremendously important ongoing work of enthusiasts and amateur naturalists throughout Scotland, who form the backbone of recording systems and are the key to local knowledge. Scotland and the UK are unique in the world in having access to such a large and comprehensive body of knowledge.
Users can search the Scottish Biodiversity List by individual species and habitat, species group, habitat type or location and can access additional information about the items on the list from the NBN Gateway, the UK's network of biodiversity information.
The publication of the list is a further important step in implementing the new integrated system for Natural Conservation brought in by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act last year. This Act placed nature conservation at the core of all policy making, and challenged public bodies to take account of biodiversity conservation in all their actions. This list gives them the tools and information they need to do this, in a flexible way.