Save Our Schedule 8

SOS8

Conservation actions for NI's most endangered species

Save Our Schedule 8’s

Welcome to the home of the newly founded project SOS8, Save Our Schedule 8’s. Funded by DAERA and NIEA. The project has completed its 2020/21 winter stage of desk based research collecting, collating and cataloging...

Mertensia maritima

Mertensia maritima. Oyster plant. Life-form & Growth Form: Hemicryptophyte. Herbaceous perennial. Little/no vegetative spread. Flowering period: July and August. Habitats: Upper reaches of shingle and gravel shoreline, occasionally also on sand. Earth and rock mounds deposited along the coastline. Threats: Illegal shingle...

Vandenboschia speciosa syn. Trichomanes speciosum

Vandenboschia speciosa syn. Trichomanes speciosum. Kilarney fern. Life-form & Growth Form: Occurs in gametophyte and sporophyte forms. Rhizomatous. Spore producing period: May to August. Habitats: Deep recesses behind cascades, caves, steep rock faces in ravines. Block scree, open mountain cliffs. Occasionally soil or peat...

Adoxa moschatellina

Adoxa moschatellina. Town-hall clock.

Life-form & Growth Form:

Non-bulbous geophyte. Herbaceous perennial with little/no vegetative spread.

Flowering period:

April & May.

Habitats:

A plant of shaded riparian banks, deciduous woodlands, hedge banks and occasionally also shaded base-rich montane sites.

Threats:

The main threat is the very small size of the current population, which makes it vulnerable to local extinction through habitat disturbance events (competition from other species, trampling). A change to habitat management practices could threaten the population.

Distribution map:

For an interactive map follow this link to the BSBI webpage

Ajuga pyramidalis

Ajuga pyramidalis. Pyramidal orchid.

Life-form & Growth Form:

Hemicryptophyte. Herbaceous perennial. Little/no vegetative spread.

Flowering period:

May & June.

Habitats:

Free-draining slopes, rock crevices and shallow peat in open heathland and grassland growing over moderately acidic soils.

Threats:

Overgrazing results in reduced flowering and seed production. Under-grazing could result in shading from taller herbaceous species. Change of land use is a main threat as such continuance of traditional grazing regime is required. Ground disturbance by visitors may be an issue in localised areas. Damage by intentional or accidental fires may be an additional risk during warm, dry weather.

Static distribution map:

For an interactive map follow this link to the BSBI webpage

Anacamptis morio syn. Orchis morio

Anacamptis morio syn. Orchis morio. Green veined orchid.

Life-form & Growth Form:

Non-bulbous geophyte. Herbaceous perennial. No/little vegetative spread.

Flowering period:

May & June.

Habitats:

Short maritime grassland close to sea shore. Associated with limestone rich eskers and gravel pits. Short damp alluvial grassland to open dry lowland grassland. Base-rich to mildly acidic soils. Hey meadows and pastures. Heaths and roadside. Quarries, gravel pits, churchyards and lawns.

Threats:

At risk from visitor activities such as trampling, picnicking and picking of flowers. Climate change and rising sea levels will eventually flood the existing low-lying grassland. The single site distribution and small population size within Northern Ireland makes this species very vulnerable to regional extinction. Application of inorganic fertilisers. Prolonged absence of grazing or cutting causing dominance of competitors.

Static distribution map:

For an interactive map follow this link to the BSBI webpage

SOS8 is a new project created with the specific aim of taking action to preserve our most endangered species here in northern Ireland.
Generously funded by DAERA and NIEA partners Dryas Ecology and True Harvest Seeds have received the help of each of our pioneering and adventerous Vice-county recorders.

Our Vice-county recorders have each spent years out in the field observing, recording and documenting their finds lodging their records onto the BSBI and CEDaR databases.

BSBI and CEDaR kindly and efficiently provided, with permissions, the data collected by our Vice- county recorders and many others over the years.
Records span back as far as the mid 1800s and go right up to last summer. Ranging from extinction to near local abundance each species is going to benefit from scrutiny and receive consideration as to how best we can help it.

Dryas Ecology brings expertise in botanical and environmental surveys, which will help us find the remaining populations.
True Harvest Seeds brings expertise in making high quality seed collections and plant propagation.
Together and in consultation with DAREA, NIEA and other experts, we will be finding ways to, where appropriate, reintroduce, revive and potentially grow networks of the populations as part of the bold new Nature Recovery Network programme.