Important Plant Areas of the Falkland Islands
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Important Plant Areas of the Falkland Islands 1 Important Plant Areas of the Falkland Islands Dr. Rebecca Upson Published December 2012 In association with RBG Kew and Plantlife International With financial support from Falkland Islands Government 2 First published in Great Britain in 2012 by Falklands Conservation. 14 East Hatley, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 3JA Website: www.falklandsconservation.com UK Registered charity: 1073859 In the Falkland Islands: 41 Ross Road, Stanley Postal address: PO Box 26, Stanley, Falkland Islands FIQQ 1ZZ. Telephone: (500) 22247 E-mail: [email protected] Copyright © Falklands Conservation Copyright in the photographs remains with the individual photographers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – photographic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems – for commercial use without permission of the publishers. For citation: Upson, R. (2012). Important Plant Areas of the Falkland Islands. Unpublished Report, Falklands Conservation. 80 pp. Disclaimer: The information given in this publication on behalf of Falklands Conservation is believed to be correct, but accuracy is not guaranteed and the information does not obviate the need to make further enquiries as appropriate. 3 Contents Foreword - Falkland Islands Government ............................................................................ 5 Foreword - Plantlife .............................................................................................................. 6 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. 7 PART I ................................................................................................................................. 8 The Falkland Islands ............................................................................................................ 8 Falkland globally threatened species ................................................................................. 12 Falkland threatened habitats .............................................................................................. 22 PART II .............................................................................................................................. 27 Important Plant Areas - overview ....................................................................................... 27 The Important Plant Areas of the Falkland Islands ............................................................ 29 Albemarle .................................................................................................................................. 30 Cross Island .............................................................................................................................. 31 Beaver Island (including Rat Island) .......................................................................................... 32 Channel S16D2 Island .............................................................................................................. 33 Cape Pembroke ........................................................................................................................ 34 Carcass Island .......................................................................................................................... 36 Chartres Horse Paddock ........................................................................................................... 38 Hill Cove Mountains .................................................................................................................. 40 Hornby Mountains ..................................................................................................................... 42 Keppel Island ............................................................................................................................ 44 Middle Island ............................................................................................................................. 46 Motley Island ............................................................................................................................. 48 Port Stephens ........................................................................................................................... 50 Saunders Island (including Rat Island) ...................................................................................... 52 Split Island ................................................................................................................................ 54 Tea Island ................................................................................................................................. 55 Weddell Island .......................................................................................................................... 56 PART III ............................................................................................................................. 58 Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 58 1: Falkland Islands Countryside Code ............................................................................... 59 2: Falkland Island habitat classification summary .............................................................. 60 3: Checklist of alkland native vascular plants ..................................................................... 67 4: Plant species assessment form ..................................................................................... 75 5: References .................................................................................................................... 76 4 Foreword - Falkland Islands Government A major part of what makes the Falklands special and unique is its wildlife. We have a responsibility as Falkland Islanders to look after our natural resources so that they are there for the benefit of future generations and the wildlife that depends on them. Those natural resources we use must be sustainably managed. Sustainable management of the environment cannot occur without a detailed knowledge of which areas of the Falklands hold the most vulnerable biodiversity. This document represents the first attempt to identify key areas for plants across the Islands, documenting 17 Important Plant Areas for the Falkland Islands. We should view this as both a celebration of the unique plant diversity to be found here in the Falklands as well as a vital tool to aid conservation planning and ensure that these plants and their unique habitats remain part of the Falkland Islands in perpetuity. I am delighted to see the results of so many years of dedicated work come to fruition and be available to everyone in such an accessible format as this excellent publication. Dr Barry Elsby Member of the Legislative Assembly Falkland Islands Government Stanley FIQQ 1ZZ Falkland Islands 5 Foreword - Plantlife Wild plants are essential to life – they clean our air and water, provide food and shelter for insects, birds and mammals and are critical in the fight against climate change. This is recognised by the Convention on Biological Diversity in its endorsement of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) which requires each CBD member state to undertake a series of actions to conserve their wild plant heritage. Falklands Conservation and the Falkland Islands Government should be congratulated for the work they have done to produce this directory of Important Plant Areas (IPAs); responding directly to the world-wide need for renewed efforts to conserve essential wild plant resources, expounded by the GSPC. This IPA directory provides a solid scientific basis for implementing a whole range of plant conservation activities that contribute to the GSPC. At the core of the directory, the identification of seventeen Important Plant Areas as immediate targets for conservation measures begins the implementation of target 5 of this Strategy; the effective management of at least 75% of important areas for plant diversity. Elsewhere the directory brings together considerable historical and current data on the native wild plants of the Falkland Islands - their distribution, ecology, uniqueness and the threats to their survival – crucial information to support the implementation of a number of GSPC targets. The engagement of IPA landowners during the process of IPA selection, and the identification of opportunities to take forward conservation reaffirms the commitment of the Islanders to use this directory to guide action on the ground. This follow up action is essential to ensure the Falkland’s unique and threatened species and habitats are secured for the future. The hope now is that the considerable commitment to plant conservation in the Falklands, demonstrated within the pages of this directory can be capitalised upon; that government, non- government and community-based support for direct conservation measures will increase. Such support will be an important contribution to safeguarding the native plants which are the heart of these wild and wonderful islands in the South Atlantic. Elizabeth Radford International Programme Manager Plantlife 14 Rollestone Street Salisbury Wiltshire SP1 1DX United Kingdom 6 Acknowledgements This Directory is part of a commitment by Falklands Conservation to meet targets