Species

Which species are special in Wales?

The red kite or chough? The Snowdon Lily? The marsh fritillary butterfly?

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 actions.