Introduced plants are increasingly dominating Britain's wild areas.
Of the almost 3,500 British plant species, non-native plants now outnumber native species by 51% to 49% as a result of centuries of introductions.
More than half of the Britain's native plants are in decline, while introduced species are thriving.
This is the finding of the Plant Atlas 2020, a new report summarising decades of observations of British flora. It reveals that 53% of native plants, including common species such as heather, have smaller ranges now than they did in the 1950s, with climate change and agriculture driving the turnover.
Conversely, 58% of non-native species now cover a larger area. Some of them have become invasive, with plants such as New Zealand pygmyweed and garden lady's-mantle spreading rapidly across the country and outcompeting native species.
While the report paints a worrying picture, it's not too late for British plants. Conservation groups are calling on the government to ensure that planned new farming schemes effectively support threatened species, as well as providing additional protections for biodiverse areas.
Dr Kevin Walker, who co-authored the atlas and is Head of Science at the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI), says, 'There's lots we can do to reverse these declines, but the most important are to increase the protection plants receive, extend the habitat available to them, and to place their needs at the very heart of nature conservation. We also need to ensure that our land, water and soil are managed more sustainably so that plants, and the species which rely upon them for food and shelter, can thrive. Plant Atlas 2020 provides the evidence we need to do this important work, but we'll need even more research and monitoring to help better conserve our wild plants and their vitally important habitats in the decades to come.'
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Posted On: 13/03/2023