ACTION PLAN PROGRESS

The state of our knowledge

Making the right conservation decisions for our threatened species and habitats depends on having sufficient knowledge of their ecology. In most cases we know enough to make at least some progress towards the plan targets, however there is also a clear need for more research in many cases. The UK Biodiversity Research Advisory Group will take account of the results presented below in setting its work programme.

• Knowledge is sufficient to deliver the plan targets for 4 (9% of responses) habitats (limestone pavements, lowland calcareous grasslands, native pine woodlands and upland hay meadows) and 58 (16% of responses) species (including corn bunting, heath fritillary, Purbeck mason wasp and sand lizard).
• Knowledge is insufficient and no research programme is underway for 4 (9% of responses) habitats (ancient and/or species-rich hedgerows, Sabellaria alveolata reefs, Sabellaria spinulosa reefs, and sublittoral sands and gravels) and 50 (14% of responses) species (including rigid apple moss, bordered gothic, greater mouse-eared bat and pink sea fan.
• Although there are exceptions, we generally know less about our coastal and marine habitats than our terrestrial and freshwater habitats. There are also larger gaps in our knowledge for invertebrates and lower plants than for vertebrates and vascular plants.