Facing the wildlife challenge: East Midlands' lost and threatened species
11 March 2010
• First ever audit of all of England’s lost and declining native species
• Centuries of conservation records go under the microscope
Lost species in the East Midlands
The return of the polecat, natterjack toad and red kite to the East Midlands , along with some of the earliest forms of life on Earth being evident in the region, have been highlighted in Natural England’s new publication, Lost Life: England’s Lost and Threatened Species report.
The report identifies nearly 500 animals and plants that have become extinct in England – practically all within the last two centuries. On top of this, nearly 1,000 native species have been given conservation priority status because of the severity of the threats facing them.
The polecat, a species severely under threat, is now making a triumphant return to parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. During the 18th and 19th centuries, polecats were common across most of England and Wales, but as the popularity of shooting grew on major country estates, the population declined as gamekeepers sought to protect young game birds.
Eventually the polecat became extinct from the East Midlands, but more recently is once again becoming a resident. This natural regeneration has happened due to a decline in the number of shooting estates, which has allowed the population to recover. Many sightings have occurred in the county, particularly around Natural England’s National Nature Reserves (NNR) at the Derbyshire Dales and Sherwood Forest.
In Lincolnshire, the natterjack toad, is also making a recovery thanks to a conservation project reintroducing the native toads to Natural England’s Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR. At the start of the 20th century, their strident call could be heard in many areas of Lincolnshire, thanks to the shallow, temporary pools in a sandy landscape. However, their habitat substantially declined, due to agricultural intensification, pond acidification and development, combined with scrub encroaching onto dunes and heathlands, and the common toad eventually replaced the natterjacks.
In Northamptonshire, the stunning red kite once again soars above Rockingham Forest, after it was lost from England at the close of the 19th century following persecution. As they became rarer, kite skins, nests and eggs became highly prized, accelerating their decline. Thanks to an ambitious joint re-introduction programme between the RSPB, English Nature and the Forestry Commission, the red kite is now a resident of Rockingham once again, carefully monitored by the Forestry Commission, with vital assistance from local experts and gamekeepers. It is now becoming increasingly more widespread across the East Midlands.
The new report also profiles Leicestershire’s Precambrian marine sedimentary rocks found in Charnwood Forest, which contain evidence of England’s first native species – complex soft-bodied organisms preserved as trace fossils between 600 and 630 million years ago. England’s geological record reflects continuous environmental change with extremes of climate from desert to tundra, the rise and fall of sea level, and periods of volcanic activity and mountain building. These changes have had an impact on the distribution, evolution and loss of habitats and species.
Across the East Midlands, many species have now been lost completely including the Pool frog, Bumblebee, Lizard orchid, Great sundew, Wood white butterfly, Chequered skipper butterfly and the Thwaite shad.
Dr Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, said: “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. Biodiversity matters and with more and more of our species and habitats confined to isolated, protected sites we need to think on a much broader geographical scale about how we can reverse the losses of the recent past and secure a more solid future for our wildlife.”
The Lost Life 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 of the major groups of flora and fauna have experienced losses, with butterflies, amphibians, and many plant and other insect species being particularly hard hit – in some groups up to a quarter of species have been become extinct since 1800.
Despite these pressures, conservation efforts have achieved many notable successes in protecting priority species and habitats - including the return of the red kite and the large blue butterfly. Nevertheless, losses continue and 943 native species are now classed as of conservation priority while the numbers of several hundred more are in significant decline. Some of England’s most familiar species - including the red squirrel, common toad, and European eel - face an uncertain future.
To provide long term support for our wildlife, Natural England is working with a range of partners in the England Biodiversity Group to adopt a “landscape-scale” approach to conservation which goes beyond the conservation of small protected sites and individual species and embraces the management of entire landscape areas and the ecosystems that operate within them. Wide-scale restoration of habitats and ecosystems and linking of habitat areas is seen as key to taking the pressure off the biodiversity hotspots of individual sites and reserves and giving broader support to wildlife in the wider countryside.
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Notes to editors:
For further information email Melissa Gill, Communications Manager or call 0300 060 2983.
Copies of the full report - Lost Life: England’s Lost and Threatened Species - can be downloaded from the Natural England publications catalogue
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View copies of Natural England and Defra’s joint publication: Securing Biodiversity A new framework for delivering priority habitats and species in England.
Lost Life: England’s Lost and Threatened Species attempts to document all known species lost from England in the last two millennia. For some species groups, including certain invertebrate groups and fungi, the number of species in England is unknown, so it is impossible to say exactly what has been lost. Consequently, this report cannot be comprehensive for all groups but we have collated all available data, including those for the less known groups. For some groups, we were able to assess species losses separately for each English region. We have also analysed data relating to those species that have declined significantly.
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.
