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BAP species on RSPB reserves
Not only is the RSPB directly responsible for leading the action for 36 priority species, but it is also custodian of well over 100 priority species that have been recorded on our nature reserves.
For some of these, we can play a key part in their conservation, either because a large proportion of their population exists on the reserves (for example Abernethy Forest reserve is one of only three sites in the UK for the Baltic bog moss, Sphagnum balticum) or because we are in a unique postion to manage their habitat sympathetically.
One such species is the internationally threatened Southern damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale, which breeds in pools on our Aylesbeare reserve in Devon. Through an active programme of grazing management, our wardens have been able to increase the number of damselflies from just a handful in the late 1980s to 132 individuals in 2005.
Through our Biodiversity Survey Programme, we are constantly adding to our list of non-avian priority species on reserves; 'the more you look the more you find' certainly applies here.
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We carry out monitoring programmes on our reserves so we can assess the area and quality of habitats, and abundance and productivity of species. This enables us to make sure we are managing our reserves to maximise their benefit to priority species and habitats. More... |
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The RSPB has excellent data on the bird species occurring on its nature reserves. We not only know what species breed or pass through each reserve, but in many cases we know the numbers present and breeding every year. More... |
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