Fen orchid  (Liparis loeselii)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Threats

The chief threats to this species are loss of habitat through drainage and pollution, and the abstraction of groundwater for irrigation of crops. The orchid may also have declined through a cessation of peat digging, which provided suitable conditions for new colonies to form.

Conservation

Fen orchid is listed in the UK Biodiversity Action Plans (UK BAP), and is included in English Nature's Species Recovery Programme (SRP). All the populations of the plant are within National Nature Reserves (NNRs), which are also protected as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The Welsh sites are the subjects of a major management project for the species, co-ordinated by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW). The Norfolk Wildlife Trust, the lead partner for this species in England, have produced a management plan to conserve the orchid. This includes the possibility of re-introducing it on to suitable sites within its known former range.

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan for this species is available at UK BAP.
There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.
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