Monday 27 January 2014

Why we must protect Beddington Farmlands and Stop the South London Incinerator #3

OTHER WILDLIFE

Work is currently under way to complete a full species inventory of all biodiversity at Beddington Farmlands.
So far over 300 species of plant (not including the many fungi and lichens also present), 9 species of bats, 256 species of birds, 476 species of moth, 29 species of butterfly , 46 species of bugs, over 300 species of beetle, 358 species of flies, 99 species of bees, wasps and ants and many more grasshoppers, earwings, lacwings, caddis flies and spiders.  Despite these numbers we have only scratched the surface and many many more species await discovery.  

 A healthy population of Red Foxes are on site 
 A Common Lizard population has been recently discovered 
 A Red Underwing Moth. 476 species of moth have been recorded including possibly the only breeding population of the Dewick's Plusia. Over 60 species occurring are of national conservation concern/ interest.

 Elephant Hawk Moth- up to 12 were caught in one trap in August 2013
 Broad-bodied Chaser- one of several species of dragonfly which thrive on site 
Red Admiral- one of 25 regularly occurring butterfly species including Purple Hairstreak and Marbled White 
A hoverfly- Flies are an often un-appreciated important pollinators (much more important than bees). Over 350 species have been recorded at Beddington Farmlands including 41 species of conservation concern. One of those species, Litophasia hyalipennis was discovered which was previously considered extinct from the planet!

The South London Incinerator proposal includes the over-riding of Metropolitan Open Land (equivalent to Green Belt in an urban area) status, over-riding of SINC (Site of Importance for Nature Conservation) status and over-riding of planning condiitons to restore the proposed Incinerator site to Biodiversity Action Plan Habitat. A chilling precedent will be set which could threaten the whole protected network of conservation habitat not only locally but the whole of the UK.

Stop the South London Incinerator:
www.stoptheincinerator.co.uk

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