UK IN PICTURES: Botanical rarities from Breckland
03.12.10
A study, led by the University of East Anglia (UEA), enlisted help from Natural England, the Forestry Commission, Norfolk and Suffolk Biodiversity Partnerships, the Brecks Partnership, and the wild plant conservation charity Plantlife to survey every single plant and animal in the study area (1,000 km2). In what is believed to be the first study of its type over 200 naturalists collected nearly a million records and found nearly 12,500 species - of which more than 2,000 are of national conservation concern.
Plantlife - the plant conservation charity - are working to protect nine priority species in the extraordinary Breckland landscape. Here's a few photos of some of their target species.
Red-tipped cudweed (Filago lutescens) is a rarity - classified as vulnerable - of agricultural land. Its seeds are in storage in the Millennium Seed Bank to be used in possible re-introduction projects.
© Plantlife
Download Plantlife's guide to threatened arable plants (pdf)
Related links:
UK: Glorious diversity found in ancient farming landscape
02.12.10
In the far east of England on the border between the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk lies a piece of land called Breckland. It's been known for a long time that Breckland has some rather special natural history but a recent study has shown just how important it really is.