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"Only through knowledge can we steer a course into the future". This quotation sums up so much of what the Habitat and Species Action Plans encapsulate.
Implementation of these plans is intimately connected with the acquisition of further knowledge, the dissemination of the knowledge that we either have or are to acquire, and the use of the knowledge for creating the better future to which we aspire.
There is both a sense of urgency and a sense of enthusiasm in these plans. Taken as a whole, there is a dauntingly large task ahead of many people and organisations in Scotland in implementing the plans, undertaking the many actions, and achieving the targets set out. Where does one begin in such a bewildering array of actions? This is where partnership and planning come in. There are many people working to achieve the overall suite of targets; indeed it has been said that the Scottish Biodiversity Group is one of the largest partnerships that Scotland has ever seen. Essentially everyone can contribute in a larger or a smaller way to achieving all of these targets.
There is also an excitement about the whole suite of plans. For years there have been messages of 'doom and gloom' about the decline of this species, the extinction (often over-exaggerated) of that species, or the disappearance of a habitat. Is everything getting worse and worse? At last, the Biodiversity Action Plan process says that something can be done to reverse these declines and disappearances. We can write plans that aim to make things better, we can cost these plans to determine the cash and human resources needed, and we can set targets that are challenging but achievable. After the disappointment of decades, we now have the excitement of doing something about it.
The set of plans briefly outlined in the preceding chapters focus on the priority habitats and species of UK significance. There are also habitats and species of local significance and these are being picked up in the Local Biodiversity Action Plans being written by partnerships led by Scotland's Local Authorities. In each of these plans the actions are sometimes generic, being aimed at several habitats and species, and sometimes specific, being aimed at a single species or habitat. Each species has its own peculiarities, and these must not be lost sight of in the search for general actions that can be taken. In implementing these plans we shall need to integrate general actions for the good of several (or many) species and habitats, and specific actions needed for individual species and habitats.
There are, however, three things that we shall have to remember. First, nature is never static. Species in Scotland have evolved under a changing climate, from the last Ice Age to the present time. The change in climate is likely to become faster in the future due to human-induced changes in the atmosphere (the carbon dioxide content, a 'greenhouse gas', is likely to double in the next 100 years even if action is taken now to reduce emissions). Species will have to respond faster than they have been used to, and some may have to be assisted to adapt to changes in land use and land cover brought about as a result of climate change.
Second, plans have only been written for about 0.3 per cent of Scotland's species, but probably for a much larger percentage of Scotland's habitats. The published Species Action Plans are only the 'tip of the iceberg'. Specific action is therefore not being targeted at most of Scotland's species. The other 99.7 per cent are not unimportant; they were just not able to be the subject of the published Species Action Plans! All 100 per cent of Scotland's species, be they on land, in fresh water, or in the sea, have some contribution to make to the overall 'health' of Scotland's environment. There is no point attempting to write plans for every species, and it is hoped that the collection of published plans will benefit a much larger proportion of the species than just the 0.3 per cent with plans.
Finally, the Habitat Action Plans and Species Action Plans are just a part of the wider process of implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in Scotland. They are an important part, but work also needs to be done in many other areas that are being addressed by the Scottish Biodiversity Group. Action for Scotland's biodiversity requires a holistic view. Biodiversity contributes to sustainability; indeed biodiversity may be the best means that we have of indicating how sustainable our development, our society, really is. These plans for species and habitats are important contributions to achieving a sustainable Scotland, but to achieve this goal we need to work with all sections of society, and to ensure that the biodiversity that we enjoy today is also enjoyed by future generations.
Baxter, J.M. & Usher, M.B. (eds) (1994). The Islands of Scotland: a Living Marine Heritage. HMSO, Edinburgh.
Baxter, J.M. , Duncan, K. & Atkins, S.M. (eds) (1999). Scotland's Living Coastline. The Stationery Office, London.
Boon, P.J. & Howell, D.L. (eds) (1997). Freshwater Quality: Defining the Indefinable? The Stationery Office, Edinburgh.
Fleming, L.V., Newton, A.C., Vickery, J.A. & Usher, M.B. (eds). (1997). Biodiversity in Scotland: Status, Trends and Initiatives. The Stationery Office, Edinburgh.
Forest Commission (2000). Forests and Water Guidelines: Third Edition with Amendments. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.
Gaywood, M. (1997). Advice on live, stranded or fouled marine turtles in Scottish waters. Information & Advisory Note No. 91. Scottish Natural Heritage, Perth.
Hill, M.O., Downing, T.E., Berry, P.M., Coppins, B.J., Hammond, P.S., Marquiss, M., Roy, D.B., Telfer, M.G. & Welch, D. (1999). Climate Changes and Scotland's Natural Heritage: an Environmental Audit. Scottish Natural Heritage Research, Survey and Monitoring Report No 132. Scottish Natural Heritage, Perth.
Mackey, E.C. (ed) (1996). The Natural Heritage of Scotland: an Overview. Scottish Natural Heritage, Perth.
Mackey, E.C., Shewry, M.C. & Tudor, G.J. (1998). Land Cover Change: Scotland from the 1940s to the 1980s, The Stationery Office, Edinburgh.
Magnusson, M. & White, G. (eds) (1991). The Nature of Scotland: Landscape, Wildlife and People. Canongate Press, Edinburgh.
Maitland, P.S., Boon, P.J. & McLusky, D.S. (eds) (1994). The Fresh Waters of Scotland: A National Resource of International Significance. Wiley, Chichester.
Scottish Natural Heritage (1998). Targeted Inputs for a Better Rural Environment (TIBRE): New Options for Arable Farming. Scottish Natural Heritage, Perth.
Scottish Office (1997). Biodiversity in Scotland: the Way Forward. The Scottish Office, Edinburgh.
Steven, H.M. & Carlisle, A (1959). The Native Pinewoods of Scotland. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh.
Thompson, D.B.A., Hester, A.J. & Usher, M.B. (eds) (1995). Heaths and Moorlands: a Cultural Landscape. HMSO, Edinburgh.
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