Biodiversity Chris Huhne To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what percentage of (a) priority habitats and (b) priority species under the Biodiversity Action Plan are decreasing; and which habitats and species are involved. Barry Gardiner There are 373 single species action plans and 45 habitat action plans under the UK biodiversity action plan. These are referred to as the priority species and habitats. Reporting on the status and trends of these priorities is done every three years. The latest available figures are for 2005. The next and final figures before the 2010 biodiversity target will be made available in February 2009. In 2005, the information below was reported: 175 species (47 per cent.) are either increasing or are stable, which is an improvement on the 2002 figures. Similarly, the number of species assessed as ‘declining or lost’ fell between 2002 and 2005. For habitats, 35 per cent. are now increasing or stable. 102 species (27 per cent.) are thought to be declining, but the decline is slowing for 36 species (10 per cent.). Although 17 habitats (39 per cent.) are thought to be declining, this decline is slowing for 11 habitats (25 per cent.). Declining habitats Chalk rivers; Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh; Littoral and sublittoral chalk; Sheltered muddy gravels; Modiolus modiolus beds; Coastal saltmarsh. Declining habitats but slowing Fens; Lowland dry acid grassland; Purple moor grass and rush pastures; Eutrophic standing waters; Blanket bog; Lowland wood-pasture and parkland; Upland hay meadows; Upland calcareous grassland; Lowland calcareous grassland; Lowland meadows; Limestone pavements; -------------------------------------------------------------- |Declining species | | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Thlaspi perfoliatum |Cotswold Pennycress | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Silene gallica |Small-flowered Catchfly | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Ranunculus tripartitus |Three-lobed Water-crowfoot | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Pyrrhula pyrrhula |Bullfinch | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Pallavicinia lyellii |Veilwort | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Orthotnchum pallens |Pale Bristle-moss | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Mentha pulegium |Pennyroyal | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Luronium natans |Floating Water Plantain | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Liparis loeselii |Fen Orchid | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Limoniscus violaceus |Violet Click Beetle | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Juncus pygmaeus |Pygmy Rush | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Idaea ochrata cantiata |Bright Wave | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Harpalus froelichi |a Ground Beetle | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Gentianella uliginosa |Dune Gentian | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Galium tricornutum |Corn Cleavers | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Galeopsis angustifolia |Red Hemp-nettle | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Formica candida |Black bog ant | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Ditrichum plumbicola |Lead-moss | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Cicindela sylvatica |Heath Tiger Beetle | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Cerastium nigrescens |Shetland Mouse-ear | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Bidessus unistriatus |a Diving Beetle | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Anostirus castaneus |Chestnut coloured click beetle | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Eunicella verrucosa |Pink Sea-fan | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Zygodon gracilis |Nowell’s Limestone Moss | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Weissia multicapsularis |Moss | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Tetrao tetrix |Black Grouse | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Streptopelia turtur |Turtle Dove | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Squamarina lentigera |Scaly Breck-Lichen | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Sium latifolium |Greater Water Parsnip | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Sciurus vulgaris |Red Squirrel | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Schismatomma graphidioides |a Lichen | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Rheumaptera hastate |Argent and sable | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Raja batis |Common Skate | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Potamogeton compressus |Grass-wrack Pondweed | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Oria musculosa |Brighton Wainscot | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Muscicapa striata |Spotted Flycatcher | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Miliaria calandra |Corn Bunting | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Melanitta nigra |Common Scoter | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Margaritifera margaritifera|Freshwater Pearl Mussel | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Lycopodiella inundata |Marsh Clubmoss | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Lycia zonaria britannica |Belted Beauty | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Linnaea borealis |Twinflower | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Leptopsammia pruvoti |Sunset Cup Coral | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Leptodontium gemmascens |Thatch Moss | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Juniperus communis |Juniper | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Jodia croceago |Orange Upperwing | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Hydroporus rufifrons |a Diving Beetle | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Heliophobus reticulata |Bordered Gothic | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Formica rufibarbis |Red Barbed Ant | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Donacia bicolora |a Reed Beetle | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Damasonium alisma |Starfruit | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Cotoneaster integerrimus |Wild Cotoneaster | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Chrysotoxum octomaculatum |a Hoverfly | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Chaenotheca phaeocephala |a Lichen | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Carduelis cannabina |Linnet | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Caloplaca luteoalba |Orange-Fruited Elm-lichen | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Calicium corynellum |a Lichen | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Bryoria smithii |a Lichen | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Boloria euphrosyne |Pearl-bordered Fritillary | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Bidessus minutissimus |a Diving Beetle | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Austropotamobius pajlipes |Freshwater White-clawed Crayfish| -------------------------------------------------------------- |Aspitates gilvaria gilvaria|Straw Belle | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Anisus vorticulus |Ramshorn snail | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Alauda arvensis |Skylark | -------------------------------------------------------------- |Acrocephalus palustris |Marsh Warbler | -------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Declining species but slowing | | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Zygaena loti scotica |Slender Scotch Burnet | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Woodsia ilvensis |Oblong Woodsia | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Triturus cristatus |Great Crested newt | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Tolypella intricata |Tassel Stonewort | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Segmenting nitida |Shining ram's-horn snail | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Potamogeton rutilus |Shetland Pondweed | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Polia bombycina |Pale Shining Brown | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Plebejus argus |Silver-studded Blue | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Perdix perdix |Grey Partridge | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Pechipogo strigilata |Common Fan-foot | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Ostrea edulis |Native Oyster | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Osmia xanthomelana |a Mason Bee | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Odontomyia hydroleon |a Soldierfly | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Muscardinus avellanarius |Dormouse | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Mejiicta athaila |Heath Fritillary | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Lejeunea mandonii |Atlantic lejeunea | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Jynx torquilla |Wryneck | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Hemaris tityus |Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth| --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Hammerschmidtia ferruginea |a Hoverfly | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Graphoderus zonatus |Spangled Water Beetle | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Formica exsecta |Narrow-headed Ant | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Eurodryas aurinia |Marsh Fritillary | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Eristalis cryptarum |Bog hoverfly | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Enterographa elaborate |New Forest beech-lichen | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Dicycla oo |Heart Moth | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Coiietes floralis |The Northern Colletes | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Coenagrion mercuriale |Southern Damselfly | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Cephaloziella nicholsonii |Greater Copperwort | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Carterocephalus palaemon |Chequered Skipper | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Bufo calamita |Natterjack Toad | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Athetis paijustris |Marsh Moth | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Asparagus officinalis ssp. prostratus|Wild Asparagus | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Asilus crabroniformis |Hornet robberfly | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Arvicola terrestris |Water Vole | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Argynnis adippe |High Brown Fritillary | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |Agabus brunneus |a Diving Beetle | ---------------------------------------------------------------------