London's habitats
& species
The London Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) has 26 action plans for habitats and species that are important in London.
These are accessible via a UK-wide biodiversity action reporting website (BARS). BARS contains information on our work to date, future plans, and contact details.
The London BAP
London
BAP Targets
The London BAP contains targets to improve the condition and increase the extent of a selected number of habitats found in the capitalby 2015. These targets were adopted in 2007 and have been incorporated into the Further Alterations to the London Plan (FALP) and constitute London's contribution towards the England Biodiversity Targets. A breakdown of the targets can be found in the table below
Habitat Type |
Target to Improve Condition by 2015 |
Target to Increase Extent by 2015 |
Coastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh |
30 hectares | 10 hectres |
Chalk Grassland* |
N/A | 25 hectares |
Acid Grassland* |
5 hectares | 20 hectares |
Heathland* |
N/A | 30 hectares |
Reedbeds* |
N/A | 10 hectares |
Open Landscapes with Ancient Trees |
2 hectares | 20 hectares |
Woodland* |
N/A | 20 hectares (of which 5 hectares is wet woodland) |
Meadows and Pastures |
5 hectares | 20 hectares |
Tidal Thames* |
N/A | 1 new saltmarsh or mudflat |
Rivers and Streams* |
15 kilometres | N/A |
Standing Waters* |
N/A | Create 33 new ponds and 5 new larger water bodies |
*Denotes habitat type for which an LBP action plan currently exists
LBP's partner organisations are working to secure delivery of these important targets for London. The website will be periodically updated to show progress towards these targets.
Habitats
1. Acid grassland
Fine-leaved grasses, wildflowers and a distinctive group of
insects and spiders find a home on London's remaining acid grassland, currently
found only on London's larger public open spaces and golf courses. The Partnership
is working with landowners to conserve and expand this sensitive habitat
and to increase public awareness of this important resource on their doorsteps.
Acid
grasslands action plan on BARS
2. Built structures
London's wildlife depends not only on greenspace, but also on the artificial fabric of the city: buildings, bridges, car parks, wharfs, jetties and chimneys. Some species depend almost entirely on built structures. The Partnership encourages planners, developers and building owners to design for biodiversity and install features beneficial to wildlife.
Built structures action plan on BARS
3. Canals
Once London's commercial arteries, carrying goods to and from the heart of the city, our canals still flow with life. But the pressure of urban life - vandalism, pollution, development and recreation - pose challenges. Education and the creation of wildlife friendly features are at the core of the Partnership's work on canals.
Canals action plan on BARS
4. Chalk grassland
Swaying summer flowers and the scent and 'hum of summer' were once a familiar experience on London's chalk grasslands. The Partnership works to protect London's remaining chalk grassland from intensive farming and encroaching scrub and woodland. We are promoting the cultural importance of these summer havens and restoring lost grasslands to their former glory.
Chalk grassland action plan on BARS
5. Churchyards & cemeteries
Churchyards and cemeteries, places of rest and quiet reflection, also teem with life. They provide greenspace where young and old alike can explore the wilder side of town - hear birdsong and discover butterflies, lichens, fungi and mosses. The Partnership is raising awareness of the biodiversity value of churchyards and cemeteries with education packs for schools, workshops and training for managers.
Churchyards & cemeteries action plan on BARS
6. Heathland
The distinctive purple haze of heathland, the result of millennia of land management, is home to a unique group of plants and animals. But heathland is rapidly losing ground as recreational land, scrub and woodland expand. The Partnership is working to reverse the trend with heathland restoration and creation schemes, training courses and best practice guidance for heathland managers.
Heathland action plan on BARS
7. Parks & urban green spaces
The benefit that contact with nature provides is quietly confirmed by office workers who flock to their nearest greenspace for a lunch time retreat, and parents who explore life in miniature with their children at their local park or nature reserve. The Partnership is working to increase the wildlife value of parks and urban green spaces.
Parks & urban green spaces action plan on BARS
8. Private gardens
London is not the grey block that represents it on many maps. The city's network of private gardens forms its largest area of greenspace providing many people with their first contact with nature. The Partnership works with garden centres, gardeners, local authorities and public institutions to encourage wildlife friendly gardening across London.
Private gardens action plan on BARS
9. Reedbeds
Reedbeds have a quiet beauty - a sea of swaying stems topped by hazy purple flowers, providing refuge to birds, insects, fish and mammals. Reedbeds are naturally unstable, sensitive to recreation, invasive species, pollution and sea-level rise. The Partnership is planting new reedbeds and providing reedbed managers and the public with information on this habitat's value.
Reedbeds action plan on BARS
10. Rivers & streams
Over 600 kilometres of river flow through London, although many now form part of the city's sewage system. Outmoded flood management - straightening, boxing-in and burying rivers - has hit the wildlife and recreational value of these waterways hard. The Partnership works to restore London's rivers to a more natural state, benefiting wildlife and people.
Rivers & streams action plan on BARS
11. Standing water
Home to fish, amphibians, birds and a host of other wildlife, standing water is also enjoyed by recreational fishermen and walkers. The threat of development, natural infilling and climate change threaten the biodiversity and recreational value of this habitat. The Partnership provides advice on appropriate management to maximise the wildlife value of standing water.
Standing water action plan on BARS
12. Tidal Thames
The Thames is London's 'wildlife superhighway', linking green spaces and smaller waterways, and supporting species and habitats not found anywhere else in the capital. The Partnership promotes the wildlife value of the Thames, carrying out projects to benefit both people and wildlife.
Tidal Thames action plan on BARS
13. Wasteland
Wasteland habitat develops on previously developed land and houses a remarkable diversity of species - providing informal space for wildlife and people. But wastelands receive little protection and often disappear under new development. The Partnership works with developers, planners and landowners to provide guidance on the management of these unique habitats.
Wasteland action plan on BARS
14. Woodland
Thousands of years of land management has dramatically reduced our woodland cover. As the timber market declined, so too did positive woodland management. Just under five percent of London is still woodland, but their quantity and health is under threat. The Partnership encourages wildlife-friendly woodland management and raises public awareness of their recreational and cultural value.
Woodland action plan on BARS
Species
15. Bats
London is home to at least eight species of bat. A couple of generations ago, people talked of 'clouds of bats' rising across the Thames - but not today. City bats increasingly rely on buildings to roost. The Partnership is creating new roosting opportunities across the capital and increasing public awareness and goodwill toward bats.
Bats action plan on BARS
16. Black poplar
The black poplar - once a symbol of fertility - perversely has suffered its own massive decline. Black poplar timber was once used for making rifle butts, broom handles, toys and even Venetian blinds. Now, the old age of London's surviving black poplars means that they need our help to survive. The Partnership coordinates research on black poplars and a targeted tree planting programme.
Black poplar action plan on BARS
17. Black redstart
An iconic figure of London's wildlife, the black redstart is a recent arrival from Europe. The appearance of this bird on London's wastelands during the Second World War led it to be nicknamed the 'bomb-site bird'. The Partnership is working to increase understanding of the birds' needs, and distributing that information to those involved in new developments.
18. Grey heron
At the top of the food chain, any decline in water quality or food supply has a knock-on effect on heron populations. The Partnership provides guidance on protecting heronries for landowners and recreational users of London's water bodies. We also give practical help by creating breeding platforms for herons.
Grey heron action plan on BARS
19. House sparrow
The once familiar 'Cockney sparrer' has suffered a massive drop in numbers. The Partnership is working to discover the root cause of the sparrow's decline, while increasing public awareness of its plight. By encouraging public participation, the Partnership hopes to expand the research that exists, and help the sparrows' revival.
House sparrow action plan on BARS
20. Mistletoe
A sacred pagan symbol, mistletoe has been a symbol of peace and goodwill throughout the ages. It is a parasitic plant, growing in the branches of deciduous trees. A lot of mistletoe has been pruned out of trees. The Partnership works to increase public understanding of the plant and is reintroducing it at specific sites.
Mistletoe action plan on BARS
21. Peregrine falcon
We easily forget how our city appears to our airborne neighbours. London's patchwork of buildings provides homes for these spectacular birds. The Partnership is working with building owners to provide boxes or soft trays for nesting, and setting up peregrine web cams for the public.
Peregrine falcon action plan on BARS
22. Reptiles
London has its own 'micro-climate', several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside, making it attractive to reptiles. Slow worm, adder, grass snake and common lizard are threatened in London by a lack of understanding and persecution. The Partnership is working to reverse this problem - producing public information and providing advice to planners.
Reptiles action plan on BARS
23. Sand martin
Darting over the water to catch insects, sand martins are a familiar summer sight to Londoners living and working near waterways. But their numbers are declining due to droughts in sub-Saharan Africa, where they spend their winters, and loss of summer breeding grounds in London. The Partnership carries out surveys to better inform conservation work, and creates artificial nesting banks.
Sand martin action plan on BARS
24. Stag beetle
The UK's largest ground-living beetle, the stag beetle has a fearsome appearance and reputation. London is a stag beetle hotspot, with thirty percent of the UK's recorded population in our woods, parks and gardens. The Partnership is working to improve awareness of the value of the dead wood in which stag beetle larvae live, and creating artificial stag beetle 'loggeries'.
Stag beetle action plan on BARS
25. Tower mustard
An unassuming and rare plant, tower mustard is all too easily overlooked. Only thirty populations remain in the UK. London holds one of the largest, which the Partnership is helping to protect. We are also gathering historical records of where tower mustard has grown in the past, to enable the reintroduction of the plant to other London sites.
Tower mustard action plan on BARS
26. Water vole
Since Kenneth Graham first introduced generations of readers to the loveable Ratty in 'Wind in the Willows' his real-life counterpart, the water vole, has suffered an alarming drop in its population. The Partnership is supporting the London water vole project in its highly successful reintroduction programme, and raising public support for this engaging creature.
Water vole action plan on BARS