Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 9.3. A selection of factors of ecological functioning that might be
considered when planning and performing an ecological survey (taken from
Environment Agency 2008b )
Aspect
Factors
Available resources
Shelter and roost sites
Corridors for migration and dispersal
Quantity and quality of food and water
Stochastic (random)
processes
Flooding
Drought
Disease
Erosion
Climate change
Ecological processes
Population dynamics and population cycles
Competition
Predation
Seasonal behaviour
Vegetation dynamics
Colonisation
Succession
Competition
Nutrient cycling
Human influences
Cutting
Mowing
Maintenance dredging
Pollution and contamination
Introduction of exotics/invasive species
Disturbance from public access and recreation, pets,
and/or transport
Ecological relationships
Predator-prey relationships
Ecological role
Keystone species
Ecosystem properties
Fragility
Stability
Carrying capacity
Productivity
Connectivity
Viable populations
Fragmentation
because mobile species can use sites outside of the designated area. As identified
in the desk study the search radius should be based on the CPR linkage(s) rather
than legal or anthropogenic boundaries, but as a guide a risk assessor might
consider designated sites within 5 km of the potentially contaminated land.
Clearly, a number of factors need to be considered when conducting an
ecosurvey, but for a Part 2A assessment, it should be specifically focused on
 
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