Taking simple, cost-effective measures now can build resilience and help secure the future of Wales’ most vulnerable species, Natural Resources Wales said today as a new study from the environment body reveals that almost 3,000 species exist in five locations or fewer across Wales.

The ‘Species in Peril’ report makes Wales the first country in the UK to identify its rarest species based on how geographically limited they are, rather than using traditional assessment methods.

Since the millennium, eleven species have already become extinct in Wales, including the Turtle Dove and Belted Beauty moth. The new report identifies species that have declined to near extinction, including the Arctic-Alpine Pea Mussel, Woolly Feather-moss and Eyed Chestnut Wrinkle-lichen.

NRW’s report highlights that almost half of the 2,955 identified species in Wales are restricted to single locations, underlining the need for urgent action to halt and reverse the decline in biodiversity, and to build the resilience of our ecosystems.

The report also finds that many of the species in peril can be better protected through modest and cost-effective steps.

The assessment covers an extraordinary range of life, from the graceful High Brown Fritillary butterfly and rainbow-coloured Snowdon Leaf Beetle to ancient tree lichens in Dinefwr Park. Some conservation hotspots are remarkable, with Newborough Forest and Warren alone supporting 130 Species in Peril.

Wales holds a unique responsibility for 56 species, that are found nowhere else in the UK. This makes the work internationally significant for biodiversity conservation.

Mary Lewis, Head of Natural Resource Management Policy at Natural Resources Wales, said: "This report makes it clear that we aren’t simply ‘at risk’ of seeing species going extinct in Wales, it’s already happening. As a country, we need to take the threat seriously.

“Despite this sobering reality, it’s encouraging that we can do a lot to protect these species through surprisingly modest investment and changes to how we manage our landscapes.

“It’s often about adjusting when vegetation is cut, controlling unwanted vegetation growth, or making sure the right grazing patterns are in place. The Species in Peril report gives us the framework to make those changes.

“With three-quarters of these species on protected sites, we have the framework to act.”

The report categorises each species by why it is considered to be in peril - whether through decline, natural rarity, under-recording, being at the edge of its range, or being a species that has recently spread into Wales.

The report then assesses each species against 17 key threats including habitat loss and climate change.

NRW is already taking proactive steps to reverse biodiversity decline through Natur am Byth, Wales’ flagship Species Recovery programme. This partnership brings together nine environmental charities with NRW to deliver the country’s largest natural heritage and outreach initiative, focused on saving species from extinction.

Alongside this, NRW is improving and connecting habitats across Wales through the Welsh Government-funded Nature Networks Programme. This £26.6m programme tackles the nature emergency by boosting biodiversity, improving the condition of protected sites, and strengthening the resilience and connectivity of habitats and species.

The findings of the report will inform how Natural Resources Wales manages Special Sites of Scientific Interest and contribute to Wales' State of Natural Resources Report. The report findings have been shared with NRW’s on-the-ground conservation officers to help inform their work.

The Species in Peril approach could serve as a template for nations worldwide, demonstrating how to identify threatened vulnerable species that traditional assessments might miss and coordinate conservation action at a national level.