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Plant Atlas 2020: 20 year research project reveals devastating loss of British & Irish flora

Wildlife Trust

8 Mar 2023

53% of our native plants such as Heather and Harebell have declined in Britain due to human impacts such as agricultural intensification and climate change

  • 53% of our native plants such as Heather and Harebell have declined in Britain due to human impacts such as agricultural intensification and climate change

  • non-native plants now outnumber native plants in the wild – this startling discovery has huge implications for the insects and other species that depend on our native plants

  • many non-native species are benign but some such as New Zealand Pigmyweed and Sitka Spruce have become invasive, disrupting ecosystem function and outcompeting native species

  • many montane plants have declined due to climate change whereas some southern species such as Bee Orchid have benefited and spread further north

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