Wildlife Challenge: England's lost and threatened species (Essex)
11 March 2010
• First ever audit of England’s lost and declining native species
• Essex is home to some of England’s most threatened plants and animals
• Dainty damselfly lost forever and sea hog’s fennel fights for survival
Fishers estuarine moth
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.”
Lost from the East of England region completely are our native red squirrels, the purple emperor butterfly, great bustard, dainty damselfly and a rare bumble bee.
The dainty damselfly was first recorded near Benfleet in 1946. The storm surge of January 1953 submerged the known population and the dragonfly has not been seen since in mainland England.
However, Essex is not to be deterred and conservationists are actively working to ensure sea hog’s fennell, found only in two locations in north east Essex, survives. Not able to withstand high levels of salinity, this plant is vulnerable to rising sea levels and coastal erosion. It is the sole host for a certain caterpillar that another endangered species, the fisher’s estuarine moth, relies upon for its survival. It is hoped that clearing neighbouring scrubland will encourage the plant to colonise further inland and the moth itself is being reintroduced to other areas with early signs of success.
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. o 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.
