Species Surveillance Project

Quality Control

Confidence in identification was generally high, as surveyors were generally NNR site staff and selected volunteers with training in the species concerned, and records were verified within iRecord before transfer to NBN. Some internal QA was also performed to improve consistency of certain attributes.

Method steps

1. Historical records were captured by trawling through catalogued NNR sources including unpublished surveys. Methods used for recent (2012 onwards) surveys were varied, reflecting lack of knowledge about some species ecology and the difficulties of locating or counting some of them. Most methods generally involved a seach of suitable habitat on the site, focussing on previously recorded locations. Where possible an estimate of abundance and distribution on the site was attempted, so some methods included sampling where the species was locally abundant. Site staff and volunteers in most cases had the required expertise to identify species confidently, or sought expert assistance. Records were captured in iRecord via the NE NNR Priority Species Surveys form, and those records validated online transferred to the NBN. From 2018 new records will appear within the ‘iRecord Surveys’ dataset.

Surveys were carried out on NNRs in England managed directly by Natural England staff. Sites covered depended on our understanding of which rare priority species occurred on which NNRs. Location precision of records varies from 1m (GPS) to six-figure grid references (100m). Historical records were also compiled from NE-managed NNRs. Pilot phase surveys conducted in 2012 were carried out on six English National Nature Reserves (Ainsdale Sand Dunes; Dersingham Bog; East Dartmoor Woods and Heaths; Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses; Humberhead Peatlands; Martin Down) and two NE local Land Management delivery team areas (Gloucestershire; Yorkshire and the Humber South and West).