The UK’s wildlife is continuing to decline according to the State of Nature Report released this year, with 1 in 6 species facing extinction in the UK.
The UK has seen significant loss of its plants, animals and fungi over the last 50 years.
- Across the UK, species have declined by 19% since 1970.
- 16% of species are threatened with extinction in Great Britain.
- 151 of the 10,008 species studies have already become extinct.
There has been a huge decline in insects which have important roles in our ecosystem, such as pollination and crop pest control.
- Pollinators, such as bees, hoverflies and moths, have decreased by 18%.
- Predatory insects, like the 2-spot ladybird, have declined by over a third (34%).
Since 1970, over half of our flowering plants, mosses and their relatives, have been lost from the areas where they once thrived. 54% of flowering plants and 59% of bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts) across Great Britain have decreased in where they are found. Consequently, plants such as heather and chamomile are becoming less common.
How can we help?
State of Nature report that changes in the way we manage our land for farming, alongside climate change, were the greatest causes of wildlife decline on our land, rivers and lakes.
Increasing biodiversity and protecting our environment is the only way we can hope to reverse nature’s decline.
Having the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System enables 4th Corner to comply with stringent environmental laws and regulations and gives us the knowledge and experience to be able to offer our clients environmentally responsible solutions to landscape maintenance and management.
Since 2012 we have made planting for biodiversity a central theme in all our planting and landscaping projects and we now offer all our clients simple cost-effective ways to improve the biodiversity of their sites through our Biodiversity Packs.
We are also experienced in planting trees and native hedges, as well as orchards to improve biodiversity. DEFRA’s new Woodland Creation Grants are aimed at landowners and farmers to increase the UK’s woodland cover and create new habitats for our declining species.
Check out our Tree Planting and Biodiversity pages to find out more.
Recent News
Reduce your Carbon Footprint with DEFRA’s Woodland Creation Grants
