Nature conservation designations
This page gives summary and detail tables on nature conservation in Dorset.
Summary Nature Conservation Designations-May 2010
Location | No. of SSSI's | Hectares |
|---|---|---|
All Dorset | 141 | 19,994 |
DCC Dorset | 135 | 18,728 |
South-West (2007) | 862 | 149,402 |
England (2007) | 4,088 | 1,053,000 |
No. of Local Nature Reserves | Hectares | |
|---|---|---|
All Dorset | 49 | 702 |
DCC Dorset | 33 | 250 |
No. of Sites of Nature Conservation interest | Hectares | |
|---|---|---|
All Dorset | 1,267 | 12,172 |
DCC Dorset | 1,227 | 11,779 |
Detail of Nature Conservation Designations
Area of land designated as: | Dorset without B/mouth & Poole | ha | No. | Dorset including B/mouth & Poole | ha | No. | Weymouth & Portland DC | ha | No. | Purbeck DC | ha | No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SAC | 12,068. | ha | 14 | 12,753 | ha | 14 | 626 | ha | 2 | 6,521 | ha | 4 |
pSAC | 55 | ha | 1 | 55 | ha | 1 | 0 | ha | 0 | 0 | ha | 0 |
SPA | 10,637 | ha | 4 | 11,648 | ha | 4 | 127 | ha | 1 | 7,361 | ha | 2 |
RAMSAR | 9,766 | ha | 4 | 10,319 | ha | 4 | 127 | ha | 1 | 7,059 | ha | 2 |
Combined area for RAMSAR, SPA & SACs | 15,088 | ha | - | 16,113 | ha | - | 625 | ha | - | 9,082 | ha | - |
SSSIs | 18,728 | ha | 135 | 19,994 | ha | 141 | 803 | ha | 11 | 9,923 | ha | 38 |
SSSI Summary Favourable condition (management units) | 8,186 | ha | n/a | 8,683 | ha | n/a | 379 | ha | n/a | 4,488 | ha | n/a |
SSSI Summary Unfavourable condition (management units) | 10,543 | ha | n/a | 11,311 | ha | n/a | 424 | ha | n/a | 5,435 | ha | n/a |
% of SSSI in favourable condition (management units) | 44 | % | - | 43 | % | - | 47 | % | - | 45 | % | - |
% of SSSI in unfavourable condition (management units) | 56 | % | - | 57 | % | - | 53 | % | - | 55 | % | - |
SNCIs | 11,779 | ha | 1,227 | 12,172 | ha | 1,267 | 116 | ha | 32 | 1,953 | ha | 204 |
SNCI Summary In favourable condition (good/fair) | 5,905 | ha | 621 | 6,173 | ha | 648 | 42 | ha | 14 | 670 | ha | 80 |
SNCI Summary In poor condition | 355 | ha | 47 | 362 | ha | 50 | 13 | ha | 3 | 49 | ha | 5 |
% of SNCI in favourable condition (good/fair) | 50 | % | - | 51 | % | - | 36 | % | - | 34 | % | - |
% of SNCI in poor condition | 3 | % | - | 3 | % | - | 11 | % | - | 3 | % | - |
LNR | 250 | ha | 33 | 702 | ha | 49 | 17 | ha | 3 | 1 | ha | 1 |
| RIGS | 1,448 | ha | 62 | 1,448 | ha | 63 | 1,060 | ha | 1 | 134 | ha | 17 |
Area of land designated as: | West Dorset DC | ha | No | North Dorset DC | ha | No. | East Dorset DC | ha | No. | Christchurch BC | ha | No. | Bournemouth BC | ha | No. | Poole BC | ha | No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SAC | 2,502 | ha | 9 | 326 | ha | 2 | 1,662 | ha | 2 | 433 | ha | 2 | 70 | ha | 2 | 615 | ha | 1 |
pSAC | 55 | ha | 1 | 0 | ha | 0 | 0 | ha | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ha | 0 | 0 | ha | 0 | |
SPA | 676 | ha | 2 | 0 | ha | 0 | 1,710 | ha | 2 | 764 | ha | 2 | 59 | ha | 1 | 952 | ha | 2 |
RAMSAR | 676 | ha | 2 | 0 | ha | 0 | 1,268 | ha | 2 | 637 | ha | 2 | 34 | ha | 1 | 520 | ha | 2 |
Combined area for RAMSAR, SPA & SACs | 2,563 | ha | - | 326 | ha | - | 1,717 | ha | - | 774 | ha | - | 70 | ha | - | 955 | ha | - |
SSSIs | 3,574 | ha | 56 | 839 | ha | 13 | 2,446 | ha | 22 | 1,143 | ha | 10 | 244 | ha | 5 | 1,021 | ha | 8 |
Favourable Condition (management units) | 2,461 | ha | NA | 4000 | ha | NA | 198 | ha | NA | 259 | ha | NA | 167 | ha | NA | 330 | ha | NA |
SSSI Summary Unfavourable condition (management units) | 1,113 | ha | NA | 439 | ha | NA | 2,248 | ha | NA | 884 | ha | NA | 77 | ha | NA | 691 | ha | NA |
% of SSSI in favourable condition (management units) | 69 | % | - | 48 | % | - | 8 | % | - | 23 | % | - | 68 | % | - | 32 | % | - |
% of SSSI in unfavourable condition (management units) | 31 | % | - | 52 | % | - | 92 | % | - | 77 | % | - | 32 | % | - | 68 | % | - |
SNCIs | 4,917 | ha | 337 | 2,849 | ha | 224 | 1,814 | ha | 194 | 130 | ha | 23 | 179 | ha | 16 | 214 | ha | 31 |
SNCI Summary In favourable condition (good/fair) | 3,091 | ha | 295 | 1,296 | ha | 119 | 772 | ha | 77 | 35 | ha | 9 | 85 | ha | 9 | 183 | ha | 24 |
SNCI Summary In poor condition | 160 | ha | 27 | 23 | ha | 4 | 106 | ha | 7 | 4 | ha | 1 | 0 | ha | 0 | 6.41 | ha | 3 |
% of SNCI in favourable condition (good/fair) | 63 | % | - | 45 | % | - | 43 | % | - | 27 | % | - | 48 | % | - | 81.47 | % | - |
% of SNCI in poor condition | 3 | % | - | 1 | % | - | 6 | % | - | 3 | % | - | 0.0 | % | - | 3.02 | % | - |
LNR | 67 | ha | 9 | 6 | ha | 2 | 82 | ha | 10 | 72 | ha | 4 | 299 | ha | 9 | 158 | ha | 11 |
| RIGS | 29 | ha | 27 | 191 | ha | 11 | 33 | ha | 6 | 0 | ha | 0 | 0 | ha | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Dorset Environmental records Centre. Correct at May 2010
Definitions: SAC=Special Area of Conservation; pSAC=Proposed Special Area of Conservation; SPA=Special Protection Area; RAMSAR=Internationally Important Wetlands; SSSI=Site of Special Scientific Interest; SNCI=Site of Nature Conservation Interest; LNR= Local Nature Reserve; NNR=National Nature Reserve. RIGS = Regionally Important Geological Sites
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