State of Nature report - RSPB

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Ernie Janes Freshwater and wetlands “Water is the driving force of all nature.” Leonardo da Vinci
FRESHWATER AND WETLANDS Freshwater and wetland habitats – our ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, ditches, canals, reservoirs, reedbeds, fens and marshes – occupy just 3% of the UK’s land surface 1 , but support around 10% of our species. These include characteristic wildlife such as great crested newts, otters, Atlantic salmon and fairy shrimp, as well as pollution-sensitive stoneworts, bladderworts, dippers, kingfishers and several thousand invertebrate species. Although freshwater habitats receive more protection now than ever before, many are still in a poor condition and the wildlife that lives in them must cope with a barrage of threats, from pollution and water extraction, to invasive non-native species and climate change 2 . Bob Gibbons (FLPA) As well as being home to a wealth of wildlife, the UK’s freshwater habitats regulate flooding, disperse pollutants, provide water for our domestic, industrial and agricultural activities, and have immense recreational and cultural value. Some are also internationally important; many of Western Europe’s lowland valley mires are found in the New Forest, for example 3 . Our freshwaters are the most intensively monitored parts of the natural environment, although monitoring focuses mainly on water quality and flow at a network of river sites and a few large lakes. The monitoring of smaller water bodies is patchy, even though these habitats make up most of the water network and provide homes for the majority of species. Birds are well studied, but reliable information on the status of other wildlife is limited to a few species, such as the otter, and the commoner invertebrates and plants of headwater streams. We lack reliable trends for most conservation priority species in freshwater, such as the great crested newt, but efforts are underway to rectify this problem. New Zealand pygmyweed invading a New Forest pond 57% of freshwater and wetland species for which we have sufficient data have declined, and 29% have declined strongly. Many characteristic freshwater species have declined significantly over the last 50 years, including the Atlantic salmon 4 , water vole 5 and frogbit. One in ten species of the freshwater and wetland plants assessed are on recent national Red Lists. Some species, such as the freshwater pearl mussel, are threatened with global extinction 6,7 . Birds such as the bittern 8 have benefited from habitat creation and restoration work. Thanks to local reintroduction schemes and action to reduce river pollution, otters have made a comeback 9 . STATE OF NATURE 2013 47
Page 3 and 4: STATE OF NATURE Foreword by Sir Dav
Page 5 and 6: UPLAND STATE OF NATURE 2013 29
Page 7 and 8: Although robust data are in short s
Page 9 and 10: ought species back from the brink o
Page 11 and 12: Wasps (175) All (5%) Moths (676) La
Page 13 and 14: MEASURING THE STATE OF NATURE Measu
Page 15 and 16: Although the evidence for the wides
Page 17 and 18: FARMLAND Farmland makes up around 7
Page 19 and 20: Why is farmland wildlife changing?
Page 21 and 22: Brown hares have benefited from hab
Page 23 and 24: lowland semi-natural grassland and
Page 25 and 26: Why is lowland semi-natural grassla
Page 27 and 28: Common lizard Steve Knell All six o
Page 29 and 30: UPLAND The UK’s uplands are the h
Page 31 and 32: o single factor is responsible for
Page 33 and 34: Golden eagles and other animals are
Page 35 and 36: WOODLAND Much of Britain was once c
Page 37 and 38: Why is woodland wildlife changing?
Page 39 and 40: Increased grazing pressure from dee
Page 41 and 42: COASTAL Wrapped in a narrow ribbon
Page 43 and 44: Why is coastal wildlife changing? T
Page 45: Genevieve Leaper Sea thrift on a cl
Page 49 and 50: Why is freshwater and wetland wildl
Page 51 and 52: Common frog Mark Sisson Freshwater
Page 53 and 54: URBAN There are many different ways
Page 55 and 56: Why is urban wildlife changing? A s
Page 57 and 58: The renovation or demolition of old
Page 59 and 60: URBAN Derelict, disused and unloved
Page 61 and 62: MARINE he UK is truly a maritime na
Page 63 and 64: hanges in the temperature, circulat
Page 65 and 66: Harbour seals have declined by near
Page 67 and 68: UK OVERSEAS TERRITORIES The UK has
Page 69 and 70: Just one individual of St Helena’
Page 71 and 72: EXTINCTIONS AND COLONISATIONS You w
Page 73 and 74: Little egret Ernie Janes The little
Page 75 and 76: CONSERVATION HEROES Picture the sce
Page 77 and 78: Climate change Climate change is al
Page 79 and 80: A: In some datasets, both total cha
Page 81 and 82: Watchlist indicator Between 1995 an
Page 83 and 84: 11: Fuller RM (1987) Biological Con
Page 85 and 86: in urban area: implications for nat
Page 87 and 88: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgements T
Page 89 and 90: Conchological Society of Great Brit
Page 92: The State of Nature report is a col

State of Nature report - RSPB

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