The second set of plans added what some would consider an unexpected element: under the category of Suffolk character habitats, the plan now features " Urban habitats". With so much of the county given over to agriculture, the small (but expanding) proportion in use for human habitation does now incorporate a significant slice of our overall diversity. Consider the massed greenery of suburban gardens with its abnormal range of imported exotic plant species, consider the benefit of extensive areas that remain free of agricultural sprays, remember the ancient buildings and churchyards with lichens and mosses that endure neglect, but could not tolerate change. Derelict land is a special habitat of its own; the "bombsites" of my youth are now the "brownfield development sites" of the intending developer, but they are havens for all the weeds that are not tolerated on farmland or in gardens, and these weeds are breeding grounds for a range of once common invertebrates that have a place in the food chain that supports small mammals and birds of prey. As more gardeners seek to help wildlife instead of killing slugs, so their backyard ponds host amphibians, showy dragonflies, and some of the birds that have fled the countryside.
This mosaic of alternative diversity is not without its downside though, with atmospheric pollution, light pollution, slaughter by road traffic, feline predation, and a dozen other urban hazards all playing a role in (un)natural selection. Visit the Ipswich‚ B&Q warehouse store if you are brave enough; a vast array of herbicides, insecticides and toxic chemicals is carried on giant racks reminiscent of one of Saddam Hussein's germ warfare establishments!
If your town council has retained a piece of mature woodland, preserved a riverside, declared a Local Nature Reserve, or restored a public heath, then remember to give them credit for doing so. It is the disinterest of the silent majority that permits our urban greenspace to become progressively covered with concrete, and a site near you is probably at risk!
Whilst none of our BAP species inhabit urban sites exclusively, many of them can be found in and around our towns. The species action plans for the Song Thrush, the Native Black Poplar and the Stag Beetle are given here as a representative sample.
Much progress has been made and many of the action plan objectives and targets have already been met. Key sites for the stag beetle have been identified, for example. The action plans should be read with this in mind.
Urban habitats are very diverse. They may include fragments of ancient woodland, grassland and wetlands within urban areas along with industrial land, urban commons, gardens and buildings. These can offer unique habitats, which may support uncommon species and unique assemblages of plants and animals.
1 Definition
Suffolk 
is not generally thought of as an urban county. However, there are a many built up areas that contain a variety of valuable urban wildlife sites.
These include SSSIs, Local Nature Reserves and County Wildlife Sites.
However, nature conservation in towns and cities is not only about providing for wildlife. Wildlife can also play an important part in people's lives and therefore should not be restricted to nature reserves and the countryside. As 54% of people in Suffolk live in towns (with populations of over 10,000) the need for a healthy environment in urban areas is particularly important. Parks, cemeteries, canals, allotments, 'derelict' land and gardens can support a huge range of animals and plants and play a crucial role in maintaining the wildlife resource of towns and cities. These places are accessible to all age groups and cultures and can provide ideal places to learn about biodiversity. The character of urban areas is continually altering, through landscape improvements, development and the changing demands on land. If we are to retain the wildlife in urban areas, it must be recognised, valued, protected and managed as a vital component of the townscape.
2 Current status
2.1 Suffolk
Urban areas are generally defined as having a population of over 10,000. However, many actions in this plan refer to people and wildlife and therefore can include any settlement where there is potential for wildlife, education and access to wild places.
The major urban area in Suffolk is in the south east of the county consisting of Ipswich and associated towns. The other major urban areas are Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket and Haverhill. Many of the larger market towns such as Stowmarket and Sudbury also have urban wildlife habitats. There is also pressure for additional housing allocations throughout the county, which will substantially increase the size of some towns and villages.
Within towns and villages the wildlife character is diverse and reflects the surrounding landscape as well as the unique environment arising from dense development, historic land use, industry and the influence of people. 'Urban habitats' can include:
for example - veteran trees, rivers, brooks and springs.
There are number of species associated with urban habitats that are subject to national and local biodiversity action plans. These include song thrush, stag beetle and pipistrelle bat. In addition there are a number of other species which, would not normally occur in Suffolk, which have taken advantage of urban sites. These include black redstart, which nest on old industrial buildings in Lowestoft and the colony of kittiwakes that nest on artificial ledges in Lowestoft harbour.
There is relatively good information on the extent, distribution and value of these urban habitats and the species. SSSIs, Local Nature Reserves and County Wildlife Sites identify the majority of the sites of high ecological interest within urban areas. However, the value of urban habitats for amphibians and reptiles has only recently been fully appreciated and further County Wildlife Sites have been designated during the last year. An Urban Wildlife Report was prepared for Ipswich Borough Council in 1992. Wildlife Audits of Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds were prepared by Suffolk Wildlife Trust for St Edmundsbury Borough Council in 1996. However there has not been any countywide audit of urban habitats. Suffolk Wildlife Trust ran an urban wildlife project in Lowestoft between 1986 and 1992 and the Trust started a three year Community Wildlife Project in Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds in 1996.
2.2 Natural Areas
Urban habitats occur within all natural areas.
3 Current factors affecting the habitat in Suffolk
Lack of up-to-date information on the whole spectrum of urban wildlife resources.
4 Current action
Protection of sites and wildlife features. There are a number of Local Plan policies acknowledging and protecting wildlife in urban areas at the District level.
Several districts and boroughs have Countryside Ranger Services that deal with policy issues, management of specific sites and are involved in community participation and education in urban areas which can lead to increased awareness and 'ownership' of wildlife sites by local communities. Suffolk County Council also manages Country Parks in some urban areas, which provide a base for information and education about biodiversity .
5 Action plan objectives and targets 1 To ensure biodiversity issues contribute significantly to the development of sustainable green towns and cities.
2 To develop up-to-date and accessible information on urban ecological resources. To maintain and enhance the value and integrity of key wildlife sites, wildlife features and strategic natural networks across urban areas.
3 To increase awareness and understanding of the value and management of the range of 'urban' habitats, especially those supporting key populations of important species.
4 To provide accessible natural open space for environmental education and the informal enjoyment of nature within 300m of every home.
5 To stimulate local action to benefit wildlife, through LA21 and other community initiatives.
This is a widespread species that occurs almost anywhere there are trees, hedgerows and bushes, primarily in farmland, woodland and scrub habitats, as well as in large gardens and parks. Adults feed on berries, seeds and invertebrates and chicks on a variety of invertebrates. 
1 Current status
1.1 National
Numbers remained stable until the mid 1970s after which they declined steadily, with an estimated reduction of 70% in farmland and 45% in woodland habitats between 1971 and 1995.
1.2 Local
Suffolk has a relatively high density of Song thrushes with no marked gaps in distribution or density variation. There is no population estimate for the county . 1.3 Natural Areas
All 1.4 Protection
The Song thrush is protected under the EC Birds Directive and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. 2 Current factors causing loss or decline Reasons for the decline are poorly understood but may be related to the following factors.
3 Current action 4 Action plan objectives and targets 1 Halt the decline of the Song thrush by the year 2000.
2 Thereafter maintain the range and population of Song thrush in Suffolk.
The Stag beetle can be found in a wide range of habitats including broadleaved woodland, parks, other pasture woodland, hedgerows, churchyards and gardens. The larvae live in the decaying wood of deciduous trees, often in roots and stumps at or below ground level, and may take up to five years to become fully grown. 
1 Current status
1.1 National
Rare and protected in some European countries, the beetle has always been restricted to southern England and is now scarce outside the Thames valley, southern East Anglia and the New Forest.
1.2 Local
In Suffolk this large and conspicuous beetle is widespread in the south-east of the county , but is only relatively common in the Ipswich and Shotley peninsula areas. It would appear that it is present in few localities outside this region. 1.3 Natural Areas
Suffolk Coast and Heaths, East Anglian Plain. 1.4 Protection
Listed on Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and on Annex 11 of the EC Habitats Directive. 2 Current factors causing loss or decline 3 Current action 4 Action plan objectives and targets 1 Raise awareness of the threats to the species among local conservation groups and communities.
2 Improve knowledge of the species' ecology and methods for monitoring.
3 Identify a number of key sites for the beetle in the county and monitor these in tandem with national monitoring efforts to establish long term population trends.
4 Maintain the range, distribution and viability of existing Stag beetle populations.
The native Black poplar was formerly a component of floodplain woodland but now occurs as isolated specimens in wet meadows, along hedgerows, beside farm ponds and near to rivers. It has not reproduced naturally for many centuries and its current distribution reflects the once common practise of striking cuttings around farms. It has been in decline for the last 200 years and is now rare. Most surviving trees have reached old age and mortality rates are high. Suffolk has a significant proportion of the British population, especially the rarer female trees. 
1 Current status
1.1 National
There are an estimated 7,000 native Black poplars in Britain, chiefly occurring south of a line from the Mersey to the Wash. Many of these are believed to be genetic clones so there are probably considerably less distinct genotypes. The tree has strongholds in Shropshire, Cheshire, the Vale of Aylesbury and Suffolk. The vast majority of the trees have reached maturity and there has been very little planting of new trees until quite recently. Female trees are particularly rare, with an estimated 400 nationally. Suitable conditions for germination of seed are no longer present in Britain. Hybrid crosses of the European Black poplar (Populus nigra ssp. typica) and the American cottonwood (Populus deltoides) have been extensively planted in place of the native tree over the last 200 years. There has been much mis-identification of hybrids as natives and vice versa.
1.2 Local
Formerly more common in Suffolk, now approximately 480 mature trees survive at about 270 locations. Of these, approximately 80 are females occupying about 40 locations. Almost half of the female trees and locations occur within a triangle between Saxmundham, Framlingham and Wickham Market. Suffolk Coastal District contains 75% of the female trees. Males have a more even distribution, occurring in about a third of all parishes. Many trees are in poor condition and mortality rates are high, with about a third of all the trees ever recorded now gone. There are known to be some young and medium aged trees but distinguishing them from hybrids can be difficult. Some young trees supplied as native have turned out to be hybrids. Very little of the new planting has had its location or its source recorded. 1.3 Natural Areas
East Anglian Plain, Suffolk Coast and Heaths, Breckland. 1.4 Protection
Section 13 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended, prohibits the unauthorised uprooting of any wild plant species. Black poplars are not on Schedule 8 of the Act (those protected from any picking, uprooting or destruction) and only benefit from the general protection mentioned above. 2 Current factors causing loss or decline 3 Current action 4 Action plan objectives and targets 1 Conserve the existing stock of trees.
Some trees may have been protected using the Tree Preservation Order legislation. This legislation is complex despite the simplicity of the basic concept. The relevant legislation includes Town and Country Planning Act 1990, sections 197 to 214; Town and Country (Tree Preservation Order) Regulations 1969; Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation Order) (Amendment) Regulations 1981; Forestry (Exemption of Restrictions from Felling) Regulations 1979, and Circular 36/78 Trees and Forestry .
2 Maintain a register of trees, historic sites and new planting.
3 Investigate the number of distinct clones in the county.
4 Consider the merits of increasing genetic diversity in the county.
5 Compile exsitu collections of material from all extant sites
6 Encourage new planting of appropriate stock on appropriate sites to conserve diversity and broaden the age structure of the population.
7 Investigate the creation of at least one floodplain woodland incorporating native Black poplar, ideally with conditions suitable for natural regeneration.
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