ENGLISH NATURES CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONSERVATION OF NONMARINE MOLLUSKS

Species work is undertaken by English Nature under four interelated he adings: Wildlife & Countryside Act, Habitats & Species Directive, Biod iversity Action Plan and the Species Recovery Programme which focusses primarily on species listed in the schedules of the Wildlife & Coutry side Act and, more recently, in the Biodiversity Action Plan. Over the past five years, nearly all the species listed in the 'short list' of the Biodiversity Action Plan have received some attention through com missioned work. This paper describes current work on molluscs includin g action plans and assessment of the status and extent of known popula tions for Lauria sempronii, Pseudanodonta complanata, Segmentina nitid a and Anisus vorticulus. Seven special areas of conservation have been recommended to the UK government, and another four will be submitted shortly for the Jive species of Molluscs on Annex II of the European U nion Habitats & Species Directive. Surveys have been undertaken to est ablish the boundaries of these areas for Vertigo moulinsiana and Marga ritifera margaritifera. The Directive requires listed species to be mo nitored and work is progressing on a method for Vertigo angustior. Mon itoring of Myxas glutinosa at its only known site under the species re covery programme was unsuccessful, so that proposed management has bee n postponed until it is clear that the snail still exists.