Species Status Assessment - Vascular plants working group

Background

There is a current need to look at the status of our vascular plants in light of new data available both from the New Atlas and other sources. The JNCC have been taking forward Species of Conservation Concern ( SOCC) and the SSA is part of this process.

The birds were the first group to be tackled and a paper on `The population status of birds in the UK' was recently published in British Birds Sep 2002 Vol.95 No.9 . A summary booklet listing the species of concern 2002-2007 has also been published.

This is what we might aim to produce for the vascular plants.

Terms of Reference

This will involve using recent data to assess the conservation status of the

vascular plants

This will involve using the assessment , together with informaion about

legal status, listing in conventions/directives and international status,

determine which species should be considered priority species in terms of

BAP

Group members

Initial working group:-

Lynne Farrell SNH ( chair)

Chris Cheffings JNCC

Ian Taylor EN

Simon Leach EN

Andy Jones CCW

Trevor Dines Plantlife Wales

Tim Rich National Museum of Wales

Andy Byfield Plantlife

Chris Preston CEH

David Pearman BSBI

Mary Gibby RBGE

This is just to get the group started. There may well be people who we would wish to co-op to help us take the work forward, or who can help us through networking. The meetings may be about every 6 months. Much of the work may be possible through networking facilities.

Date and venue for first meeting

I am looking at Feb 10-14, 24,25,27,28 as possible dates and the meeting to be either in Peterborough JNCC or at a London venue, or somewhere else that is convenient to people.

Please could contacts let me know whether they are able to participate and which dates and venues are suitable for them. A reply by 24 Jan would be appreciated, so I can then fix a definite venue, etc.

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