Mendip Hills & Brean Down

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Bluebell Woodlands: The progressively earlier emergence of the tree canopy leaves combined with the earlier flowering of the deep shade mid summer woodland plants such as bracken and bramble will act to squeeze the relatively short flowering season for the bluebells and other vernal species such as wood anemone and ramsons, until eventually they disappear. Somerset's lowland bluebell carpets will be the first to go. Other ancient woodland indicator species such as yellow archangel and herb paris are also under threat because of their poor dispersal characteristics.

Skylark: Resident populations of skylark, threatened throughout the last century by agricultural intensification, are often boosted by numbers of migrants from Scandinavia. As winter temperatures become milder fewer and fewer skylarks will make the journey to the UK and overall numbers may fall.

Dormice: Although this species is also found in southern France and Italy, warm damp autumns and winters are likely to badly impact on dormice hibernations and could leave youngsters without a consistent food supply. All of this is on top of the problems of habitat loss and lack of suitable corridors within the countryside.