Wildlife Challenge: England's lost and threatened species (Norfolk)
11 March 2010
• First ever audit of England’s lost and declining native species
• Norfolk home to some of England’s most threatened plants and animals
• Rare fern and waterbirds fight for survival on our doorstep
(c) Steward Ellett
England’s wildlife winners and losers are being highlighted today as Natural England launch the most complete audit of species lost from England in the last two millennia.
Lost Life: England’s Lost and Threatened Species identifies nearly 500 animals and plants that have become extinct in England – practically all within the last two centuries.
The report highlights how habitat loss, inappropriate management, environmental pollution and pressure from non-native species have all played a part in the erosion of England’s biodiversity. All the major groups of flora and fauna have experienced losses, with butterflies, amphibians, plant and insect species being particularly hard hit.
Shaun Thomas, Natural England’s regional director, said: “Let’s not just be the generation who realised the scale and impact of the loss of biodiversity, let’s also be the generation who did something about it. It may well be too late for some species, but many more are threatened and need our help.”
It is believed that our native red squirrels became extinct in Norfolk in the last ten years, outcompeted by the non native grey squirrel, and the purple emperor butterfly has been lost from the East of England region completely. Other species lost from our region include a rare bumblebee, the great bustard, and dainty damselfly.
And the fen buckler fern is now almost entirely confined to the Norfolk Broads and a few nearby coastal wetlands due to nutrient enrichment from agriculture, sewage works and the combustion of fossil fuels.
Climate change is having an impact on foraging and roosting grounds of our internationally important populations of waterbirds in Norfolk. Sea level rise is causing the loss of saltmarsh which, alongside increasing sea temperatures, is threatening the birds’ survival. But Norfolk is doing its bit to support some of our most threatened species. The Wash is the most important wetland in Britain and one of the most important in Europe for wildfowl and waders, regularly supporting 320,000 different species.
Shaun Thomas added: “Coinciding with the International Year of Biodiversity, this report is a powerful reminder that we cannot take our wildlife for granted and that we all lose when biodiversity declines. Every species has a role, and like rivets in an aeroplane, the overall structure of our environment is weakened each time a single species is lost.”
Catherine Weightman, Biodiversity Coordinator for the East of England, said: “Current conservation programmes have been central to supporting our region’s biodiversity and they show that we can reverse some of the losses of the past. But fire fighting to rescue species in severe decline can never be a long term solution. We need to go beyond targeted work to protect individual sites and species and embrace conservation that focuses on restoring the health of ecosystems across entire landscapes.”
A selection of some of the special species lost from the East of England: Red squirrel, Great Bustard, Burbot, Dainty damselfly, Yellow centuary, The bumblebee Bombus cullumanus, Marsh fritillary butterfly, The Stonewort Nitella capilaris
Ends
Notes to editors
For further information, photos and interviews contact: Linzee Kottman on 0300 060 2058 linzee.j.kottman@naturalengland.org.uk For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk
Copies of the full report - Lost Life: England’s Lost and Threatened Species - can be downloaded from the Natural England website
Targeted conservation efforts over the past fifteen years have made a number of real improvements in the status of the 390 species that appeared on the original BAP priority species list. The latest assessment in 2008, reported that some 45 species (12 per cent) were increasing, 128 (33 per cent) were now stable and for a further 22 (6 per cent) the decline was slowing in England.
Bittern numbers, for example, increased from 19 booming males in 1999 to 75 in 2008 (at a similar level to the 20th century peak in the mid-1950s). A major programme of reedbed restoration and creation has fuelled this increase. Similar efforts to conserve lowland heathland and chalk grassland have undoubtedly assisted the recovery of a number of species, including the woodlark, sand lizard, early gentian, ladybird spider, Adonis blue and silver-studded blue butterflies.
Some conservation initiatives, including those for the large blue butterfly, corncrake and pool frog have involved the reintroduction of the species to England. Reintroduction techniques are also used to boost populations and expand the range of species that have become threatened. Examples include the field cricket, lady’s slipper orchid and dormouse which have all been introduced to areas which were formerly occupied, together with habitat management and protection.
Largely as a result of this conservation effort, a number of BAP species, including the pipistrelle bat, Adonis blue, silver-spotted skipper, pink meadow cap, slender green feather-moss, western ramping-fumitory and Killarney fern were not re-selected for inclusion in the revised BAP list in 2007 because their conservation targets had been met.
About Natural England
Natural England is the government’s independent advisor on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
We establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.
We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.
We run England’s Environmental Stewardship green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.
We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats. We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.
