{"id":179,"date":"2024-03-14T14:48:14","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T14:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chilterns.org.uk\/neighbourhoodplanning\/?page_id=179"},"modified":"2025-03-18T12:09:26","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T12:09:26","slug":"biodiversity","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.chilterns.org.uk\/neighbourhoodplanning\/chilterns-special-qualities\/biodiversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Biodiversity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of the Chiltern National Landscape’s habitats and species are already protected in planning law and policy, but you can still help local nature in the Neighbourhood Planning process.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some of the Chiltern National Landscape’s habitats and species are already protected in planning law and policy, but you can still help local nature in the Neighbourhood Planning process\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":234,"parent":305,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/page-ourwork.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-179","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"page_color":"#1c4220","page_thumbnail_image":false,"signposts_list":[{"signposts_item":{"ID":113,"post_author":"9","post_date":"2024-03-12 10:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-12 10:31:16","post_content":"","post_title":"Events","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"events","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-12 10:51:44","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-12 10:51:44","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.chilterns.org.uk\/neighbourhoodplanning\/?post_type=signposts&p=113","menu_order":0,"post_type":"signposts","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"signposts_item":{"ID":116,"post_author":"9","post_date":"2024-03-12 10:34:16","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-12 10:34:16","post_content":"","post_title":"Planning pages","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"planning-pages","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-25 12:36:10","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-25 12:36:10","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.chilterns.org.uk\/neighbourhoodplanning\/?post_type=signposts&p=116","menu_order":0,"post_type":"signposts","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}}],"sub_navigation_title":"Explore","layouts_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_block","padding_top_remove":true,"padding_bottom_remove":false,"copy_block_copy_title":"","copy_block_copy":"

Biodiversity is the term given to describe all life on Earth. It includes all the species, habitats, ecosystems across the globe, from the smallest microbe to the widest ocean. It also includes how species and habitats interact with each other, whether its bacteria changing soils or beavers damming-up rivers.<\/p>\n

We may think of biodiversity as simply something nice to look at, enjoying attractive animals and visits to exotic places, but it is vital to our life support system. A healthy natural environment underpins the health and well-being of society and the economy. The natural resources \u2013 or \u2018natural capital\u2019 \u2013 of the Earth include its physical features, such as water and soil, as well as its habitats and species. The benefits that we get from this natural capital are called \u2018ecosystems services\u2019; these include food, clean water, construction materials, flood defence, pollination, pest control, carbon storage, recreation, and health opportunities.<\/p>\n

The Chilterns is particularly important for its chalk grassland, chalk streams, ancient woodlands and arable habitats, which are home to a wonderful variety of wildlife, including many protected and notable species. Over millennia, variations in soils, topography and human management have given rise to rich habitat mosaics, including box wood and juniper scrub, verges and disused quarries, wood pasture, and heathland. You may wish to feature these special qualities in your Neighbourhood Plans as you look to protect and enhance your local area. The main points to consider about biodiversity are listed below.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Special quality: Biodiversity<\/strong><\/p>\n