Wetlands thriving with birdlife, pockets of heathland, ancient woodland and wildlife-rich grasslands…. These are all habitats found in Warwickshire and highlighted in the State of Habitats report produced this year by the Natural Capital Assessment Partnership. The last decades have seen a move toward landscape-level conservation rather than solely focusing on individual habitats or species. So why is a diversity of habitats so important? 

If habitats are lost or their condition degraded, the unique plant communities that form the building blocks of these habitats are also lost. To give a stark statistic, 111 of Warwickshire’s rarest plant species haven’t been recorded since 2000¹.

In turn, the wildlife that need these distinct plant communities are also impacted. Looking at pollinators as an example, a variety of pollinators needs a variety of plants flowering from early spring to late autumn to meet their nectar and pollen needs. Many pollinators also need dead wood at points in their lifecycle, e.g. some nest in dead wood, or their larvae eat it or fungi associated with it². These pollinators might need woodland or tree habitats alongside wildflower-rich meadows. A mosaic of habitats is needed at a landscape level. 

Many of these pollinators go on to feed species further up the food chain like bats and birds. If we start to lose both plant and wildlife communities, we start to degrade functioning ecosystems and the services that they provide human society. Decreases in pollinators for example, can reduce the quantity of crops like apples, berries or oilseed produced (crop yield). A 2021 study estimated that the increase in crop yield from pollination in the UK adds up to about £630 million per year!³

A rich diversity of habitats providing the rich variety of resources needed by plants, wildlife and humans is essential. Sadly, the State of Habitats report also shows how rare some habitats are across Warwickshire. This is why it’s essential to shout about our habitats and protect and restore those that remain. Why not let your MP know how much you care about these habitats by writing to them? Or speak up for habitats that you know might be lost by responding to a planning application and quoting the statistics. You can always create mini habitat mosaics yourself, a mini pond next to a wildflower patch created with locally sourced plug plants or seeds is great for wildlife! 

Read more about the State of Habitats report

References

1. Walton, J. and Walton, M. Rare Plant Register for Warwickshire (Vice County 38). Warwickshire: Warwickshire Biological Records Centre, 2018.
2. Falk, S. A Review of the Pollinators Associated with Decaying Wood, Old Trees and Tree Wounds in Great Britain. Woodland Trust, 2021.
3. Breeze, T.D., et al. Journal of Applied Ecology, 2021, 58(1), pp. 44-57. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13755.