Current ecology risk checks

Below are the Ecology Risk checks currently available in Mycelia. These are being adjusted and added to over time based on your feedback (please email mycelia-support@verna.earth with any thoughts).

Baseline

Risks associated with the assessment of baseline habitats.

High proportion of baseline area habitats in poor condition
High proportion of baseline hedgerows in poor condition
High proportion of baseline watercourses in poor morphological condition
Potential for unrecorded open mosaic habitat
Potential for unrecorded irreplaceable habitat
Potential for unrecorded habitats of higher distinctiveness
Broad habitat and habitat type do not match
Non-ecologist has completed small sites metric
Site survey/walkover out of date
Walkover and baseline habitat photo date mismatch
Incorrect strategic significance for baselines if an LNRS has been adopted

Interventions

Risks associated with the proposed interventions, e.g. creations and enhancements.

Creation or enhancement of traditional orchard
Development footprint may be missing
Interventions targeting good condition with high or very high difficulty
Wetland proposed when there is no wetland in the baseline
Creation of vertical habitats
Broad habitat and habitat type do not match
Off-site interventions with no referenced baseline
Proposed new post-development habitat in good condition
On-site habitats targeting good condition
Incorrect strategic significance for post-development if an LNRS has been adopted

Losses

Risks associated with loss of important or irreplaceable habitats.

Metric indicates necessary bespoke compensation has been agreed
Metric indicates necessary bespoke compensation has not been agreed
Permanent loss of natural watercourse

Size, length, trees

Risks associated with area, length, or numbers of trees.

Individual trees without supporting comments
Habitats with zero size
Missing habitat reference numbers
New medium or larger trees proposed post development
Very small habitat area or length

Understanding the risk categories

Across all the checks above, the risks fall into three core categories:

Data quality errors - mismatches, missing references, or input mistakes that could invalidate metric calculations
Survey reliability issues - out-of-date surveys, photo mismatches, or unqualified surveyors that undermine confidence in the baseline
Over-optimistic delivery assumptions - proposals that claim unrealistic habitat conditions or include unusual interventions with high delivery risk

The table below shows key examples from each category, what is going wrong, and why it matters.