Current status
This liverwort is very rare and recorded only from the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands and Madeira. It occurs on shaded, basic, dry habitat on rocks, trees or rotting logs in humid Atlantic woods, ravines or sheltered coastal sites. Since 1950, it has been recorded in only six 10 km squares in the UK: three in Scotland and three in Cornwall. However, since 1970 it has been recorded in only one site in Cornwall and its current status in Scotland is unknown.
It is listed as Endangered on the GB Red List and Rare on the IUCN/WCMC global RDL.
Current factors causing loss or decline
Decline in water quality in ravines.
Rhododendron colonisation in woods and ravines.
Recreational activities.
Current action
SNH will be surveying Scottish sites during 1995/97.
Plantlife are to produce a detailed Species Action Plan during 1995.
Action plan objectives and targets
Maintain at all known, new or re-discovered sites.
Proposed actions with lead agencies
Policy and legislation
Identify water quality standards which will favour this species and seek to ensure that these are taken into account in the management of occupied watercourses. (ACTION: NE, NRA, RPBs, SNH)
Site safeguard and management
Encourage landowners to carry out positive management of important habitats for this species, paying particular attention to the problems caused by public access. (ACTION: NE, FA, SNH)
Review the need for notification of sites as SSSI pending the completion of surveys designed to discover whether the species still occurs at other sites. (ACTION: NE, SNH)
Seek to remove Rhododendron from affected sites. (ACTION: NE, FA, FE, SNH)
Species management and protection
Maintain material in cultivation with a view to supporting an ex-situ conservation programme for this and other bryophytes (Action: Plantlife, RBG Kew)
Advisory
Ensure land owners and managers at newly discovered, or re-discovered sites, are aware of the presence and international importance of conserving this species, and provide information on appropriate methods of management. (ACTION: NE, SNH)
Future Research and Monitoring
Survey all former and potential sites to determine the distribution of this species. (ACTION: NE, JNCC, SNH)
Encourage ecological research on this species, including population dynamics, to help identify the reasons for its disappearance from former sites. (ACTION: NE, JNCC, SNH)
Encourage research on the ecology and conservation of this species on an international level, particularly with others on the Atlantic fringe, and use the information and expertise gained towards its conservation in the UK. (ACTION: NE, JNCC, SNH)
Monitor population at extant site regularly and identify any threats to the species. (ACTION: NE)
Pass information gathered during survey and monitoring of this species to JNCC or BRC so that it can be incorporated in national databases. (ACTION: NE, SNH)
Provide information annually to the World Conservation Monitoring Centre on the UK status of the species to contribute to maintenance of an up-to-date global Red Data List. (ACTION: JNCC)
Communications and Publicity
Raise awareness among landowners along the Atlantic fringe of the uniqueness of Atlantic bryophyte flora and the need for its protection. (ACTION: CCW, NE, FA, SNH)
Links with other action plans
None given.
Local implementation
The following LBAPs are working on Lejeunea mandonii:
Publication details
Originally published in: Biodiversity: The UK Steering Group Report - Volume II: Action Plans (December 1995, Tranche 1, Vol 2, p224)
Related links
ARKive Visit the ARKive website to view images and further information relating to this species
Plantlife Read the Plantlife species dossier relating to this species