Conservationists in Somerset are attempting to save one of the UK’s rarest plants from the brink of extinction.
The starved wood-sedge (also known as Carex depauperate) is only found in two sites nationwide, one of which is in Axbridge in Somerset.
It has been struggling to survive and so The Species Recovery Trust has moved some plants into captivity to “bulk up” its numbers in the hope of establishing two new populations within the Mendip Hills National Landscape.
The starved wood-sedge is a perennial plant found typically found in wetland habitats such as bogs, fens, and swamps, but also moist woodland.
The species is described as an important plant by The Species Recovery Trust for several reasons.
It is a habitat for a variety of wetland species, including birds, insects, and amphibians, it helps to regulate water flow, and moves nutrients through the ecosystem.
It has become threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation as wetland habitats are increasingly being drained or developed.
Dominic Price, director of the trust, said: “In the past few years the plants have unfortunately, and rather catastrophically, decided to move off the bankside habitat we have maintained for them and start growing directly on a public footpath.
“This has put them directly in harm’s way from being trampled.”
The conservation work is possible because of funding from the Mendip Hills National Landscape team.
Manager Jim Hardcastle said: “Nature recovery is key to our work these days so it’s great that we can help the Species Recovery Trust in its important work.
“At first glance this is quite an unassuming grass that many people will have walked past for years but it’s still an important part of the ecosystem and deserving of our attention and support.”
