Foreword
As the Chair of Natural Devon, the Devon Local Nature Partnership, I am delighted to introduce this comprehensive review of Devon’s wonderful wildlife and habitats. It has been drawn up with the help of many individuals and organisations and represents a huge body of knowledge about our county. We are very grateful to those who have so generously shared their expertise.
The report is full of fascinating detail. It tells a story of flourishing wildlife and magnificent efforts to bring it back from the brink. There are great successes here but also some less good news. Above all, there is a clear message that we still need to look after and value Devon’s wildlife if we are not to lose all or part of our ‘natural capital’.
With our partners, Natural Devon will use the evidence presented here to identify the priorities and actions which are needed to re-build Devon’s biodiversity.
We will produce a yearly update and a full report in 5 years’ time, and we anticipate that we will be able to report on the successful outcomes of the huge amount of work currently underway to restore habits and species – it can be done if we work together.
Do please enjoy reading the State of Devon’s Nature Report and get in touch if you have any comments or additional information at nature@devon.gov.uk
Suzanne Goodfellow, Chair, Natural Devon
March 2014
Contents
Headlines
Introduction
Designated sites
2.1 Sites of Special Scientific Interest
2.2 County Wildlife Sites
3 Habitats
3.1 Woodland
Overview of priority habitats
Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland
Issues
Successes
3.2 Coast and marine
Overview of priority habitats
Maritime cliff and slope
Coastal sand dunes and vegetated shingle
Sabellaria alveolata (honeycomb worm) reefs
Saltmarsh, mudflats and seagrass beds
Sub tidal habitats
Issues
Successes
3.3 Rivers and Standing Open Water
Overview of priority habitats
Rivers
Standing open water
Issues
Successes
3.4 Wetlands
Overview of priority habitats
Fen, marsh and swamp
Bogs
Issues
Successes
3.5 Grassland and heathland
Overview of priority habitats
Lowland meadows
Lowland calcareous grassland
Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh
Lowland heathland
Upland heathland
Issues
Successes
3.6 Other farmland habitats
4. Species
4.1 Mammals
Key species in Devon (1998 BAP)
Dormouse
Otter
Water vole
Brown hare
Greater horseshoe bat
4.2 Birds
Key species in Devon (1998 BAP)
Barn owl
Cirl bunting
Nightjar
Breeding curlew
Upland birds
Seabirds
Woodland birds
4.3 Reptiles and amphibians
Key species in Devon (1998 BAP)
Great crested newt
Sand lizard
Other species
4.4 Fish
Key species in Devon (1998 BAP)
Atlantic salmon
4.5 Invertebrates
Key species in Devon (1998 BAP)
Pink sea fan
Freshwater pearl mussel
White clawed crayfish
Southern damselfly
Marsh fritillary
Pearl bordered fritillary
Other species
4.6 Plants and fungi
Key species in Devon (1998 BAP)
Golden hair lichen
Whitebeams
Other species
Acronyms
References and links
Acknowledgements
Appendix 1 - Summary framework for nature conservation in England
Appendix 2 – Devon habitats of European importance
Appendix 3 – BAP Priority Habitat Inventories
Appendix 4 – Methodology for the Devon species status assessment
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