Introduced species now make up the majority of plants growing wild in Britain, with more than half of the natives expected to decline, according to the results of a 20-year study released on Wednesday.
Changes in land use, particularly “intensification of arable cultivation,” have been the main drivers of change, according to the “Plant Atlas 2020” study conducted by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI).
The 20-year project is the most comprehensive ever undertaken on British wild flora, with volunteers submitting more than 26 million records covering 3,445 different species.
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That includes 1,692 native to the UK and 1,753 non-natives deliberately or accidentally introduced into the wild by humans, the study said.
“This amazing discovery means that there are now more plants growing wild in the UK than are native, with many originating from gardens and then spreading to create self-sustaining populations,” he said.
The original plant is down
A comparison with a similar study from the 1950s shows that 53 percent of native plant species are thought to have declined. In contrast, 58 percent of newly introduced species are estimated to have increased.
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The intensification of arable agriculture has led to a “decrease in the number of crops” associated with the crop, the report noted.
“Similarly, grass and heathland plants growing on infertile soils are experiencing significant declines due to habitat conversion to fertile or more productive grasslands,” he said.
Drainage from wetland habitats also has an impact when species that grow around rivers and canals are also reduced, mainly due to the effects of runoff from agricultural land.
“In comparison, the distribution of plants related to forests remains relatively unchanged,” while “species of coniferous forests have increased due to the massive expansion of commercial forestry,” the report states.
‘hot climate’
Some southern species have expanded their range in the north while some northern species have retreated in their southern limits, which is related to “our warming climate”.
“The overall message is clear – our native flora is declining relative to the conditions recorded by our ancestors in the 1950s,” said the authors of the report.
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“We need a holistic plan of action to reverse this decline so that our flora can be restored and thrive for the benefit of this and future generations.”
National Farmers’ Union (NFU) environmental forum chairman Richard Bramley said farmers were “committed to improving and improving our landscape”.
“In the last decade, farmers have made great improvements in some of the areas highlighted in this report. For example, more than 10,000 football fields of habitat have been planted to benefit wildlife such as pollinators,” he said.
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