According to a recent report, one in ten British animal and plant species could disappear. The State of Nature Report was compiled by 25 wildlife organisations and collated assessments of 3,148 species. It pulls together data from individual reports published in recent years charting the fortune of bees, birds, moths and mammals in the UK.
Over the last 50 years, some 60% of British animal and plant species have declined. Amongst those which have fallen the most are turtle doves, water voles, red squirrels and hedgehogs.
According to the document, reasons for the decline are "many and varied" but include rising temperatures and habitat degradation.
Sir David Attenborough, who launched the report, said, "This ground-breaking report is a stark warning - but it is also a sign of hope. We have in this country a network of passionate conservation groups supported by millions of people who love wildlife."
However, Sir David warned that there was no single solution to the problem - "What you have to do to help bats differs from what you have to do to help frogs or butterflies or pond life. Yet each one of these has an organisation which is knowledgeable and willing to help anybody who wants to know how to support these species that they're concerned about."
