London's lost life and threatened species

Species include the otter, dormouse, skylark, southern wood-ant and the Chamomile plant.

The countrywide report, Lost Life: England's Lost and Threatened Species, also identifies species that have become extinct in London. In recent years the capital has lost the green-winged orchid and the sea clover, a type of seagrass. Other familiar species are also in decline - including the house sparrow, hedgehog, and European eel.
Reasons include loss of habitat, bad management, pollution and pressure from foreign
species. Among the 150 under threat 85 have been identified as a 'primary concern' by the London Biodiversity Partnership. This includes plants, fungi, invertebrates and vertebrates.
Alison Barnes, Director of Natural England in London, said: "Coinciding with the International Year of Biodiversity, this report is a powerful reminder that we cannot take our wildlife for granted and that we all lose when biodiversity declines.
"With more and more of our species and habitats confined to isolated, protected sites, particularly in urban areas, we need to think on a much broader geographical scale about how we can reverse the losses of the recent past, climate proofing our natural environment, creating a network of natural green space in the city which will help to secure a more solid future for our wildlife."
The report identifies nearly 500 animals and plants that have become extinct in England - practically all within the last two centuries. It lists nearly 1,000 native species that have been given conservation priority due to the threats they face.


Fonte: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london