Hartpury University is supporting a new conservation project with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to better understand and protect the rare mistletoe marble moth, a UK priority species.
The project has secured funding through Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme, part of the Government’s largest-ever investment in the recovery of England’s threatened species.
The mistletoe marble moth is closely associated with mistletoe, with relatively little currently known about its distribution and rates of colonisation. Gloucestershire is an important stronghold for mistletoe in the UK, with the plant particularly associated with traditional orchards.
As part of the project, Hartpury University will contribute specialist expertise to investigate the colonisation rates and distribution of both mistletoe and the mistletoe marble moth within traditional orchards.
Traditional orchards are important habitats for a wide range of wildlife, including saproxylic species - animals, fungi and other organisms that depend on dead and decaying wood for some part of their lifecycle. They can also support diverse communities of invertebrates, birds and mammals, making their conservation important well beyond a single species.
Dr Lucy Garrett, Research Lecturer in Biodiversity and Conservation said: “We’re delighted to be involved in this important project with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and to contribute to the recovery of the mistletoe marble moth.
“There is still a great deal we don’t know about this species, including how it colonises new areas and how its distribution relates to mistletoe and the traditional orchard habitats where both can be found.
“By improving our understanding of these relationships, we can help build the evidence needed to support effective conservation. It is also a great example of how protecting a particular species can help us understand and support the much wider biodiversity associated with these valuable habitats.”
The project forms part of Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme, which is supporting 130 projects targeting 364 threatened species across England through £60 million of Government funding over the next three years.
The national programme aims to support the recovery of threatened plants, animals and fungi through activities including research into species decline, habitat improvements, captive breeding and reintroduction.
For Hartpury, the project also provides an opportunity to contribute to applied conservation research while supporting the development of knowledge and expertise around biodiversity and habitat management.
The project will also provide valuable opportunities for Hartpury students to engage with real-world conservation research as part of their education. By connecting classroom learning with applied fieldwork and research, students can develop practical experience in species monitoring, habitat assessment, data collection and biodiversity conservation, while gaining insight into how scientific evidence is used to inform the management and recovery of threatened species.
