UK biodiversity indicator species

Since 2008, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has included bats in their set of ‘indicator species,' which help measure progress towards the Government's target of halting biodiversity loss. The indicators show changes in aspects of biodiversity such as the population size of important species or the area of land managed for wildlife. They provide part of the evidence to assess whether the targets set out above have been achieved.

The eight bat indicator species are lesser horseshoe bat, common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, Daubenton's bat, Natterer's bat, serotine and noctule. Download a copy of the UK Biodiversity Indicators 2014 - summary booklet