Priority 13: Priority species

Dorset’s priority species needing bespoke conservation action are supported and sustained.

Making more space for nature across the landscape will lead to an increase in the abundance and diversity of wildlife across Dorset. By delivering activities under the other nature recovery priorities, we expect to see increases in populations of species associated with specific habitats, such as woodlark benefiting from the heathland priority. However, some species need bespoke action to enable their numbers to recover, increase and be sustained. 

To identify which species should be on this priority list, a group was formed with experts representing amphibians and reptiles, birds, fish, fungi, invertebrates, lichens, mammals and plants.

Following a process set by Defra, the group:

• created a longlist of almost 1,000 species that are characteristic of Dorset, at high risk of extinction or otherwise locally significant  
• selected 55 priority species from the longlist by identifying species requiring bespoke activities, and considering factors such as urgency, feasibility, climate change and existing work

The species recovery supporting document explains the methodology, who was involved, and which species were selected for the long list. While the priority list focuses on species requiring bespoke action, the longlist is a useful tool for planning nature recovery projects. The longlist species are grouped into habitat-based assemblages, each with their own guide explaining which species have similar habitat requirements and the pressures they face. These guides provide useful information to understand how activities under other priorities in this strategy will help species. For example, the potential activities under Priority 5: Coastal can support the assemblage ‘species of soft rock and slumping cliffs’. This is the first time this approach has been taken for such a large range of important species in the county, bringing together key information on species requirements to inform habitat management and restoration.

There are 74 individual priority species but some have been grouped into assemblages where they require the same bespoke activities to reduce the list to 55. The potential activities for each species can be found in the species recovery supporting document.