Which species are special in Wales?
The red kite or chough? The Snowdon Lily? The marsh fritillary
Wales, although small, is home to a great range of species
reflecting its geographical position, its varied habitats and the
complexity of its geology and soils.
Located on the Atlantic fringe, Wales has a distinctive
biodiversity. It also has a role to play in the conservation of our
representative western European oceanic plant and invertebrate
species some of which we share with western Portugal, France and
Ireland. Our sheltered wet and humid oak woodlands are rich in
mosses, liverworts and lichens. Our cliff tops and dunes are home
to wildlife that can cope with exposure and drought.
North v south
Wales lies on the boundaries of both northern and southern
species. The Brecon Beacons upland areas contain the southernmost
outposts of several arctic-alpine plant species. On the other side
of the country Anglesey’s sand-dunes are home to southern
invertebrates at their northern limits. Charting these species’
movements will play a part in monitoring climate change.
A foreign invasion
Welsh conservationists are monitoring invasive non-native
species, such as ruddy duck and japanese knotweed, and their impact
on the rare native species and habitats. We also need to tackle
mink and New Zealand stonecrop if we are to conserve our water vole
and great crested newt populations.
Protecting our wildlife
Wales has175 species on the Section 74 list of Species of
Principal Importance for the Conservation of Biological Diversity.
Most of these are also on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP)
list of threatened plants and animals. But this selection is just
the tip of the iceberg. We hope by conserving these species and
habitats, other important species can also benefit from our