Wales supports an extraordinary diversity of lower plants and fungi. Despite occupying only 10% of the total land area of the British Isles Wales supports 75% of the total diversity of mosses and liverworts, 74% of the lichens and 80% of the rust fungi.

Plantlife have produced a strategy outlining targets and actions that will help in the conservation of these important groups of lower plants and fungi. These species are vital to the operation of our ecosystems, the structure of our soils and services to humans in supplying us with food, clothing and medicine.

Targets that have been drawn up include a need to ensure that distribution maps of all lower plants and fungi are available in Wales and to maintain a public list of these species at a national and county level. Promotion of the identification and conservation of key habitats for lower plants and fungi is identified as a key target, along with survey and sympathetic management of these sites.

Training for interested people is vital as the skills to identify these species is lacking apart from a few core experts. Raising awareness is vital if enough interest and expertise is to be built up to ensure that enough knowledge is available to survey and carry out effective conservation action.