View source for Biodiversity of Wales

{{Short description|Variety of life in Wales}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Biota of Wales}}[[File:Map of Wales.svg|thumb|291x291px|Map of Wales:<br />{{legend|#e9c6af|Topography above {{convert|600|ft|m}}}}{{legend|#228b22|[[National parks of the United Kingdom|National parks]]}}]]
The '''biodiversity of Wales''' is the wide variety of [[ecosystem]]s, [[living organism]]s, and the [[Genome|genetic makeup]]s found in [[Wales]].<ref name="bdp">{{Cite web |title=Wales Biodiversity Partnership – Biodiversity |url=https://www.biodiversitywales.org.uk/Biodiversity |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=biodiversitywales.org.uk}}</ref>

Wales is a predominantly mountainous [[peninsula]] located between England and the [[Irish Sea]], covering 8,023 square miles. It has [[Ecoregion#Terrestrial|terrestrial]] [[habitat]]s and many [[protected areas of Wales|protected areas]] rich in [[biodiversity]], including three [[national parks]] and five [[Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] (AONB). The national parks being: [[Snowdonia]], [[Pembrokeshire Coast]], and [[Brecon Beacons]], and the AONBs of: [[Anglesey]], the [[Clwydian Range and Dee Valley]], [[Gower Peninsula]], [[Llŷn Peninsula]], and [[Wye Valley]] (partially in England).<ref name="AONB">{{Cite web |url=http://www.aonb.org.uk/__80256cd200319c8e.nsf/PublishedContent/19fc4943357776c980256ce6007b1b7e%21OpenDocument%26AutoFramed |title=Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty |access-date=23 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106040608/http://www.aonb.org.uk/__80256cd200319c8e.nsf/PublishedContent/19fc4943357776c980256ce6007b1b7e%21OpenDocument%26AutoFramed |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Wales also has many locations categorised as [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]], [[Special Area of Conservation]], [[Special Protection Area]] and [[local nature reserve]]. There are many zoos and gardens, including the [[National Botanic Garden of Wales]].<ref name=bdp/>

On the coast, a great diversity of species such as [[Pinniped|seals]], dolphins, [[shark]]s, [[jellyfish]], crabs and [[lobster]]s can be found. There are also [[seabird]] colonies on the islands near the coast.<ref name=bdp/> Species which can only be found in Wales are the [[Radnor lily]] and a type of fish, the [[gwyniad]], only found in [[Bala Lake]].<ref name=bdp/><ref name=":0" /> The rare fen orchid (''[[Liparis loeselii]]'') is one of the most threatened species in northwestern Europe and has vanished from many places in Wales.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Wales Biodiversity Partnership – Coastal |url=https://www.biodiversitywales.org.uk/Coastal |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=biodiversitywales.org.uk}}</ref> The [[Welsh Government]] funds [[Natural Resources Wales]] (NRW), [[Plantlife]], [[Bridgend County Borough Council]] and the Wales Biodiversity Partnership coastal ecosystem group to help reconstruct its natural habitat and secure the future of this [[threatened species]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Wales Biodiversity Partnership – Biodiversity in Wales |url=https://www.biodiversitywales.org.uk/Biodiversity-in-Wales |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=biodiversitywales.org.uk}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

The Welsh Government works closely with the Wales Biodiversity Partnership (WBP) which promotes and monitors the Wales [[biodiversity action plan]]. In 2010 the Welsh government launched a Natural Environment Framework, "A Living Wales", which focuses on sustainable land and marine management in Wales.<ref name="A Living Wales">{{Cite web |last=Griffiths |first=John |date=2011 |title=Written Statement – The Natural Environment Framework 'A Living Wales' |url=http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2011/110615nat/?lang=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812033414/http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2011/110615nat/?lang=en |archive-date=12 August 2011 |website=Llywodraeth Cymru Welsh Government}}</ref> The [[Environment (Wales) Act 2016]] put into place a range of powers and duties designed to enable the natural resources of Wales to be planned and management in a more sustainable, pro-active and joined-up way than was previously possible.

==Elements==

===Floral biodiversity===
{{Main|Flora of Wales}}
[[File:Gagea probably bohemica seglea.JPG|thumb|''[[Gagea bohemica]]'']]

====Trees====
The sessile oak (''[[Quercus petraea]]''), one of Wales' most common species, can be found across the region. English holly (''[[Ilex aquifolium]]''), one of the few native evergreen trees, can be found in southern Wales. The wych elm (''[[Ulmus glabra]]''), a native species, suffers from disease and competition introduced by exotic species.<ref>{{Cite book |last=White |first=John |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/57576205 |title=Trees : a field guide to the trees of Britain and Northern Europe |date=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |others=Jill White, S. M. Walters |isbn=0-19-851574-X |location=Oxford |oclc=57576205}}</ref>

====Flowers====
The cuckoo flower (''[[Cardamine pratensis]]''), a herbaceous perennial, can be found throughout Wales. Bog rosemary (''[[Andromeda polifolia]]''), a small flowering [[shrub]], can be found in central Wales. Within the British Isles, the Snowdon lily (''[[Gagea serotina]]'') is found only on the slopes of [[Snowdon]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ellis |first=R. G. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/13580311 |title=Flowering plants of Wales |date=1983 |publisher=National Museum of Wales |isbn=0-7200-0271-0 |location=Cardiff |oclc=13580311}}</ref>

====Important Plant Areas====
Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in Wales are areas of "the highest botanical importance" as determined by [[Plantlife]].<ref name="plant">{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Important Plant Areas (Wales) |url=http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wales/wild_plants/important_plant_areas_wales/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227071301/http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wales/wild_plants/important_plant_areas_wales/ |archive-date=27 December 2010 |access-date=26 September 2012 |website=Plantlife Cymru}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! scope="col" style="width:230px;"| Historic county<br>(in English and Welsh)
! scope="col" style="width:230px;"| Species
! scope="col" style="width:230px;"| Habitat
|-
| [[Anglesey]] / Sir Fôn || [[Spotted rock-rose]] (''Tuberaria guttata'') || Dry, rocky places
|-
| [[Brecknockshire]] / Sir Frycheiniog || [[Cuckooflower]] (''Cardamine pratensis'')|| Wet grassland and pond margins
|-
| [[Caernarvonshire]] / Sir Gaernarfon || [[Snowdon lily]] (''Gagea serotina'')  || Mountain rocks
|-
| [[Cardiff]] / [[Caerdydd]]<br><small>''Not an historic county''</small>|| Wild leek (''[[Allium ampeloprasum]]'') || Sandy and rocky places near the sea
|-
| [[Cardiganshire]] / [[Ceredigion]] || [[Bog-rosemary]] (''Andromeda polifolia'') || Mid-Wales
|-
| [[Carmarthenshire]] / Sir Gaerfyrddin || [[Whorled caraway]] (''Carum verticillatum'') || Damp meadows
|-
| [[Denbighshire]] / [[Sir Ddinbych]] || [[Limestone woundwort]] (''Stachys alpina'') || Roadsides and hedges
|-
| [[Flintshire]] / Sir Fflint || [[Bell heather]] (''Erica cinerea'') || Heaths and moors
|-
| [[Glamorgan]] / Morgannwg || [[Yellow whitlow-grass]] (''Draba aizoides'') || Rocks and old walls
|-
| [[Merioneth]] / Meirionnydd || [[Welsh poppy]] (''Meconopsis cambrica'') || Damp, shady rocks
|-
| [[Monmouthshire]] / [[Sir Fynwy]] || [[Foxglove]] (''Digitalis purpurea'') || Woodland clearings, heaths and banks
|-
| [[Montgomeryshire]] / [[Sir Drefaldwyn]] || [[Spiked speedwell]] (''Veronica spicata'') || Limestone rocks
|-
| [[Pembrokeshire]] / [[Sir Benfro]] || [[Thrift (plant)|Thrift]] (''Armeria maritima'') || Coastal cliffs or astride craggy islands
|-
| [[Radnorshire]] / Sir Faesyfed || [[Radnor lily]] (''Gagea bohemica'') || Limestone rocks
|}

===Faunal diversity===
{{Main|Animals of Wales}}

====Marine====
Around Cardigan Bay and Pembrokeshire coast, [[minke]] and [[pilot whale]]s are common in the summer while [[Fin whale|fin]] and [[killer whale]]s are rare. [[Bottlenose dolphin]]s are common and [[Risso’s dolphin]] and [[Atlantic white-sided dolphin]] are rare. Whales, [[grey seal]]s, [[basking shark]]s and [[Molidae|sunfish]] can also be seen.<ref name="wild">{{Cite web |title=Wildlife and bird watching in Wales |url=http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/uk/wales/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109183751/http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/uk/wales/#cr |archive-date=9 November 2012 |access-date=28 September 2012 |website=Wildlife Extra}}</ref>

====Mammals====
[[File:Pony_in_brecon2.jpg|thumb|[[Welsh Mountain Pony]]]]
[[Roe deer]] (''Capreolus capreolus'') and [[fallow deer]] (''Dama dama'') are the two largest mammal species in Wales. Roe deer are found in central and northern Wales. Fallow deer are found in rural and semiurban areas of Wales. The [[European polecat]] (''Mustela putorius'') can be found in both urban and country environments. Found in the same area is the [[red fox]], one of the most common mammals in Wales.<ref name="fauna">{{Cite book |last=Whitfield |first=Philip |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/39763764 |title=The Simon & Schuster encyclopedia of animals : a visual who's who of the world's creatures |date=1998 |publisher=Simon & Schuster Editions |isbn=0-684-85237-3 |location=New York |oclc=39763764}}</ref>

The [[red deer]], one of five native deer species, is the biggest non-marine mammal in Wales. (Although native populations of deer have long been extinct). [[Fallow deer|Fallow]], [[muntjac]] [[Roe deer|roe]] and [[sika deer]] can also be found. [[pine marten]]s are very rarely seen. Other mammals include [[badger]]s, foxes, [[hare]]s, [[hedgehog]]s, [[otter]]s, rabbits, [[stoat]]s, [[weasel]]s, [[red squirrel]]s, and 13 species of [[bat]].<ref name=wild/>

====Birds====
{{main|List of birds of Wales}}
[[File:Milvus milvus R(ThKraft).jpg|thumb|[[Red kite]] (''Milvus milvus'')|225x225px]]About 430 species of birds have been found in Wales. [[Red kite]]s and [[osprey]]s are some "signature species" of Wales. [[Dipper]]s, [[chough]]s, [[puffin]]s, [[guillemot]]s, [[razorbill]]s, [[short-eared owl]]s, [[Manx shearwater]]s, [[Eurasian whimbrel|whimbrel]] and [[plover]]s are also common.<ref name=wild/> [[Montagu's harrier]] (''Circus pygargus''), a rare species in Britain, has several nesting places in Wales. [[Red grouse]] (''Lagopus lagopus scotica''), once a common species, has reduced population dramatically due to human hunting. Red grouse can be found at the extreme north part of Wales.

====Reptiles====
[[Common European adder|Adders]], [[common lizard]]s, notably around Oxwich Bay and [[grass snake]]s have been recorded.<ref name=wild/> Some [[sand lizard]]s bred by [[Herpetological Conservation Trust]] volunteers and [[Chester Zoo|Chester]] and [[Jersey Zoo]]s have been released into the wild.<ref>[http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/news-sandlizard.html ''Sixty more Sand lizards re-introduced to the sand dunes of north and west Wales''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320105434/http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/news-sandlizard.html |date=20 March 2015 }} Wildlife Extra, Retrieved 28 September 2012.</ref>

====Priority Species====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" style="width:300px;"| Species
! scope="col" style="width:300px;"| Species
|-
| [[Lesser horseshoe bat]] (''Rhinolophus hipposideros'') || [[Greater horseshoe bat]] (''Rhinolophus ferrumequinum'')
|-
| [[Common pipistrelle]] (''Pipistrellus pipistrellus'')|| [[Common dolphin]] (''Delphinus delphis'')
|-
| [[Natterjack toad]] (''Bufo calamita'') || [[Grass snake]] (''Natrix natrix'')
|-
| [[Common lizard]] (''Lacerta vivipara'')|| [[Pine marten]] (''Martes martes'')
|-
| [[Chough]] (''Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax'') || [[Common toad]] (''Bufo bufo'')
|-
| [[Harbour porpoise]] (''Phocoena phocoena'') || [[Bottlenose dolphin]] (''Tursiops truncatus'')
|-
| [[Minke whale]] (''Balaenoptera acutorostrata'') || [[Otter]] (''Lutra lutra'')
|-
| [[Marsh fritillary]] (''Euphydryas aurinia'')|| [[Twait shad]] (''Alosa fallax'')
|-
| [[Great crested newt]] (''Triturus cristatus'') || [[Viperidae|Adder]] (''Vipera berus'')
|-
| [[Eurasian skylark]] (''Alauda arvensis'') || [[European polecat|Polecat]] (''Mustela putorius'')
|-
| [[Arvicola amphibius|Water vole]] (''Arvicola amphibius'') || [[Risso's dolphin]] (''Grampus griseus'')
|}

==Endemism==

===Trees===

Native species include [[Ash (Fraxinus)|ash]], [[birch]], [[oak]], [[willow]], [[holly]], [[juniper]], [[Scots pine]] and [[yew]].<ref name=tree/> Planting and conservation of natives species is encouraged, because they tend to better survive the local environment. They also help balance the biodiversity and provide wood and timbers.<ref name="tree">{{Cite web |title=Planting Native Trees for Biodiversity |url=http://www.nativetrees.org.uk/native-trees/planting_natve_trees_for_bio_diversity.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013213031/http://www.nativetrees.org.uk/native-trees/planting_natve_trees_for_bio_diversity.php |archive-date=13 October 2012 |access-date=28 September 2012 |website=Tree Nurseries of Powys}}</ref>

===Flowering plants===
[[Ash (Fraxinus)|Ash]], [[Sorbus domestica|service tree]], [[Allium ampeloprasum|wild leek]]s, [[Narcissus pseudonarcissus|Tenby daffodil]].<ref name=CCW>[http://www.ccgc.gov.uk/landscape--wildlife/habitats--species/terrestrial/species/flowering-plants/wales-ancient-roots.aspx  ''Species''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518091105/http://www.ccgc.gov.uk/landscape--wildlife/habitats--species/terrestrial/species/flowering-plants/wales-ancient-roots.aspx |date=18 May 2015 }} CCW, Retrieved 28 September 2012.</ref>

====Bryophytes====
Wales has over 300 species of [[moss]]es and [[liverwort]]s.

The endangered species are: ''[[:species:Bartramia stricta|Bartramia stricta]]'', ''Cryphaea lamyana, Ditrichum plumbicola, Hamatocaulis vernicosus, Pallavicinia lyellii, [[Petalophyllum ralfsii]], Riccia huebeneriana'' and ''Sematophyllum demissum''.<ref name=CCW/>

===Mammals===
*[[Lesser horseshoe bat]] (''Rhinolophus hipposideros'')<ref name=CCW/>
*[[Red squirrels]]

===Birds===
*[[Hen harrier]]<ref name=CCW/>
*[[Black grouse]]
*[[Eurasian curlew|Curlew]]
*[[European golden plover|Golden plover]]

===Reptiles===
There are five native reptiles in Wales. These include [[grass snake]]s, [[sand lizard]]s, [[common lizard]]s and [[slowworm]]s.<ref name=CCW/>

===Amphibians===
There are six native amphibians in Wales. They are the [[common toad]], [[great crested newt]], [[natterjack toad]], [[palmate newt]], [[smooth newt]] and [[common frog]].<ref name=CCW/>

===Invertebrates===
An estimated 25,000 invertebrate species live in land and freshwater habitats in Wales.<ref name=CCW/>

==Human impact==
Welsh biodiversity has been reduced by human activity. Many native species were lost because of lack of woodland support.<ref>[http://www.ccgc.gov.uk/landscape--wildlife/habitats--species/terrestrial.aspx ''Terrestrial''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116070745/http://www.ccgc.gov.uk/landscape--wildlife/habitats--species/terrestrial.aspx |date=16 November 2012 }} CCW, Retrieved 28 September 2012.</ref> Believed to be home to some of Wales's rarest land invertebrates, some 2,500 disused coal tips are the subject of study by the Welsh Government; the tips are home to a wide variety of other wildlife.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|title=Coal tip repairs threaten rare wildlife, ecologists warn|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66632770|author=Steffan Messenger & Gavin Fischer|date=29 August 2023|access-date=29 August 2023}}</ref>

===Animals===
Many conservation projects have been set up to preserve the [[red squirrel]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Conservation of red squirrels in Wales |url=http://www.ccw.gov.uk/landscape--wildlife/habitats--species/terrestrial/species/mammals/red-squirrels.aspx?lang=en |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518135444/http://www.ccw.gov.uk/landscape--wildlife/habitats--species/terrestrial/species/mammals/red-squirrels.aspx?lang=en |archive-date=18 May 2015 |access-date=18 September 2012 |website=Countryside Council for Wales – Landscape & Wildlife}}</ref> There is a great decline in the number of [[hedgehog]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Wales – Nature – Wildlife – Hedgehog |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/nature/sites/species/mammals/hedgehogs.shtml |access-date=2022-07-20 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> The use of pesticides has caused a major decline in [[honeybee]]s; a Pollinator Action plan was launched at the [[Royal Welsh Show]] in July 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-07-24 |title=Royal Welsh Show: Honeybee action plan launched |url=https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/royal-welsh-show-honeybee-action-plan-launched |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Farmers Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Management==
Wales has 175 species on the Section 74 list of Species of Principal Importance for the Conservation of Biological Diversity.<ref name=CCW/> However, the [[List of habitats of principal importance in Wales|list of species and habitats of principal importance in Wales]] is now based on new legislation in the form of sections 6 and 7 of the Environment (Wales) 2016 Act.<ref name="Section 6">{{cite web|title=Biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems duty |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2016/3/section/6/enacted|website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives|accessdate=19 February 2017}}</ref><ref name="Section 7">{{cite web|title=Biodiversity lists and duty to take steps to maintain and enhance biodiversity |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2016/3/section/7/enacted|website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives|accessdate=19 February 2017}}</ref> In Wales, the [[United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan]] (UKBAP) was implemented by the Wales Biodiversity Partnership (WBP).<ref>Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environmental Audit Committee, ''Halting Biodiversity Loss: Thirteenth Report of Session 2007–08; Report, Together with Formal Minutes, Oral and Written Evidence'', The Stationery Office, 2008. {{ISBN|0215524845}},  {{ISBN|9780215524843}}. p120.</ref> The [[Countryside Council for Wales]] also assists in sustainability management.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Managing land, water and sea |url=http://www.ccw.gov.uk/landscape--wildlife/managing-land-and-sea.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006082254/http://www.ccw.gov.uk/landscape--wildlife/managing-land-and-sea.aspx |archive-date=6 October 2011 |access-date=25 September 2012 |website=Countryside Council for Wales – Landscape & wildlife}}</ref>

Wales Biodiversity Partnership (WBP) organises the overall plan, and on a local scale, each council carries out its own surveys and reports back, then produces management and protection plants for the identified species and habitats.<ref name="defra">{{Cite web |title=Wales Biodiversity Strategy |url=http://ukbars.defra.gov.uk/archive/plans/wes.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904083840/http://ukbars.defra.gov.uk/archive/plans/wes.asp |archive-date=4 September 2012 |access-date=25 September 2012 |website=Biodiversity Action Reporting System}}</ref>

The Welsh government cooperates with European Community directives on the conservation of wild birds and natural habitats and wild flora and fauna as well as with [[NATURA 2000]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2016 |title=The birds and habitats directives |url=http://gov.wales/topics/environmentcountryside/consmanagement/conservationbiodiversity/habitatdirective/?lang=en |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324210742/http://gov.wales/topics/environmentcountryside/consmanagement/conservationbiodiversity/habitatdirective/?lang=en |archive-date=24 March 2017 |access-date=25 September 2012 |website=Welsh Government}}</ref>

==Gallery==

<gallery>
File:Narcis 1.JPG|Daffodil
File:Sorbus domestica.JPG|True service tree
File:Wild leeks (Whitefish I) 1.JPG|Wild leeks
File:Ulmus glabra-tr.JPG|Wych elm
File:Quercus petraea 06.jpg|Sessile oak
File:Ilex-aquifolium (Europaeische Stechpalme-1).jpg|Holly
File:Cardamine pratensis.jpg|Cuckoo flower
File:Andromeda polifolia 002.JPG|Bog rosemary
File:Lloydia serotina.jpg|Snowdon lily
File:Pilot whale spyhop.jpg|Pilot whale
File:Tursiops aduncus, Port River, Adelaide, Australia - 2003.jpg|Bottlenose dolphin
File:Halichoerus grypus He3.jpg|Grey seal
File:Cetorhinus maximus by greg skomal.JPG|Basking shark
File:Capreolus capreolus (Marek Szczepanek).jpg|Roe deer
File:Dama dama5.JPG|Fallow deer
File:Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) -British Wildlife Centre-8.jpg|Red fox
File:European Polecat (Mustela putorius)-8.jpg|European polecat
File:Red Squirrel - Lazienki.JPG|Red squirrel
File:Fratercula arctica -Skomer Island -upper body-8b.jpg|Puffin
File:Wild Pandion.jpg|Osprey
File:Asio flammeus -Fazenda Campo de Ouro, Piraju, Sao Paulo, Brasil-8.jpg|Short-eared owl
File:Circus pygargus juvenile flight.jpg|Montagu's harrier
File:Jaszczurka.jpg|Sand lizard
File:Natrix natrix (Marek Szczepanek).jpg|Grass snake
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Ecology|Environment|Animals|Marine life|Biology}}

=== Biodiversity ===
*[[Flora of Wales]]
*[[Fauna of Wales]]

=== Areas ===
*[[List of local nature reserves in Wales]]
*[[National nature reserves in Wales]]
*[[Protected areas of Wales]]
*[[List of Special Areas of Conservation in Wales]]
*[[List of habitats of principal importance in Wales]]

=== Organisations ===
*[[Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales]]
*[[North Wales Wildlife Trust]]
*[[Radnorshire Wildlife Trust]]

=== Law ===
*[[Wildlife law in England and Wales]]
*[[List of invasive non-native species in England and Wales]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Wales Biodiversity Group, ''Future biodiversity action in Wales: advice to the National Assembly for Wales on the UK Millennium Biodiversity Report'', Wales Biodiversity Group, 2002. {{ISBN|0750428872}}, {{ISBN|9780750428873}}.
*David Hill, Matthew Fasham, Graham Tucker, Michael Shewry, Philip Shaw, ''Handbook of Biodiversity Methods: Survey, Evaluation and Monitoring'', Cambridge University Press, 2005. {{ISBN|0521823684}}, {{ISBN|9780521823685}}.
*National Museums & Galleries of Wales. Dept. of Biodiversity and Systematic Biology, ''Biodiversity Wales: Species of Conservation Or Special Interest to Wales'', National Museums & Galleries of Wales, 2005. {{ISBN|0720005604}}, {{ISBN|9780720005608}}.
*Great Britain: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ''The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy'', The Stationery Office, 2005. {{ISBN|0101646720}}, {{ISBN|9780101646727}}.
*Jon Moore, ''An Atlas of Marine Biodiversity Action Plan Species and Habitats in Wales: A Report for Countryside Council for Wales'', Countryside Council for Wales, 2001.
*Mike Alexander, ''Management Planning for Nature Conservation: A Theoretical Basis & Practical Guide'', Springer, 2008. {{ISBN|1402065809}}, {{ISBN|9781402065804}}.
*P. Selman, ''PLANNING AT THE LANDSCAPE SCALE'', Routledge, 2006. {{ISBN|0415351421}}, {{ISBN|9780415351423}}.
*Niles Eldredge, ''Life on Earth: An Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution'', ABC-CLIO, 2002. {{ISBN|157607286X}}, {{ISBN|9781576072868}}.
*George W. Cox, ''Alien Species and Evolution: The Evolutionary Ecology of Exotic Plants, Animals, Microbes, and Interacting Native Species'', Island Press, 2004. {{ISBN|1559630094}}, {{ISBN|9781559630092}}.

===Journal articles===
*Paul A. Ashton and Richard J. Abbott (1992), "[http://www.nature.com/hdy/journal/v68/n1/abs/hdy19923a.html Multiple origins and genetic diversity in the newly arisen allopolyploid species, Senecio cambrensis Rosser (Compositae)]", ''Heredity'' 68, 25–32; doi:10.1038/hdy.1992.3.
*Richard J. Abbott, Andrew J. Lowe (2004), "[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2004.00333.x/abstract;jsessionid=65B922CBC0FA4EFE1C113713BC8B8753.d04t01?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false Origins, establishment and evolution of new polyploid species: Senecio cambrensis and S. eboracensis in the British Isles]", ''Biological Journal of the Linnean Society'', Volume 82, Issue 4, pages 467–474, August 2004. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2004.00333.x.
*John L. Harper, J. N. Clatworthy, I. H. McNaughton and G. R. Sagar (1961), "[https://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2406081?uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101077060173 The Evolution and Ecology of Closely Related Species Living in the Same Area]", ''Evolution'', Vol. 15, No. 2 (Jun. 1961), pp.&nbsp;209–227.
*K. M. Dlugosch, I. M. Parker (2007), "[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03538.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false Founding events in species invasions: genetic variation, adaptive evolution, and the role of multiple introductions]″, ''Molecular Ecology'', Volume 17, Issue 1, pages 431–449, January 2008, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03538.x.
*Peter R. Sheldon (1987), "[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v330/n6148/abs/330561a0.html Parallel gradualistic evolution of Ordovician trilobites]", ''Nature'' 330, 561 – 563 (10 December 1987); doi:10.1038/330561a0.
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==External links==
{{Commons category multi|Biodiversity|Nature of Wales|Protected areas of Wales}}

===Tools===
* [http://www.globio.info/ GLOBIO], an ongoing programme to map the past, current and future impacts of human activities on biodiversity
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050825002841/http://stort.unep-wcmc.org/imaps/gb2002/book/viewer.htm World Map of Biodiversity] an interactive map from the [[United Nations Environment Programme]] [[World Conservation Monitoring Centre]]

===Resources===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121031101452/http://www.amibio-project.eu/ Automatic acoustic Monitoring and Inventorying of BIOdiversity]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120829110550/http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/science/barcode-wales Barcode Wales]
* [http://thinktanksreport.org/tag/biodiversity/ Biodiversity headlines from thinktanksreport]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} – Latest reports, research and opinion on biodiversity.
* [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ Biodiversity Heritage Library] – Open access digital library of taxonomic literature.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120914171622/http://www.ccw.gov.uk/default.aspx?lang=en Countryside Council for Wales]
* [http://www.eol.org/ Encyclopedia of Life ] – Documenting all species of life on earth.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110731170948/http://www.economics.noaa.gov/?goal=ecosystems&file=users%2Fbusiness%2Fspecies%2F Economics of Species protection & Management]
* [http://www.lrcwales.org.uk/ Local Records Centres Wales]
* [http://www.searchnbn.net/ National Biodiversity Network ] – [[National Biodiversity Network]] Gateway.
* [http://tolweb.org/ Tree of Life ] – Relationships & characteristics of all life on earth.
* [http://www.biodiversitywales.org.uk/ Wales Biodiversity Partnership]

{{Geography of Wales}}
{{Wales topics|state=collapsed}}
{{Biodiversity Worldwide}}
{{Europe topic|Protected areas of}}

[[Category:Biodiversity|Wales]]
[[Category:Coast of Wales]]
[[Category:Conservation in Wales]]
[[Category:National nature reserves in Wales]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Wales]]
[[Category:Regional parks of the United Kingdom]]