An update on the progress in Wales towards the 2020 BSBI atlas on Vascular Plants Barbara Brown January 2019 • Like previous atlases it aims to: • Produce comprehensive maps for all native and introduced taxa occurring in the wild Britain and Ireland. • Analyse and report on the many changes that have occurred since the last Atlas 20 years ago. • 2019 is the last recording season Vice County Recorders are recording a sample of tetrads 2x2km squares (or better) in every hectad throughout the British Isles • The target is a minimum of 5 tetrads per hectad (10x10)! • Ideally they should be surveyed twice • Acceptable excuses - Mountainous and remote regions! • 300-400 page hardback book, working title “ The state of plants in Britain & Ireland.” • Including colour photos & maps • It would interleave the results of Atlas 2020 with more general information of interest to a broad range of readers • An on-line atlas • A Wales Summary report • 3.2 million records (all data classes) • 2 million are post 2000 Of these: • 1.1 million are from MapMate and • 1.9 million records tetrad or better resolution • 1.7 million records monad or better resolution As of Nov 8th 2018 The result of a huge amount of voluntary recording. Thank you to everyone that has been involved. A truly magnificent effort. A map of Welsh vascular plant records submitted to the BSBI database since 2000 grouped by tetrad Key No of records 10 plants showing the greatest decease in the number of hectads recorded since 2000 Many of these Salix alba x euxina = S. x fragilis – possibly due to -134 live on arable changes in taxonomic treatment fields and Arctium nemorosum/Wood burdock – possibly due to -125 changes in taxonomic treatment roadsides. Mentha arvensis/Corn Mint – Woodland ridges, -114 roadsides, arable fields Fallopia convolvulus/Black Bindweed –Weed of arable -112 land, roadsides, waste land Lolium multiflorum/Italian Ryegrass – casual escape -111 from sowed meadows. Silene vulgaris/Bladder Campion – Hedgebanks, -111 roadsides and arable fields Trifolium hybridum/Alsike Clover – Grass and rough -111 ground Stachys arvensis/Field Woundwort – Arable fields, allotments, gardens -106 Chenopodium bonus-henricus/ Good King Henry- Widely introduced to a relict of cultivation -104 Viola tricolor/Field Pansy – Arable land, rough grassland, wasteland. -104 Mostly garden The 10 plants showing the greatest increase in number of hectads recorded since 2000 escapes – some increases are 92 probably due to Alchemilla mollis /Soft Lady’s Mantle changes in 82 recording hybrids. Hedera Hibernica/Irish Ivy Leycesteria Formosa 81 Hyacinthoides non-scripta x hispanica = 75 H. x massartinana/ Hybrid with Spanish Bluebell 70 Lemna minuta/ Least Duckweed Geranium endressii x versicolor = G x oxonianum 70 68 Rumex crispus x obstuifolius = R. x pratensis Portentilla anglica x reptans = P. x mixta 66 Chamaecyparis lawsoniana/Lawson’s Cypress 64 Dryopteris affinis/Scaly Male Fern 62 Silene vulgaris /Bladder Campion Post 2000 Photo credit John Crellin Pre 2000 Trend of decline first became apparent in 1962 Atlas Most recent mapped above Viola tricolor/ Field Pansy PostPost 2000 2000 Photo credit John Crellin PrePre 2000 2000 This trend is also shown in the local floras MostMost recentrecent mappedmapped aboveabove • THANK YOU to all who have been involved with Atlas field work and data compilation. • If you would like to help with this last season of field work, do get in touch with your local VCR or myself. • Field days are a great opportunity to improve your botany and as plants are fundamental to the habitats of nearly all species, it may well help you in your specialism. Barbara Brown barbara.brown • Don’t forget the wide range of resources @bsbi.org the BSBI provides to help everyone from Most recentbeginners mapped to above experienced botanists. .