Flower-insect timed count data from the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme, 2017-2021

This dataset contains information on the location of the count, some environmental variables, and the number of insects of each type counted for the Flower-Insect Timed Count survey as part 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).

The “public” FIT Count asks volunteer citizen scientists to count the number of insects, identified into broad taxon groups, seen landing on the flowers of a particular target plant within a 50 cm × 50 cm quadrat during a period of ten minutes.

The “1 km square” FIT Count uses the same methodology but is carried out by PoMS volunteers and staff as part of the PoMS 1 km square survey, which takes place within a randomly allocated set of 1 km squares across the UK, and also gathers data on pan-trapped insects (see separate dataset). In 2017-2020 the 1 km square survey took place in England, Scotland and Wales only; from 2021 the survey has full UK coverage, but with limited data from Northern Ireland in 2021 which was a pilot year for that country.

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.