 What is
"biodiversity"?
Biodiversity is the variety, of plants, animals and other living
things in a particular area or region. It includes habitat
diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity. Biodiversity is
of value in its own right and has social and economic value for
human society.
Kent 's wildlife icons
Iconic species are species associated with a habitat or an area
that are easily identifiable and popular with people. Kent is the
home to iconic species that largely stem from our county's varied
geology and land use history, and are now nationally rare or
declining rapidly.
Among the range of characteristic species, five capture the
imagination:
- the Leaf Hopper (Aphrodes duffieldi), which is not known
to occur anywhere else in Britain or the world!
- the Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea) and the Man Orchid
(Aceras anthropophorum) where Kent is a stronghold
- the Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) of which Kent
holds approximately 25% of UK's breeding population
- the Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). This is
widespread in Kent, however it is likely that it has been suffering
a decline, reflecting the national trend.
Threatened species
Many of the plant and animal species found in Kent are globally
threatened or are rapidly declining in the UK. In our county, there
are 85 species that are threatened and these are recorded in the
Kent red data book.
Additionally, the Kent Landscape Information System (KLIS) holds
28 fact sheets on important species for those who want to know more
about their conservation. You can access these by visiting the
KLIS website (link opens in a new window)
and following the link to biodiversity fact sheets in the resources
menu.
Information on these 28 species and what is being done to protect
them can also be found on the Kent Biodiversity Action Plan website (link
opens in a new window). |