Tag: Species Plan

1. CURRENT STATUS
1.1 National
1.1.1 Petalwort is a nationally scarce liverwort found mainly in damp, lime-rich sand-dune slacks. It occurs in 16 Vice Counties in Britain and two in
Northern Ireland. The largest known populations are in Cornwall, Devon, Cardigan, Anglesey, South Lancashire, Northumberland and West Ross. It is thought that 25 – 49% of its global population occurs in Britain.

1.1.2 Petalwort is a Priority Species within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan on account of the threat to its populations.

1.2 Local
1.2.1 Petalwort is confined to the Sefton Coast in north Merseyside and Northwest England. It has been known from dune slacks in the Ainsdale and
Southport area since 1861.

1.2.2 Recent surveys by M. Newton and D. Wrench have located and mapped the plant in several slacks within the Ainsdale and Birkdale Sandhills LNR. Wrench records 47 different ‘populations’, though many are situated in the same slack. It seems to prefer damp ground around the edges of fairly recently formed slacks where competing plant life is low. Light trampling, which keeps ground vegetation sparse, may be beneficial.

1 Current status
1.1 National
Purple Ramping-fumitory is a nationally scarce, endemic annual plant which used to
be widespread in the mixed farming and arable areas of Britain. However, during the
last 50 years it has undergone a drastic decline throughout its former range due to
agricultural intensification. Recent records of the plant are mainly concentrated in
the west of the country, near the coasts of Cornwall and Lancashire, notably north
Lancashire, the Fylde, West Lancashire and north Merseyside. However, it rarely
seems to persist at any given locality.

Purple Ramping-fumitory is a Priority Species within the UK Biodiversity Action
Plan on account of its endemic status and the threat to its populations.

1.2 Local
Since 1995, small, transient populations of Purple Ramping-fumitory have been
located in north Merseyside at Southport, Churchtown, Crossens, Ainsdale, Formby,
Little Crosby, Rainford Junction, Garston Gasworks, Lydiate, Maghull and Anfield
Cemetery. The records were from disturbed ground or the edges of arable fields. In
many cases, return visits to the sites did not rediscover plants. It is often the case that
Purple Ramping-fumitory often does not persist at any given location although it will
often re-occur in the general area provided suitable habitats exist.

1 Current status
1.1 National
Occurring in at least 22 coastal localities in the Isle of Man and western Britain from
central Scotland to south-west England, the Isle of Man Cabbage is a nationally scarce
British endemic. The New Atlas of the British Flora (2002) maps it as native in 34
post-1086 hectads, extending from Arran to Gower, most being from N. Cumbria to
Wirral (including the Isle of Man). The atlas states that Isle of Man Cabbage is stable
or even increasing in the centre of its range in N.W. England, but is slowly declining elsewhere.

1.2 Local
In north Merseyside, Isle of Man Cabbage is confined to the Sefton Coast sand-dunes
where it has always been extremely localised. For many years it was only known
from the Crosby – Blundellsands area but development progressively destroyed this
population and it became extinct in 1992. A second colony was found in 1983 in the
Birkdale Sandhills Local Nature Reserve but this disappeared in about 1993 due to
maturation of its habitat. A third population, discovered in 1989 at Southport Marine
Lake, initially prospered, reaching a total of at least 874 plants in 1997 but declined to
281 plants by 2004.

Plants from the relict Blundellsands colony were translocated in 1992 to six sand-dune
sites nearby at Hall Road and Crosby Marine Park. From a total of only 29
plants surviving in 1994, there has been a steady increase to 1323 plants in 2007,
while the area colonised by the Isle of Man Cabbage at these sites increased fourteenfold
between 1998 and 2007, reaching over 13,600 m2 in the latter year.

1 Introduction
The Biodiversity Audit of North West England (1999) lists 474 taxa of vascular plants
of “conservation importance”, 145 of which occur on the Sefton Coast. Whittling
these down to a manageable number for Species Action Plans has been a daunting
task. Two, Dune Helleborine and Isle of Man Cabbage, are listed as UK Priority or
endemic species, so these were obvious choices. Another, Early Sand-grass, occurs
here on its only English site and it too was felt to deserve inclusion in the main body
of the BAP.

A short-list of another 18 plants that seemed to merit special conservation measures
was drawn up and 7 chosen for Species Action Plans. These are all nationally rare or
nationally scarce plants for which the Sefton Coast is especially important. In
addition, their status is fairly well known and, in most cases, their habitat
requirements well understood. They are dealt with together in this group SAP rather
than in individual SAPs – not because they are regarded as being of lesser importance
but partly because their conservation demands are often very similar and partly in
order to avoid appearing to give undue weight to the Sefton Coast within the BAP as a
whole. The 2008 review of the North Merseyside BAP led to three more species, for
which there is recent detailed survey data, being added.

It is hoped that the species selected give a representative overview of the conservation
issues facing plants on the Sefton Coast.

A brief summary of their status and requirements for all of the taxa included is given
in section two. Section three details the SMART targets for all taxa. Each taxon
included in the plan is then given more detailed treatment in subsequent sections.

1 Current status
1.1 National
Stoneworts are large algae mostly associated with freshwater bodies ranging in size
from deep lakes and canals to small ephemeral ponds. Most species require
calcareous, low-nutrient conditions. They are, therefore, fairly restricted in
distribution, being largely confined to high water quality habitats on sand, peat or clay
substrates.
Lesser Bearded Stonewort was until recently classified as Near Threatened, occurring
at only 30-35 British sites. However, information gathered as a result of the national
action plan indicates that it is more widespread than previously thought and it is no
longer classified as a Priority Species. Opposite and Clustered Stoneworts are also
Nationally Scarce, occurring in fewer than 100 10km squares in Britain.

1.2 Local
In North Merseyside stoneworts are only known to occur on the Sefton Coast. Five
species have been recorded in recent years: Lesser Bearded Stonewort Chara curta,
Opposite Stonewort Chara contraria, Bristly Stonewort Chara hispida, Common
Stonewort Chara vulgaris and Clustered Stonewort Tolypella glomerata.
Translucent Stonewort Nitella translucens was recorded in the Leeds-Liverpool Canal
in Litherland in 1977. There are local historic records of Smooth Stonewort Nitella
flexilis and Delicate Stonewort Chara virgata, the latter at Otterspool Park, Liverpool,
but it is not known if any of these still occur.
Recent surveys have only been carried out on three to four sites: Ainsdale Sand Dunes
NNR, parts of the Ainsdale & Birkdale Hills LNR, Altcar Rifle Ranges and Seaforth
NR. It is therefore impossible to be precise about the distribution of these species.
Unidentified stoneworts have been recently found in two ponds on Formby Hall Golf
Course.
Most known sites are in dune pools and slacks, where several species often occur
together. These species can exist both as perennials and short-lived annuals and can
therefore survive in water bodies that dry out in summer. Clustered Stonewort thrives
only in such ephemeral pools.
Lesser Bearded Stonewort was first discovered on the Ainsdale NNR in 1978 in a
slack which had been created two years earlier. It is now known to occur in four
slacks, all of which are close to the original site.
Opposite, Common, Bristly and Clustered Stoneworts almost certainly have a more
widespread distribution.

North Merseyside Biodiversity Action Plan

Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

1. CURRENT STATUS
1.1 National
1.1.1 The Lapwing population in England and Wales declined by 48% between 1987 and 1998 to around 63,000 pairs. A 13% decline was recorded in Scotland between 1992 and 1997. Declines have been greatest in SW England and Wales and the species is now only numerous in N and NW England, which between them hold at least two thirds of the UK population. Changes in agricultural practices have been the major factor determining both population size and distribution.
1.1.2 The Lapwing is ‘amber listed’ in Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK because it winters here in internationally important numbers. Recent evidence of dramatic declines in the breeding population is likely to result in the species being ‘red listed’ in future editions. It is a Species of Conservation Concern in the UK BAP.

1.2 Local
1.2.1 Lapwings continue to breed in all suitable habitat. Distribution in North Merseyside was surveyed in 1997-99 when breeding was recorded in 89 tetrads out of 140.

1.2.2 The highest population densities occur in areas of arable farmland that still retain pockets of grassland. High densities also occur on coastal grassland at Marshside, Southport where up to 50 pairs per square km are recorded. Breeding populations persist at various sites within the conurbation, principally at Fazakerley and the Rimrose Valley.
1.2.3 The extent of recent declines is not known.
1.2.4 The species is also a locally abundant winter visitor to the region frequenting grassland, arable fields and coastal areas.

North Merseyside Biodiversity Action Plan

Grey Partridge Perdix perdix

1. CURRENT STATUS
1.1 National

1.1.1 The UK population of Grey Partridge declined by 86% between 1971-1995 to a currently estimated 150,000 pairs. It remains widespread but population declines show marked geographical variation, being linked to farm type and changes in agricultural practice.

1.1.2 The Grey Partridge is a Priority Species in the UK BAP on account of its population decline.

1.2 Local
1.2.1 The extent of local population decline is not known. The North Merseyside population was estimated at 300 pairs in 1997-99 (Knowsley=50, Liverpool=15, Sefton=135, St Helens=100). They are present in all suitable habitat and breed at a density of about one pair per square kilometre (sq. m) which compares favourably with an average density of 0.6 pairs per sq. km in Lancashire as a whole.

1.2.2 The highest population densities occur on arable farmland in Sefton. Together with adjoining areas of West Lancashire, these mosslands support the largest numbers of Grey Partridges in Lancashire with up to 8 pairs per sq. km being recorded. Good numbers are also found in the Rainford area. Smaller populations persist on uncultivated grasslands within the conurbation, notably at Otterspool and the Rimrose Valley.

North Merseyside Biodiversity Action Plan
Sandhill Rustic Moth Luperina nickerlii gueneei

1 Current status
1.1 National

This sub-species of the Sandhill Rustic Moth is confined to sand dune systems in North Wales and North-West England. Other sub-species – all coastal but with varying habitat requirements – occur in Cornwall (ssp. leechi), South-West Ireland (ssp. knilli) and Essex/Kent (ssp. demuthi). The Red Data Book lists ssp. leechi as Endangered and ssp. gueneei as Vulnerable (Shirt 1987).

Known extant colonies of ssp. gueneei outside of Lancashire/North Merseyside are West Kirby/Hoylake (Wirral), Talacre/Gronant  Flintshire/Denbighshire), Kinmel Bay (Denbighshire), Conwy/Deganwy (Conwy) and Maltraeth/Newborough Point (Anglesey) (Wallace 2008). There are Species Action Plans for Sandhill Rustic in the local BAPs for Wirral (Cheshire), Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy (as well as
North Merseyside). The Sandhill Rustic is a named ‘interest feature’ of the Dee Estuary SSSI and Gronant Dunes & Talacre Warren SSSI (as well as the Sefton Coast SSSI).

The moth’s natural rarity is the result of highly specialised habitat requirements. Ssp. gueneei lays eggs in late summer on Sand Couch – the only known food plant of the caterpillars of this sub-species. For the most part, it seems that plants which are lapped by the highest tides are favoured.

1.2 Local
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries (until 1916), the moth was regularly recorded at St. Annes in Lancashire. There is also strong anecdotal evidence that the colony was extant in the1970s. The last record dates to 1987. Recent searches have failed to locate the moth there.

On Merseyside a single 19th century record for Southport is complemented by several records from Formby in the late 20th century. The last Formby record was made in 1987. Between 1997 and 2003 the moth was recorded on the frontal dunes at Altcar Rifle Range, but only in low numbers. Searches in 2004 and 2007 failed to produce any records of the moth there. This evidence and an apparent deterioration in the habitat (probably due to tidal erosion) suggest that this colony may no longer be extant.

In 2007 a new colony was located at Birkdale Green Beach on the Sefton Coast. Despite a relatively limited search effort, this site produced 16 new records for the moth and there is every indication that there is a substantial colony there.

North Merseyside Biodiversity Action Plan
Vernal Mining-bee Colletes cunicularius

1. Current Status
1.1 National

1.1.1 The British distribution of the Vernal Bee is mapped in Edwards (1997). The species has an unusual distribution, being confined to a number of extensive coastal sand dune systems in North-west England and North and South Wales. However, on the continent, it occurs in a wider range of sandy habitats, both on the coast and inland.

1.1.2 As its vernacular name suggests, the bee is an early spring species, normally occurring from late March to the end of May. It nests in old blow-outs undergoing secondary plant colonisation in semi-fixed yellow dune habitat. Females forage predominantly, but not exclusively, on the pollen of Creeping Willow Salix repens and mass emergence of both sexes, which are triggered by a period of warm weather, occur over two to three days.

1.1.3 British specimens of the Vernal Bee were recognised by O’Toole (1974) as a distinct subspecies – Colletes cunicularius celticus and there is a possibility they might represent a distinct species (Albans et al., 1980).

1.1.4 In Great Britain this species is designated as a British Red Data Book 3 (Rare) species by Falk (1991) who reviewed its conservation management requirements and biology.

1.2 Local

1.2.1 Found along the Sefton Coast sand dune system from Birkdale to Hightown, the latter being the type locality for the subspecies.