Building Partnerships to Conserve Limestone Pavements

石灰岩路面支撑着广泛的生物多样性，包括一些稀有或濒危物种。它们是国际上重要的栖息地，但尽管如此，几乎没有证据支持管理决策。我的研究表明，在过去的50年里，石灰岩路面的许多地区的植物种类减少了，特色和稀有植物物种的丰富度也在下降。然而，这种植被变化的程度直到现在才被认识到。该奖学金旨在支持以证据为基础的石灰石路面保护。为此，我将加强英国和国际研究人员和从业人员之间的沟通；制定监测植被变化和场地条件的最佳实践指南；并制定石灰岩路面植被的分类。为了实现这些目标，我将建立石灰石路面伙伴关系(LPP)，它将提供一种工具，将来自广泛关注石灰石路面管理和保护的组织的从业者聚集在一起，交流研究成果，确定研究需求，并确保从业者拥有保护未来石灰石路面所需的技能、知识和动力。通过年度会议、网站、一年两次的时事通讯和培训，LPP将与各组织接触，以确保获得实施变化所需的信息。该伙伴关系得到了14个组织的合作者的大力支持，这些组织已经同意参与，并热衷于做出可持续管理英国石灰石路面所需的改变。LPP将仔细考虑所有组织的材料和活动的可及性。我还将与自然英格兰密切合作，使用现有数据为从业者共同开发工具，并对指导和实践进行修改。利用已发表的文献和我自己在石灰岩路面工作的丰富经验，我将制定路面植被监测的指导方针，以及在石灰岩路面内进行管理变化时应该如何实施监测。与合作者一起工作，我将把这个指导应用到管理案例研究中。通用标准监测是英国各地用来评估受保护栖息地状况的监测计划。我将与自然英格兰和其他英国法定机构合作修改该指南，以确保其基于证据和更实际的应用。我将结合对现有数据的分析和对其他重要因素的考虑来修订指导方针。《国家植被分类》对石灰岩路面的覆盖率很低，导致现场管理人员无法评估路面植物群的变化。我将创建一个分类，填补一个主要的知识空白，并为从业者提供一个亟需的工具。所有这些活动的结果将通过LPP的网站、会议和培训活动分享。目前，尽管世界其他地区确实有石灰岩路面，但国际上没有分享知识。我将与爱尔兰、斯堪的纳维亚和加拿大石灰石路面三个关键领域的研究人员和从业者接触，了解路面是如何管理的，他们在管理这些栖息地时面临的挑战，以及他们如何克服这些挑战。我还将分享我自己的研究结果，并确定是否有可以共同开发的共享研究优先事项。通过这些活动，这一奖学金将彻底改变英国受保护栖息地的保护前景。

Limestone pavements support a wide range of biodiversity including a number of rare or threatened species. They are an internationally important habitat but despite this, there is virtually no evidence to support management decisions. My research has shown that over the last 50 years many areas of limestone pavement have seen reductions in the number of plant species and a decline in the abundance of characteristic and rare plant species. However, the extent of this vegetation change has not been recognised until now. This fellowship aims to support evidence-based conservation of limestone pavements. To do this I will improve communication between researchers and practitioners in the UK and internationally; develop best practice guidance for monitoring vegetation change and site condition; and develop a classification of limestone pavement vegetation. In collaboration with existing and new partners, I will create actionable recommendations and tools and mobilise the sector to improve the management of these rare and scientifically significant habitats.To meet these goals I will establish a Limestone Pavement Partnership (LPP) which will provide a vehicle for bringing together practitioners from a wide range of organisations concerned with the management and conservation of limestone pavements to communicate research findings, identify research needs and ensure practitioners have the skills, knowledge and motivation needed to protect limestone pavements for the future. Through annual meetings, a website, biannual newsletters and training the LPP will engage with organisations to ensure the information needed to enact change is available. The partnership has strong support from collaborators with 14 organisations who have already agreed to participate and are keen to make the changes needed to sustainably manage UK limestone pavements. The LPP will make careful consideration of accessibility in all materials and events organised.I will also work in close partnership with Natural England use existing data to co-develop tools for practitioners and enact change to guidance and practice. Using published literature and my own extensive experience of working in limestone pavements I will develop guidance for the monitoring of pavement vegetation and how monitoring should be implemented when making management changes within limestone pavements. Working with collaborators I will apply this guidance to management case studies. Common Standards Monitoring is the monitoring programme used across the UK to assess condition of protected habitats. I will work with Natural England and the other UK statutory bodies to revise the guidance, ensuring it is evidence based and more practical to apply. I will use a combination of analysis of existing data and consideration of other important factors to revise the guidance. The National Vegetation Classification has poor coverage of limestone pavements leaving site managers with no way to assess variation in pavement flora. I will create a classification filling a major knowledge gap and providing practitioners with a much needed tool. The outcomes from all of these activities will be shared through the LPP via the website, conference and training events.At the moment there is no sharing of knowledge internationally even though limestone pavements do occur in other parts of the world. I will engage with researchers and practitioners in three key areas of limestone pavement in Ireland, Scandinavia and in Canada to learn about how pavements are managed, the challenges they face in managing these habitats and how they overcome them. I will also share the results of my own research and identify if there are shared research priories that could be developed together.Through these activities this fellowship will completely change the conservation outlook for a protected habitat in the UK.