Biodiversity, stemming from “biological diversity,” encompasses the huge diversification of life on Earth across all levels, from genes to ecosystems. It supports human wellbeing now and, in the future, and its rapid decline threatens both nature and people. The importance of biodiversity is multifaceted. It is essential to many aspects of human life and is valued for both utilitarian and intrinsic reasons. Utilitarian values derive from the direct benefits that biodiversity provides, such as food, medicine and ecosystem services such as pollination and climate regulation. In addition, biodiversity has a cultural meaning that promotes spiritual and religious beliefs. Its intrinsic value lies in its intrinsic value, regardless of its utility to humans or other beings. In addition, biodiversity plays a central role in shaping human identity, relationships and social norms, and influences well-being and environmental responsibility. Populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians have declined by an average of 68 percent since 1970. Most of the damage is due to habitat destruction due to unsustainable agriculture or logging. And climate change, which until now has not been the biggest cause of biodiversity loss, is expected to take over in the coming decades. The Living Planet Index in the report tracks nearly 21,000 populations representing 4,392 vertebrate species, showing that biodiversity . in different regions of the world lost at different rates. Due to accelerating environmental changes and human activities, the future presents enormous challenges to the protection of biodiversity. These challenges include habitat destruction and fragmentation due to urbanization, agricultural expansion, and infrastructure development, which threaten countless species with extinction and disrupt ecosystem functioning. To ensure the sustainability of agriculture practices around the world Biodiversity Net Gain acts as an essential paradigm shift. This approach or view point obligates any farming activity to improve or enhance the initial condition of environment. It is a planning policy followed by Natural England introduced as part of the 2021 Environment Act which aims to ensure that the overall natural diversity of the area improves as a result of development. This means a development will result in better-quality natural habitat than there was before development. In England, BNG is mandatory under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. To secure planning permission, developers will have to submit a Biodiversity Gain Plan (BGP), assessing the habitat value of the land they will be developing and providing a measurable plan of how they will create a net uplift in biodiversity of at least 10% over a minimum period of 30 years. This is a way to ensure that the loss of biodiversity due to development is compensated by the creation or improvement of new habitats. The basic principle of BNG is to achieve measurable increase in biodiversity and the quality of habitat that go beyond simply replacing ecological losses. Adopting biodiversity net gain requires a forward looking and sustainable perspective in which the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity is the priority in any developmental and Restoration activities. BNG is a relatively new policy, but it has the potential to make a significant contribution to biodiversity recovery.
The importance of the net benefits of biodiversity to farmers cannot be overstated as its multiple benefits extend beyond the sphere of the environment including the social and economic benefits. Conservation of biodiversity has a direct and profound impact on the economic viability of farms because decline in important factors of biodiversity such as pollinators or soil quality can majorly reduce yields and the overall productivity of the farmland acting as a preventive measure to mitigate the risks by strengthening ecological resilience and improving soil health.
BNG units are a mechanism used to quantify the increase in biodiversity. The process starts by initially assessing the baseline biodiversity of the side and then identifying the impact of a proposed development and finally calculating the necessary actions to achieve a net gain in biodiversity. The units of biodiversity on land that a farmer wishes to link to the BNG compensation are calculated using a Defra metric that takes into account the current baseline of the land and the projected increase in biodiversity. The metric calculates the increase in BNG and the number of units the landowner has is being sold according to the habitat creation plan.
Various tools and methods are available to assess and manage biodiversity in ecosystems.
The Biodiversity Metric is the key tool that supports the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain. Under the new law, this is what developers will have to use to assess what impact their development has on local biodiversity. It is a habitat-based approach used to assess an area’s importance and value to the ecosystem on the site to be developed. The biodiversity metric uses habitat features to measure the biodiversity value and calculate the biodiversity units present on-site. It is a habitat-based approach to determine a proxy biodiversity value developed by Natural England. The Biodiversity Metric is designed to provide ecologists, developers, planners and other interested parties with a means of assessing changes in biodiversity value (losses or gains) brought about by development or changes in land management.
To measure the diversity of the species in a community biodiversity calculator provides an efficient approach by just entering the population data for various different species.
To Examine the environmental impacts of various business operations and supply chains on natural ecosystems and wildlife biodiversity impact assessment tool is in another option that helps investors prioritise sustainability and conservation efforts in their investment strategies.
Geographic information systems (GIS) support these activities, facilitate more accurate analysis and mapping of wildlife distribution, movement, and habitat use patterns. BNG can be achieved on-site, off-site or through a combination of on-site and off-site measures. The capturing of accurate habitat data and maps by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is imperative in this approach. By integrating biodiversity data with other spatial layers such as land use, infrastructure, and development plans, GIS helps identify areas with high conservation value, assess potential impacts of development projects on biodiversity, and determine suitable locations for biodiversity enhancements or offset measures. Together, these tools provide stakeholders with opportunities to comprehensively assess and manage biodiversity, promoting more sustainable practices and informed decision-making.