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WildlifeWildlife is a key consideration for the County Council. Wildlife, or biodiversity, is a complex collection of plants and animals set within habitats and the interactions between them all. Together these form the web of life, often referred to as the ecosystem. Mankind is a part of this system and from it we derive life-giving benefits including oxygen, food, materials and medicines. We derive numerous benefits from the ecosystem, including soil for our crops to grow in and bees to pollinate the crops. Carbon is captured and stored by the ecosystem and vegetation slows down water run off and helps to prevent flooding. Habitats and wildlife inspire artists and improve everyone's quality of life.
Although natural historians have been studying and classifying plants and animals for hundreds of years, the natural world is so complex that there are still more undiscovered creatures than the ones we know about. We are largely ignorant of species and their importance and people can be tempted to say 'what good is it?' about some creatures. In 1953, Aldo Leopold (an early American ecologist and author) said 'If nature has created something that we do not understand, then who but a fool would discard these seemingly useless parts. To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering'. The countryside service team promotes this thinking as we do not know exactly how species deliver the free services that are so beneficial to mankind. Work is currently being undertaken to put a value in money on these services, as up until now they have largely been taken for granted. For example, research by the national bee unit has put a value to British agriculture of £213 million pounds for pollination of crops by honey bees. Similarly, flood prevention and green tourism is worth several millions of pounds to the economy. Wildlife is promoted by the natural environment team in the countryside service through the following:
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