Dorset Biodiversity Information System

- Taxon Groups

Taxon groups
Status Codes

All Taxon Groups
Plants
Invertebrates
Birds
Amphibians, Reptiles and Mammals
References

Grid Resolution

Taxon groups

Narrow-leaved Lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia)
Narrow-leaved Lungwort
(Pulmonaria longifolia)
Photo: Bryan Edwards

For 2006 the records have been divided into the following taxon groups:

Lower plant (lichens, bryophytes and liverworts)
Higher plant
Invertebrate
Crustacea
Fish
Amphibian
Reptile
Bird
Otter or Water Vole
Badger
Bat
Mammal

The status columns in the information table show why each record has been included. It may be for one or more of the following:

Protected species – includes European Protected Species from Bird Directive Annex I , Habitats and Species Directive II and IV; Wildlife and Countryside Act Schedules 1(birds), 5(animals) and 8(plants); and the Protection of Badgers Act (1992)
Threatened species – includes IUCN categories (flora), Red and Amber bird lists and RDB1 and 2 (invertebrates)
Rare & scarce species – includes Red Data Book, Nationally Rare, Nationally Scarce, Dorset Rare and Dorset Scarce
Priority species – species with a national, regional or local Biodiversity Action Plan or Statement

Status Codes

Many status codes are already in common use though we have added a few specific to Dorset.

ALL TAXON GROUPS
Priority Species	follows Dorset Biodiversity Partnership (2003)
UK	listed by the UK Steering Group with a UK action plan or species statement
Dorset	species with a current action plan or initiative in Dorset

Protection
W&C(1981)	species included in the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) Schedules 1(birds), 5(animals) and 8(plants)
HR(1994) Habitats Regulations (1994)	European Protected Species from Birds Directive Annex I, Habitats and Species Directive II and IV
(1992)	species protected by the Protection of Badgers Act (1992)

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PLANTS	(including bryophytes and fungi)
Threat status	follows Cheffings and Farrell (2005)
RDB(CR)	National RDB Critically Endangered
RDB(EN)	National RDB Endangered
RDB(VU)	National RDB Vulnerable
RDB(LR)	National RDB Lower Risk including Near Threatened (NT) and Data Deficient (DD)
RDB(NT)	National RDB Lower Risk including Near Threatened (NT)
RDB(DD)	Data deficient

Rarity status	follows lists from JNCC web-site
NR	Nationally Rare - occurring in less than sixteen 10km squares nationwide
NS	Nationally Scarce - occurring in sixteen to one hundred 10km squares nationwide
DR	Dorset Rare - species found in three or less sites in Dorset since 01/01/1990
DS	Dorset Scarce - species found in four to ten sites in Dorset since 01/01/1990 and species showing a strong decline in numbers of sites since 1945.
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INVERTEBRATES
Threat status	follows Bratton (1991) and Shirt (1987)
RDB1	endangered
RDB2	vulnerable

Rarity status	follows Bratton (1991) and Shirt (1987)
RDB1	endangered
RDB2	vulnerable
RDB3	rare
RDB4	out of danger
RDB5	endemic to Britain
RDB K	insufficiently known
RDB I	indeterminate
pRDB	potential RDB status
NS(A)	Nationally Scarce invertebrate species found in 16-30 10km squares nationwide
NS(B)	Nationally Scarce invertebrate species found in 31-100 10km squares nationwide
DR	Dorset Rare - species found in three or less sites in Dorset
DS	Dorset Scarce - species found in four to ten sites in Dorset
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BIRDS
Threat status	follows Gregory et al (2002)
Red	Red List species – birds of high conservation concern in Europe
Amber	Amber List species – birds of medium conservation concern in Europe
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AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES and MAMMALS
Rarity status	follows Arnold (1993), Arnold (1995)
NR	Nationally Rare - occurring in fewer than sixteen 10km squares nationwide, and listed in the National Red Data Book
NS	Nationally Scarce Species - occurring in sixteen to one hundred 10km squares nationwide
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References
Arnold, H.R. (1993) Atlas of Mammals in Britain. JNCC and ITE, UK.
Arnold, H.R. (1995) Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Britain. JNCC and ITE, UK.
Bratton, J.H. (ed) (1991) British Red Data Books: 3. Invertebrates other than insects. JNCC, Peterborough.
Cheffings, C.M. and Farrell, L. (Eds) (2005) The Vascular Plant List for Great Britain. Species Status 7: 1-116. JNCC Peterborough
Dorset Biodiversity Partnership (2003) Dorset Biodiversity Strategy 2003. Dorset Wildlife Trust, Bournemouth.
Gregory, R.D, Wilkinson, N.I., Noble, D.G., Robinson, J.A., Brown, A.F., Hughes, J., Procter, D. A., Gibbons, D.W. and Galbraith (2002) The population status of birds in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man: an analysis of conservation concern 2002-2007. British Birds 95:410-450.
Hodgetts, N., Palmer, M. & Wiggington M. (1996) The Pink Book of Plants. JNCC, Peterborough.
Shirt, D.B. (ed) (1987) British Red Data Books: 2. Insects. NCC, Peterborough.
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Grid Resolution

Traditionally species records have been sent to DERC with a national grid reference giving the location. Usually this is a 6 figure grid reference and refers to the SW corner of the 100m square where the species was found. In order to make the taxon layer more user-friendly the symbol for the record has been off-set to the centre of the 100m square. The information table resolution column shows the accuracy of the original grid-reference. Records with resolution > 100m have been excluded.