Island Species
The Isle of Wight's special combination of soft geology, diverse patchwork habitat, close combinations of terrestrial, fresh water and marine ecosystems, and physical isolation, have given rise to a highly distinctive flora and fauna. Some species common on the near mainland are almost completely absent, such as Nuthatch and Tawny Owl, others are found nowhere else in the UK, such as Wood Calamint, and in the case of Early Gentian, the Island has a global responsibility for a truly endemic species. The Island is famous for its Red Squirrels and Glanville Fritillary butterflies but these are just two of an astonishing 15,000 species recorded on the Island and around its coast.
The work of the LNRS process is to create a shortlist of priority habitats and species with the help of biological recorders, land managers and ecologists, that can practically and effectively represent the whole of the Island’s rich biodiversity. Previous, and ongoing work done by the IW Local Records Centre, the IW Biodiversity Action Partnership, and the IW Natural History Society, is essential to the LNRS and this local information will be combined with national and international criteria such as the IUCN red list to create in the first instance a working long list.