A new Red List for Great Britain’s vascular plants has shown that while a quarter of species are threatened, there have been success stories, including some rare orchids.
A new Red List for Great Britain’s vascular plants has shown that while a quarter of species are threatened, there have been success stories, including some rare orchids.
It has been produced by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), providing a comprehensive revision of the previous list produced in 2005.
Scientists evaluated 1,720 vascular plants, a diverse group of species that covers seed-bearing plants including conifers, as well as ferns. Of these, 26% (434 species) are assessed as threatened (either Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable), compared to 20% in the previous list. A further 140 are Near Threatened.
Read more at: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Common Restharrow is now assessed as vulnerable and Alpine Gentian, below, as endangered. (Photo Credit: Pete-Stroh)
