Building Partnerships to Conserve Limestone Pavements

石灰石路面支持广泛的生物多样性，包括一些稀有或受威胁的物种。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，石灰石路面的许多地区都出现了植物物种数量的减少，以及特色和稀有植物物种数量的减少。然而，这种植被变化的程度直到现在还没有被认识到。该奖学金旨在支持以证据为基础的石灰石路面保护。要做到这一点，我将改善研究人员和从业人员在英国和国际之间的沟通;制定监测植被变化和现场条件的最佳实践指南;并制定石灰石路面植被分类。与现有和新的伙伴合作，我将制定可行的建议和工具，并动员该部门改善这些稀有和具有科学意义的栖息地的管理。为了实现这些目标，我将建立石灰石路面伙伴关系（LPP）。这将提供一个工具，让来自不同组织的从事石灰石路面管理和养护工作的人员聚集在一起，研究结果，确定研究需求，并确保从业人员拥有未来保护石灰石路面所需的技能，知识和动力。通过年度会议，网站，半年期通讯和培训，LPP将与组织合作，以确保制定变革所需的信息可用。该合作伙伴关系得到了与14个组织合作者的大力支持，这些组织已经同意参与并热衷于进行可持续管理英国石灰石路面所需的变革。LPP将在所有材料和组织的活动中仔细考虑无障碍性。我也将与自然英格兰密切合作，利用现有数据共同开发从业人员工具，并制定指导和实践的变化。利用已发表的文献和我自己在石灰石路面工作的丰富经验，我将制定路面植被监测指南，以及在石灰石路面内进行管理变更时应如何实施监测。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。共同标准监测是在英国各地使用的监测方案，用于评估受保护栖息地的状况。我将与自然英格兰和其他英国法定机构合作，修改指南，确保它是基于证据的，更实用的应用。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南。《国家植被分类》对石灰石路面的覆盖率很低，使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急需的工具。所有这些活动的成果将通过LPP网站、会议和培训活动进行分享。目前，尽管世界其他地区也有石灰石路面，但还没有国际知识共享。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人员接触，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。我也将分享我自己的研究成果，并确定是否有共同的研究优先事项，可以共同发展。通过这些活动，这个奖学金将完全改变保护前景的一个受保护的栖息地在英国。

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.