Habitats
Biodiversity habitats and areas managed/prioritised for biodiversity on the University of St Andrews estate 2023-2024.
Our targets are here
Amber – potentially biodiversity rich with management
Red – Less biodiversity rich unless extensively managed or biodiversity infrastructure added (although much modified grassland can shift to natural grassland easily with altered management)
The values arise from the biodiversity Qgis map (example below, from the North Haugh pond area with a 10 x 10 m grid overlaid) of the University estate and the habitat classifications applied in 2023. These broad classifications are work in progress.
The figures: Area of different habitats available and managed for biodiversity
| Habitat | areaha | percent | no10sq | percent | |
| arable margins | 1.38 | 0.4 | 256 | 0.4 | |
| Buildings | 53.55 | 15.3 | 9110 | 15.6 | |
| Freshwater | 10.06 | 2.9 | 1579 | 2.7 | |
| Garden | 13.61 | 3.9 | 3287 | 5.6 | |
| Hedge | 5.14 | 1.5 | 2210 | 3.8 | |
| intertidal mudflat | 14.91 | 4.3 | 1711 | 2.9 | |
| modified grassland | 107.11 | 30.7 | 16339 | 28.0 | |
| natural grassland | 15.55 | 4.5 | 2484 | 4.3 | |
| other developed land | 47.86 | 13.7 | 8508 | 14.6 | |
| unsealed unvegetated surface | 9.13 | 2.6 | 1358 | 2.3 | |
| Woodland | 70.80 | 20.3 | 11414 | 19.6 | |
| Total | 349.11 | 58256 | |||
| Management for biodiversity | |||||
| meadows in modified grassland | 5.52 | 1.6 | 1789 | 3.1 | |
| meadows in unmodified grassland | 0.25 | 0.1 | 81 | 0.1 | |
| woodland and copses | 3.13 | 0.9 | 1223 | 2.1 | |
| Hedgerows | 0.15 | 0.04 | 146 | 0.3 | |
| Biodiversity infrastructure | 42 | 0.1 | |||
| Total | 9.05 | 2.6 | 3239 | 5.6 | |
| Biodiversity land | |||||
| arable margins | 1.38 | ? | 256 | ? | |
| Freshwater | 10.06 | 100 | 1579 | 100 | |
| Garden | 13.61 | ? | 3287 | ? | |
| Hedge | 5.14 | 100 | 2210 | 100 | |
| intertidal mudflat | 14.91 | 100 | 1711 | 100 | |
| meadows in modified grassland | 5.52 | 5.15 | 1789 | 10.95 | |
| natural grassland | 15.55 | 100 | 2484 | 100 | |
| woodland | 70.80 | 100 | 11414 | 100 | |
| Total area Ha | Percent managed for biodiversity | Total no. of squares | Percent of squares with management for biodiversity | ||
| Totals | 136.98 | 39.24 | 24730.00 | 42.45 |
Note: The total number of squares gives differentpercentages because of part squares at the edge of habitat polygons are counted as a full 100m2, but number of squares allows for monitoring change in biodiversity management at a finer scale. Use area for absolute, and number of squares for change.
