Increase and enhance grassland across Dorset by creating more species-rich, larger, better-managed, and interconnected areas.
Nature in Dorset
Dorset is known for its natural beauty, with a network of habitats that provide homes to a wide range of wildlife. Fifty-two per cent of Dorset is designated as National Landscape, the highest proportion of any English county. For a small county, Dorset punches far above its weight for biodiversity but has still been affected by the declines in nature observed across the world.
Declines in nature are worrying and have alarming impacts on wildlife and people. By understanding the pressures causing these declines, we can identify opportunities to reverse them and restore balance, allowing nature to thrive.
Find out more about Dorset’s biodiversity and declines in nature.
Pressures on nature in Dorset and opportunities for recovery
Pressures are all the things impacting the health and functioning of habitats, species and ecosystems.
Opportunities are the ways people can address these pressures by recovering habitats and species, which can also deliver wider environmental benefits.
The pressures and opportunities are summarised below and are listed under the 10 national environmental improvement goals set out in the Environment Act 2021. Many people inputted into this summary and more detail can be found in the Pressure on Nature in Dorset and Opportunities for Recovery supporting document.
Thriving plants and wildlife
Pressures
Declining biodiversity and bio abundance, habitat loss and fragmentation, poor soil, health, and air and water pollution and loss of nature features in urban areas all indicate the pressures on nature.
Opportunities
Creating a network of naturally functioning diverse habitats, supported by more sustainable land management practices across
the county will help plants and wildlife thrive
Clean air
Pressures
Air pollution from transport, industry and agriculture settles on the land and water, disrupting ecosystems by changing the types
and abundance of species, reducing resilience and threatening human health.
Opportunities
Air quality can be improved by increasing sustainable farming practices, wildlife-friendly gardening and low-emission sustainable
transport, plus specific habitat management practices and buffers near busy roads.
Clean and plentiful water
Pressures
Human activities can disrupt water ecosystems, by increasing nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediment, altering water flow and changing flood patterns. This can harm wildlife and water quality.
Opportunities
Water ecosystems across catchments can be improved by reconnecting rivers to floodplains, restoring wetlands, creating river buffers, practising sustainable farming, upgrading waste water treatment, and sustainable drainage systems.
Managing exposure to chemicals and pesticides
Pressures
Chemicals from farming, gardening, human and animal medicines, plastic pollution and road run off harm wildlife and ecosystem function.
Opportunities
Opportunities include reducing chemical use in farming and gardening, reducing the harmful impacts of insecticides in pet treatments, addressing plastic pollution, and monitoring chemicals in water bodies.
Maximise our resources, minimise our waste
Pressures
The extraction, production, and disposal of products from finite natural resources cause habitat loss and environmental harm.
Opportunities
Former quarries and landfills can be restored into habitats, creating nature reserves for wildlife and community enjoyment. Plus, all sectors can make changes towards a circular and sustainable economy.
Using resources from nature sustainably
Pressures
Food and timber production, and building development, all put pressure on nature and can degrade soil health, fragment habitats and disrupt ecosystem function.
Opportunities
Natural resources can be used in ways that support biodiversity, by using sustainable farming and forestry practices, working in collaboration and restoring habitats.
Mitigating and adapting to climate change
Pressures
Climate change will increase pressure on nature through extreme weather (like flooding and heatwaves), more pests and disease, coastal erosion, and species migration. This will impact how we manage habitats and farmland.
Opportunities
Nature’s climate resilience can be boosted by diversifying the structure of habitats, using resilient species, and being flexible in
management practices. Nature also offers solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation, benefiting people as well.
Reduced risk of harm from environmental hazards
Pressures
Flooding, drought, wildfires and other environmental hazards can damage habitats and reduce biodiversity, making isolated species more vulnerable to changes in their environments.
Opportunities
Resilience can be increased by expanding habitats, creating buffer zones and increasing connectivity. Nature-based solutions can help
with flood management, water quality and cooling extreme heat.
Enhancing biosecurity
Pressures
Disease and pests kill trees and plants and threaten animal and human health, invasive non-native species outcompete native species and disrupt ecosystem function.
Opportunities
Sustainable management practices boost resilience to pests, diseases, and invasive species. Coordinated control and awareness programmes can further reduce or stop their impacts.
Enhanced beauty, heritage, and engagement with the natural environment
Pressures
People enjoying natural spaces for recreation or tourism can harm wildlife and habitats, most of the time this is not intentional.
Opportunities
Celebrating how people in Dorset are helping nature recover can enable more people to get involved, showing how we can reduce
our impact on nature while still enjoying and connecting with the environment.
Some key biodiversity pressures in Dorset
Invasive non-native species
Diseases
(image coming soon)
(image coming soon)
(image coming soon)