Biodiversity

Target 2005/06: Implement the 15 key actions contained in the biodiversity strategy action plan for 2005/06 in order to support the Government in its objective to reverse the current decline in biodiversity and to integrate biodiversity factors into our decision making.

Performance against target
Of the 12 actions, 6 were fully achieved; 6 were not implemented due to lack of resources.

Our objectives

• Adopt an integrated approach to the management of biodiversity
• Carry out monitoring and measurement
• Enhance biodiversity
• Staff and community involvement
• Engage in local partnerships to enhance biodiversity

Our strategy 2005/06
In October 2005 our full-time contracted Conservation Ranger left to pursue a career in ecological consultancy leaving us with a significant limitation in biodiversity resource. The opportunity was taken to review the contractual method for provision of this post and we decided to commence a new and exciting partnership with Middlemarch Environmental Ltd, a consultancy closely affiliated with the Wildlife Trusts. A replacement Conservation Ecologist was appointed in March 2006 and will start at Heathrow in May.

The interruption of resource at Heathrow has impacted our delivery of biodiversity performance in the latter half of 2005/06 we look forward to a new partnership in 2006/07.

Our performance

Surveys
A range of internal and external surveys have continued as part of the Heathrow ecological monitoring framework (EMF) including:

• spider and ground-dwelling beetle surveys at the Causeway Nature Reserve and Mayfield Farm; aquatic invertebrate surveys, carried out at Clockhouse Lane Pit, Eastern Balancing Reservoir, River Crane and Wraysbury River;
• grass snake (Natrix natrix) refugia surveys at the Causeway Nature Reserve;
• summer bat detector surveys at the Causeway Nature Reserve;
• standardised bird surveys at the Causeway Nature Reserve, Camp 4, Spout Lane Lagoon and Mayfield Farm;
• light-trapping for moths at the Mayfield Farm reed-bed site as part of national moth monitoring programme;
• mink monitoring (using track recording rafts) on the River Crane, alongside the Causeway Nature Reserve.

Data from the 2004 and partial 2005 surveys was shared with the biological records team of the London Wildlife Trust in March 2006.

Developing key performance indicators (KPI’s)
Our KPI’s are based on ‘area of land managed for conservation’ and ‘percentage airport land managed for conservation’. In addition we are now able to report on the proportion of actions implemented against each site-specific management plan.

In the longer-term, we plan to develop ‘ecological condition’ indicators for our sites, but these will take longer to establish as our ecological monitoring practices only started during 2004 and the survey programme will be reviewed during 2006/07.

Supply Chain
A supplier questionnaire for biodiversity has been developed and is used to assess potential suppliers on their performance in biodiversity. This information is used when deciding which supplier to appoint. Two indicators for biodiversity in supply chain have been developed this year:

•  % compliance with the acquisition process for suppliers, in categories with biodiversity impacts
• % of low scoring suppliers appointed, that we are positively working with to improve performance
  We are currently gathering the baseline data and will report on these indicators next year.

Heathrow conservation site management plans
The management of our eight designated conservation sites continues to be driven and recorded using our bespoke biodiversity database although the specific tasks appropriate to each site are constantly under review. Much of this work was interrupted following the departure of our Conservation Ranger half way through the year but we are confident that this programme will quickly be reinstated through the new Conservation Ecologist in May 2006. 

Enhancing biodiversity off airport
The River Crane Management Forum has continued to gather focus and grown in membership during 2005/06 with two further meetings. We are confident that this forum will harness the commitment of many stakeholders to develop wider opportunities for larger-scale funded projects for the River Crane corridor.  BAA Heathrow has made a commitment to directly support and fund the ongoing administration of this forum through Green Corridor Partnership.

This year a team of staff worked with a school in Langley.  The project involved developing an inaccessible area of scrub land into a wildlife area. 

Improving recreational value of  Heathrow sites
A number of actions for recreation benefit have been started or continued this year:  

• main grass paths cut wider at all public access sites, to benefit dog walkers;
• recreational short grass zones maintained at Two Bridges Farm, and introduced at Oaks Road;
• a project to improve the standard of fence security at the Oaks Road site in response to unauthorised motorcycle and quad bike activities.  This work will be continuing into 2006/07 to tackle other vulnerable boundaries of the site;
• improved frequency of litter picking for aesthetic purposes and hazard management;
• trials at introducing hemi-parasitic Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor) on the embankments at Two Bridges Farm to reduce grass competitiveness and improve prospects for future wild flower communities;
• number of dog mess bins increased at Two Bridges Farm site, and additional bins installed at two other sites (Cains Lane and Oaks Road).

Working with local authorities and local nature groups
We have continued to support the London Borough of Hounslow local biodiversity action plan (LBAP) by attending the quarterly steering groups.

Going forward
New target 2006/07
Our continuing target will be 100% implementation of the biodiversity strategy action plan for 2006/07, to ensure that there is no net decline in the local population of chosen indicator species as a consequence of airport operations and development, and to reduce our overall impact on biodiversity through management of our indirect impacts.

We also see the new consultancy relationship with Middlemarch Environmental Ltd as a valuable and exciting opportunity to review and refocus our in-house biodiversity activities so that resources are used to best effect in our local and regional context.