UKHab and Metric Condition Assessment

Course Details

What level of UKHab training is this course?

Advanced

Who is this course suitable for?

Ecologists and consultants who need to undertake habitat condition assessment of terrestrial habitats in the field for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and nature recovery projects.

Do I need to have used UKHab already?

Yes. Participants are likely to have completed the UKHab Introduction for Practitioners intermediate course and/or the UKHab and Biodiversity Net Gain advanced course and have some experience using UKHab in the field.

What does the course cover?

UKHab Version 2.0 and the Statutory Biodiversity Metric are described, and the relationship between Metric Condition Assessment criteria and UKHab 2.0 is explained. The application and interpretation of Metric condition assessment criteria in the field, the field data required to evidence an assessment and reporting condition outcome scores for a range of terrestrial habitats is covered. The concept of using condition assessment to monitor future recovery of enhanced or created habitats is explored.

Learning outcomes

1. Refresh knowledge and understanding of the significance of new versions of UKHab and the Biodiversity Metric.
2. Understand the relationship between UKHab Version 2.0 and the Statutory Biodiversity Metric condition assessment.
3. Understand how to select the correct set of condition criteria to use for specific terrestrial habitats.
4. Awareness of the field methodologies needed to assess habitat condition in the field.
5. Build the skills required to capture robust data in the field to support condition assessment across a number of habitat types.
6. Awareness of the importance of habitat condition assessment in the BNG process and nature recovery monitoring.

Please note that this course does not cover freshwater or intertidal habitats.

How is this course delivered?

This online course runs over two days. Each day consists of a 3-hour session starting at 10 a.m. Between the two sessions, participants will be asked to complete a short task, which should take about an hour.