Just how serious is the biodiversity crisis in Wales? 

Combining established and new methods of gathering evidence is essential to help policy-makers access the data they need to tackle Wales’, and the world’s, accelerating loss of biodiversity.

That is one of the recommendations from a new Learned Society of Wales policy briefing, that draws upon the expert insight of some of its 750 Fellows.

Measuring Biodiversity in Wales considers the best ways of gathering evidence to help us understand the depth of the biodiversity crisis. Citizen scientists, charities and private developers all have a part to play alongside the academic scientific community.

Its headline recommendation is for ‘improved alignment between the statutory sector, university scientists, research bodies, charities and citizen scientists’. This could lead to a single point of access to data for decision-making bodies, such as Senedd scrutiny committees. 

The briefing argues that such an outcome needs an approach that blends both established and alternative ways of measuring biodiversity data. New methods of gathering data include molecular measurements, the use of drones and satellites, and bioacoustics and camera monitoring methods. However, a wealth of pre-existing data is also available but remains unused because it is difficult to access, not yet analysed, or in the case of citizen scientists, not governed by the same requirements as data produced by institution-based scientists.

Making sure that existing data is made available and is integrated with new evidence would lead to more comprehensive diagnosis of problems and guide future actions.

Quoting the 2023 State of Nature Report, the briefing highlights that 18% of Welsh species are threatened with extinction, there’s been a 20% decrease in Welsh wildlife since 1994, and 42% of Wales’ plant species are found in fewer places than before.

Professor Lynda Warren FLSW, Interim Environmental Protection Assessor for Wales, said: “In its report on Protected Sites in Wales, the Interim Environmental Protection Assessor for Wales (IEPAW) highlighted the need for more monitoring of sites and recommended better sharing of evidence from a range of sources.

“I am delighted that the Learned Society of Wales’ report on Measuring Biodiversity in Wales, has taken this recommendation a step further by recommending improved alignment between sectors to improve access to data.”