Article from Brecon Beacons National Park
Last Updated: 15 April 2008 11:54
Local experts needed to help revise species list
The Brecon Beacons LBAP is now in its final stages of revision. A key item we were waiting for was the publication of the new list of Habitats and Species of Principle Importance for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Wales. This list is a legal instrument as it forms Section 42 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006. While the list does not constitute “protected” species, the conservation of the habitats and species on the list must be considered by all public bodies working in Wales.
BIS has been able to take the S.42 list and draw out all those species that have been recorded within the National Park. A total of 201 of these species have been recorded here in over 12 000 records. However, some of these records date back to the ‘90’s, ‘80s and even further leaving it unclear whether the species is still present within the National Park.
So once again we are asking for your help!
Please have a look at the BBNP S.42 Species List
The species list has been colour coded. Green means the last record was after 1/1/2000, yellow for the last record between 1/1/1980 and 31/12/1999 and finally red for records before 1980. We are asking our local experts (yes, that means you!) to check through the list and answer 2 quick questions:
- Do you have or know of a more recent record?
- If not, do you think that the species is likely to still occur in the National Park, or do you think that it is no longer here?
We need to have a good idea of whether the species has disappeared, or if it’s just under-recorded.
Please email your reply to Gareth Ellis
Obviously the Section 42 list doesn’t cover everything that’s important to us locally so we are also taking suggestions from recorders as to other species we should include in the LBAP as local priorities. Generally these species should;
- Have a confirmed record within the National Park in the last 20 years;
- Should have a restricted range (known from less than 10 sites in a Vice County)
- Should occur outside of protected sites (e.g. if the species only occurs on a National Nature Reserve it’s conservation is already in hand)
So if you have any suggestions we’d like to hear about them, to ensure that we can conserve our special local wildlife as well as those that are nationally important.
We look forward to hearing from you!