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UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme

Pan-trap survey data from the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme, 2017-2021

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PLEASE NOTE: By accessing or using this dataset, you agree to the terms of the relevant licence agreement(s). You will ensure that this dataset is cited in any publication that describes research in which the data have been used.

This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence

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https://doi.org/10.5285/9df83130-e98f-48b0-bbfc-32f5920eedb0
This dataset contains samples and occurrences of insects and flowers collected for the 1 km square survey of the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS). It covers the years 2017 to 2021 (note that 2017 was a pilot year and has less data than subsequent years, and that the survey first became active in Northern Ireland in 2021, which was a pilot year in that country).

This survey uses pan-traps positioned on transects within a randomly allocated set of 1 km squares across the UK. The sample data contains information on the location of the traps, various environmental variables, and the total number of insect specimens collected. The occurrence data for insects contains records of all hoverflies and bees from the traps, identified (wherever possible) to species level. The occurrence data for flowers contains records of all forbs that are in flower within 2 metres of each pan-trap station. (In addition, Flower-Insect Timed Counts are carried out in the same 1 km squares, see separate dataset for these data.)

UK PoMS is coordinated by UKCEH, with involvement from the following partners: Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, British Trust for Ornithology, Buglife, Hymettus, Natural History Museum, the University of Reading and University of Leeds, and working with recording schemes and societies.

UKPoMS is advised and supported by a Steering Group, involving UKCEH, JNCC, DAERA, Defra, NatureScot, Welsh Government, All-Ireland Pollinators Plan, and SASA.
Publication date: 2024-07-25
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More information

View numbers valid from 25 July 2024 Download numbers valid from 25 July 2024 (information prior to this was not collected)

Format

Comma-separated values (CSV)

Spatial information

Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
WGS 84

Temporal information

Temporal extent
2017-01-01    to    2021-12-31

Provenance & quality

Data are collected by PoMS volunteers and staff from up to 95 1 km squares, during four visits each summer, aiming for one visit in each month from May to August/September. There will be gaps in the data where a square cannot be visited during a particular year or month. At each visit, five pan-traps are positioned in a transect across the 1 km square, and left in position for approx. six hours. The insects trapped are returned to the PoMS laboratory, where all insects are sorted into main taxonomic groupings and counted, and all bees and hoverflies are passed to taxonomic experts for identification to species level where possible.
Data is entered using online forms that promote consistency in data formats. QA checks are carried out on any photos provided that show plants in flower in the vicinity of the pan-traps; bee and hoverfly identifications are cross-checked by multiple taxonomists for all rare and apparently out-of-range occurrences, plus a random sample of other occurrences.

Licensing and constraints

This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence

Cite this dataset as:
UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (2024). Pan-trap survey data from the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme, 2017-2021. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/9df83130-e98f-48b0-bbfc-32f5920eedb0

The following acknowledgement is required for use of this dataset: "The UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS) is a partnership funded jointly by UKCEH and JNCC (through funding from Defra, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and DAERA). UKCEH’s contribution is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council award number NE/R016429/1 as part of the UK-SCAPE programme delivering National Capability. Between 2017 and 2021, PoMS was funded by UKCEH and Defra (England), Welsh Government, Scottish Government, DAERA (Northern Ireland), and JNCC. "PoMS is indebted to the many volunteers who carry out surveys and contribute data to the scheme."

Related

This dataset is included in the following collections

UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme

Correspondence/contact details

UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 8BB
UNITED KINGDOM
 poms@ceh.ac.uk

Author

UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Other contacts

Rights holders
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, British Trust for Ornithology, Hymettus, Natural History Museum, University of Reading, University of Leeds, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Welsh Government, Scottish Government, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Custodian
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
 info@eidc.ac.uk
Publisher
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
 info@eidc.ac.uk

Additional metadata

Topic categories
biota
environment
INSPIRE theme
Environmental Monitoring Facilities
Keywords
apidae , environmental monitoring , flora (biology) , hoverflies , insect , pan-traps , Pollinators , syrphidae , UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS)
Funding
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Welsh Government
Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Scottish Government
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Natural Environment Research Council Award: NE/R016429/1
Last updated
08 January 2025 15:47