Species of the Day: Waterclover
© Hanno Shäfer
Species of the Day: Waterclover Waterclover, Marsilea azorica, is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. It is a small fern of 5–15 cm in height, with four beautiful leaflets. Waterclover only grows in a small seasonal puddle on the Terceira Island of the Azores Archipelago. Geographical range
www.iucnredlist.org www.arkive.org Help Save Species
The main threats to the Waterclover are related to agricultural development, and the contamination and degradation of its habitat by the establishment of exotic species. The isolation of the population and its limited dispersal make this small fern highly vulnerable to genetic impoverishment. Waterclover is included on the Bern Convention and on the EC Habitats Directive, the aim of which is to contribute towards ensuring the survival of biodiversity through the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora within the European Community. However, urgent conservation actions are required to save this species by conserving its habitat, especially through banning the use of fertilizers and chemical products around the small pool where it lives, and fencing it off in order to prevent livestock access.
Species of the Day is sponsored by
The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership: IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife International, Conservation International, NatureServe and Zoological Society of London.
Species of the Day: Waterclover Waterclover, Marsilea azorica, is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. It is a small fern of 5–15 cm in height, with four beautiful leaflets. Waterclover only grows in a small seasonal puddle on the Terceira Island of the Azores Archipelago. Geographical range
www.iucnredlist.org www.arkive.org Help Save Species
The main threats to the Waterclover are related to agricultural development, and the contamination and degradation of its habitat by the establishment of exotic species. The isolation of the population and its limited dispersal make this small fern highly vulnerable to genetic impoverishment. Waterclover is included on the Bern Convention and on the EC Habitats Directive, the aim of which is to contribute towards ensuring the survival of biodiversity through the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora within the European Community. However, urgent conservation actions are required to save this species by conserving its habitat, especially through banning the use of fertilizers and chemical products around the small pool where it lives, and fencing it off in order to prevent livestock access.
Species of the Day is sponsored by
The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership: IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife International, Conservation International, NatureServe and Zoological Society of London.
