Biodiversity & Wildlife

Large areas of Dorset are designated for environmental protection, however there are concerns about species migration. Factors such as agriculture, forestry and urbanisation all tend to reduce diversity of plants and animals. Maintaining biodiversity is important as all species are interlinked from simple organisms which provide decomposition of organic matter and pollination all the way through to the top of the food chain. Only one part of the chain needs to be affected (for example by climate change) for it to collapse. In Dorset we are lucky enough to have 53% of the land designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and 141 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). There is major concern that special ecological areas will migrate north as the world continues to warm up. Local biodiversity plans are in place to maintain or improve existing habitats which hopefully will help protect vulnerable species. The Dorset local biodiversity plan is maintained by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, The Environment Agency, the RSPB and many more. These groups monitor vulnerable indicator species for signs of change.