Providing an update of the classic Student's Handbook by S.M. Macvicar (1926), this illustrated account of the 300 liverwort and hornwort species on the British and Irish lists is a synthesis of nearly 40 years' study. The detailed descriptions and figures, all prepared by the author, are designed to enable students of these groups to determine the morphologically variable specimens that cause so much difficulty in identification.

Periodic comprehensive overviews of the status of the diverse organisms that make up wildlife are essential to determining trends, threats and future prospects. Just over 25 years ago, leading authorities on different kinds of wildlife came together to prepare an assessment of their status of a wide range of organisms in Great Britain and Ireland in The Changing Flora and Fauna of Britain, also edited by Professor David L. Hawksworth CBE. Now, in The Changing Wildlife of Great Britain and Ireland, he has gathered together some of the original and also new contributors to review changes since that time and look to the future. Contributions range from viruses, diatoms, fungi, lichens, mites and nematodes; through butterflies, dragonflies, flies and slugs; to flowering plants, ferns, mammals, birds and fish. The state of knowledge in different groups is assessed, and the effectiveness of statutory and other measures taken to safeguard wildlife considered. The picture is far from bleak, ameliorating sulphur dioxide levels have benefited sensitive lichens and mosses in a dramatic way, water quality improvement has been beneficial, there have been few certain extinctions and rediscoveries of species thought to have been lost. Biodiversity Action Plans have also benefited targeted species, but habitat restoration and management for some is not always good for others. But there are worrying trends in declining populations, with an increasing number being regarded as threatened or endangered, especially in agricultural areas, and where woodland management has changed, particular threats from introduced species, and concern over the effects of climate change. Some of the smaller organisms remain poorly known, a situation unlikely to change as expertise in many is scant or being lost. This stock-check and look to the future will be a key source book to conservationists, naturalists, and professional biologists for many years to come.

This is the first book to cover England's rare and threatened mosses and liverworts, collectively known as bryophytes. As a group, they are the most ancient land plants and occupy a unique position in the colonization of the Earth by plant life. However, many are at risk from habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and other factors. Britain is one of the world's best bryologically recorded areas, yet its mosses and liverworts are not well known outside a small band of experts. This has meant that conservation action has tended to lag behind that of more charismatic groups such as birds and mammals. Of the 916 different types of bryophyte in England, 87 are on the British Red List and are regarded as threatened under the strict criteria of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. This book aims to raise awareness by providing stunning photographs--many never before published--of each threatened species, as well as up-to-date profiles of 84 of them, including status, distribution, history, and conservation measures. The book looks at what bryophytes are, why they are important and useful, and what makes them rare; it also examines threats, extinctions, ex situ conservation techniques, legislation, and the impact of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity. Provides the first treatment of England's rare and threatened mosses and liverworts Features stunning photographs--many never before published--of each species and many of their habitats Treats each species in a handy and attractive double-page layout Includes up-to-date profiles of 84 species, including status, distribution, history, and conservation measures Presents the first overview of English bryophyte conservation Offers invaluable guidance to people working in conservation in England, the British Isles, Europe, and beyond

The 10-km square dot-distribution maps, based on 30 years’ recording by members of the British Bryological Society, were produced at the Biological Records Centre, ITE, Monks Wood. Each species’ map is accompanied by notes on its habitat, reproductive biology and overseas distribution, and additional maps are included to illustrate various factors affecting distribution. Each volume contains an introductory chapter and concludes with a bibliography and index to species.