The Somerset Levels are the largest area of lowland wet grassland remaining in the UK, supporting internationally important populations of wintering wildfowl, waders and nationally important assemblages of plants, insects and breeding birds. The Somerset Levels are also important for their landscape, historical and wetland heritage.
The Somerset Levels contain nationally important wildlife sites, including 15 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), that cover around 22% or 6,880 hectares of the Somerset IDB District. Many of these SSSIs are also World Wetland Sites (Ramsar sites) and European Special Protection Areas.
The Somerset IDBs water management activities provide suitable conditions for many species of water bird and the extensive network of IDB maintained watercourses are home to a wide range of rare aquatic invertebrates and plants.
Biodiversity Action Plans
The Somerset IDBs have recently produced a Biodiversity Action Plan (IDB BAP) for the Somerset Levels that aims to improve the integration of biodiversity conservation and enhancement into IDB activities and work programmes. The Somerset IDB BAP also provides a formal mechanism to help demonstrate and record the contribution the IDBs make to conserving biodiversity. Please follow the link below to download a copy of the new IDB Biodiversity Action Plan for Somerset.
DOWNLOAD: Somerset IDB Biodiversity Action Plan 2010
The Somerset IDBs have prepared a Biodiversity Action Plan (IDB BAP).
