11th Mar 10
Hundreds of species lost in Britain in past 2000 years
by Katie Naylor
New government funded research has found that almost 500 species of animals have gone extinct in the UK in the last 2,000 years.
The study also outlined the precarious position of the animals that are left, with 25 per cent of the most studied species under threat. Most animals have suffered in the last 200 years as the growth of agriculture and cities has favoured some species such as foxes and crows while rare animals such as red squirrels and pine martens are limited to a few locations.
The survey, carried out by Natural England in order to show how the global extinction crisis is affecting Britain.
Four species lost to England are lost to the world forever, including the great auk, a large flightless bird similar to a penguin, Mitten’s beardless moss, the York groundsel and Ivell’s sea anemone.
Overall, 492 species have been lost in the UK since records began 2000 years ago. Larger creatures such as bears and wolves were driven out by humans, while smaller were driven out by the indirect consequence of human success.
The research showed that a quarter of species remain under threat, including reptile, dolphin and whale numbers all in decline, along with 60 per cent of amphibians, 40 per cent of land mammals, a third of butterflies and bees and around a quarter of breeding birds.
Dr Tom Tew, Natural England’s chief scientist said that almost a half of the endangered species in England are confined to a few nature reserves and beauty spots.
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