There is a growing consensus that land management for nature conservation in the UK must move from being a negative, essentially protectionist, activity to being a positive, creative, managerial one. Maintaining and enhancing biodiversity is the driving force for both statutory and voluntary nature conservation organisations. Leisure development is often associated with a change of land use to a ‘less natural’ environment, which threatens nature conservation interests. However, this does not have to be the case. Environmental assessments for some leisure developments which involve large areas of land, including areas marginal to the main focus of recreational activity, have suggested, at the planning stage, that such developments can result in environmental improvements. This paper examines the three Center Parcs UK Holiday Villages established in coniferous woodland plantations and illustrates the biodiversity gains, which can be achieved. Careful site selection, environmentally sensitive design and construction, and management regimes that foster target species and habitats are important. Ecological monitoring is vital both to quantify and substantiate biodiversity gains and to raise awareness and confrm expectations.
INTRODUCTION
Traditionally land management for nature conservation in the UK has been both protectionist and reactive. Strategies to deal with perceived threats comprised site acqui- sition, designation and management agree- ments (Selman, 1992). However, the level of landscape and habitat degradation and frag- mentation in the UK, experienced since World War II, has prompted the development of habitat restoration. Many resource man- agers wish to restore habitat because they are concerned that remaining natural and semi-natural habitats are being degraded both by their isolation and their vulnerability to external environmental factors. Rowell (1991), for example, estimated that 200 Sites of Special Scientifc Interest (SSSIs) are dam- aged or destroyed every year.
Ongoing ecological monitoring
A key objective of monitoring ecological change is to provide data as a scientifc basis for conservation (Spellerberg, 1991). Quantifying biodiversity gains also raises aware- ness and expectations. This is important for both employees and clients. Monitoring also allows for site-specifc management plans targeted at the effective deployment of avail- able resources and thus sustains biodiversity gains and for Center Parcs helps to guarantee commercial success.
