Nature is all around us and plays an important role in everyday life. It supports wildlife, promotes wellbeing and helps make Fife an attractive place to live and visit.
Biodiversity describes the variety of plants, animals and other living things that make up Fife's natural environment, from woodlands and farmland to rivers and coastline.
This page explains how Fife Council and its partners are working to protect and enhance nature across Fife.
What is biodiversity
Biodiversity means all the different living things on our planet, including plants, animals, insects, fungi, and many other tiny organisms. It is also the variety and number of species living in an area and how they depend on each other.
Biodiversity is important because it helps keep nature healthy and balanced. It gives us clean air and water, food to eat, and spaces to enjoy outdoors.
In Fife, protecting biodiversity helps wildlife thrive and makes our communities greener, healthier, and more resilient for future generations.
Local biodiversity action plan
The local biodiversity action plan outlines Fife’s priorities for nature conservation. The plan sets out clear goals for biodiversity and measures to track progress towards them.
To find out more and see the activities being delivered by Fife Council and partners, visit Local Biodiversity Action Plan
Recording nature
Wildlife records build a picture of how our ecosystems are performing and help us target projects and funding.
Fife Nature Records Centre collates everyone’s nature records for us in Fife.
Everyone can help, to learn more about recording nature and the importance of this data, visit Recording wildlife and submitting records.
Biodiversity duty reporting
Under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, all public bodies have a duty to further the conservation of biodiversity, while carrying out their responsibilities.
Every 3 years, we must produce a report on how we have fulfilled this duty. Our most recent report is: Fife Council Biodiversity Duty Report 2018 - 2020.pdf
To find out more about the biodiversity duty report and read reports from other public bodies, visit Biodiversity Scotland.
Fife Forestry and Woodland Strategy
Trees, forests and woodlands play an important role in supporting biodiversity across Fife.
The Fife Forestry and Woodland Strategy 2013 aims to set out the role and future of trees, forests, and woodlands across Fife.
It considers the environmental, economic, social and industrial factors that affect Fife’s woodlands. This is critical to support future management, development, and protection of trees and woodlands.
We do have a more interactive version available: Fife Forestry and Woodland Strategy - StoryMap.
