Important Arable Plant Areas Threatened Species (Criterion A)

Criterion A for threatened species allows for the selection of sites based solely on the occurrence of threatened arable species listed in recognised National, European or Global red lists.

At the present time, no British arable plant species are recognised as threatened at the European Level, so no arable sites in the UK qualify at the European level under Criterion A.

However, this may change in the fullness of time as regional red data books are revised to take account of the catastrophic decline that many arable species are currently undergoing.

At the National level, Criterion A allows for the selection of key species of threatened and/or protected species. For threatened species (i.e. Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable species), plus additional species of conservation concern, up to 30 ‘best’ arable sites should be selected.

All additional populations of threatened species identified at a regional level, plus country rarities, should be selected as being of County Importance (table 1). The species identified at the regional level have been identified using the Vascular Plant Red Lists for England (Stroh et al. 2014) and Wales (Dines 2008), the Priority Vascular Plant Lists for Scotland (SNH 2008) and Northern Ireland (NIEA undated).

Further reading

Dines, T. (2008) A Vascular Plant Red Data List for Wales. Plantlife International, Salisbury.

Northern Ireland Environment Agency (Undated) Northern Ireland Priority Species List. https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/doe/northern-ireland-priority- species-list.pdf. Last accessed 03-11-2017.

Scottish Natural Heritage (2008) Priority Species – Vascular Plants. http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/915/0062276.pdf. Last accessed 03-11-2017

Stroh, P.A., Leach, S.J., August, T.A., Walker, K.J., Pearman, D.A., Rumsey, F.J., Harrower, C.A., Fay, M.F., Martin, J.P., Pankhurst, T., Preston, C.D. and Taylor, I. (2014) A Vascular Plant Red List for England. Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, Bristol. http://www.bsbi.org.uk/England_Red_List_1.pdf. Last accessed 16-07-2015.

Table 1: Threatened species that should be considered under National (UK) Importance and County Importance for species identified at a regional level (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).

Plant Species UK England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland Pheasant’s-eye Adonis annua   Corncockle Agrostemma githago   Groundpine Ajuga chamaepitys   Scarlet pimpernel Analgallis arvensis  Blue pimpernel Anagallis arvensis ssp.  foemina Corn chamomile Anthemis arvensis    Stinking chamomile Anthemis cotula    Lamb’s-succory Arnoseris minima   Lesser quaking-grass Briza minor  Rye brome Bromus secalinus     Thorow-wax Buplerum rotundifolium   Small bur-parsley Caucalis platycarpos   Cornflower Centaurea cyanus     Good-King-Henry Chenopodium bonus-  henricus Nettle-leaved goosefoot Chenopodium murale    Upright goosefoot Chenopodium urbicum   Musk stork’s-bill Erodium moschatum  Dwarf spurge Euphorbia exigua  Sun spurge Euphorbia helioscopia  Broad-leaved spurge Euphorbia platyphyllos  Black bindweed Fallopia convolvulus  Narrow-leaved cudweed Filago gallica   Red-tipped cudweed Filago lutescens   Broad-leaved cudweed Filago pyramidata   Common cudweed Filago vulgaris  White ramping-fumitory Fumaria capreolata  Common ramping- Fumaria muralis ssp.    fumitory neglecta Fine-leaved fumitory Fumaria parviflora   Purple ramping-fumitory Fumaria purpurea    Few-flowered fumitory Fumaria vaillantii   Red hemp-nettle Galeopsis angustifolia    Downy hemp-nettle Galeopsis segetum    Large-flowered hemp- Galeopsis speciosa     nettle False cleavers Galium spurium   Corn cleavers Galium tricornutum   Long-stalked crane’s-bill Geranium columbinum  Corn marigold Glebionis segetum    Helminthotheca  Bristly oxtongue echioides Henbane Hyoscyamus niger     Smooth cat’s-ear Hypochaeris glabra      Wild candytuft Iberis amara   Northern dead-nettle Lamium confertum   Yellow vetchling Lathyrus aphaca   Venus’-looking-glass Legousia hybrida  Plant Species UK England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland Field pepperwort Lepidium campestre  Field gromwell Lithospermum arvense    Darnel Lolium temulentum   Grass-poly Lythrum hyssopifolium    Field cow-wheat Melampyrum arvense   Corn mint Mentha arvense   Perfoliate (Cotswolds) Microthlaspi   pennycress perfoliatum Weasel’s-snout Misopates orontium    Mousetail Myosurus minimus    Cat-mint Nepeta cataria   Prickly poppy Papaver argemone     Rough poppy Papaver hybridum   Cornfield knotgrass Polygonum rurivagum  Corn buttercup Ranunculus arvensis     Hairy buttercup Ranunculus sardous  Greater yellow-rattle Rhinanthus angustifolius  Shepherd’s-needle Scandix pecten-veneris    Annual knawel Scleranthus annuus      Field madder Sherardia arvensis  Small-flowered catchfly Silene gallica      Night-flowering catchfly Silene noctiflora     White mustard Sinapis alba  Charlock Sinapis arvensis  Corn spurrey Spergula arvensis    Field woundwort Stachys arvensis   Spreading hedge-parsley Torillis arvensis    Knotted hedge-parsley Torillis nodosa  Keeled-fruited cornsalad Valerianella carinata  Narrow-fruited cornsalad Valerianella dentata    Hairy-fruited cornsalad Valerianella eriocarpa  Broad-fruited cornsalad Valerianella rimosa    Fingered speedwell Veronica triphyllos   Spring speedwell Veronica verna   Slender tare Vicia parviflora   Wild pansy Viola tricolor ssp.   tricolor