THE USE OF SPECIES-DECLINE STATISTICS TO HELP TARGET CONSERVATION POLICY FOR SET-ASIDE ARABLE LAND

The set-aside scheme of the E.C. is a way of dealing with the socio-ec onomic problem of food surpluses, but it also presents opportunities f or environmental benefits. To help target set-aside policies, three gr oups of species (scarce plants, butterflies and grasshoppers) were ana lysed by present and past distribution and by habitat. In those biotop es which could be restored using set-aside land, chalk grassland has s hown the greatest decline of scarce plants, and the two insect groups have declined the most in heathland, water-fringe vegetation and woodl and edges. However, declines were also observed for other biotopes. Th ese and other data suggest that conservation efforts on set-aside land should not be concentrated on a particular kind of habitat, but shoul d address a diversity of habitats in a diversity of locations. This co nclusion has been used to help define the 1993 set-aside schemes for t he U.K.