Wicken Fen (NT)

Wicken Fen nature reserve, Cambs, is owned by the National Trust. The first land acquisition was in 1899. The core of Wicken Fen is 255 ha of SSSI/SAC and 170 ha is the high quality, ancient undrained sedge fen. The total site is approaching 800 hectares as arable deep drained farmland has been bought and restored. Wicken has a very long history of natural history recording, with the earliest data from pre-1880. Significant effort in recording was carried out in the 1920s, 1990s, and since the Wicken Fen Vision was launched in 1999. The Vision aims to create a landscape-scale nature reserve of over 50km2 within one large drainage area, and the land area of the reserve has increased 2.5 times in the last 25 years. The most species-rich taxon groups are the Diptera (2067 species), Coleoptera (1775) and Moths (1248).

Last modified: 

Saturday, August 5, 2023 - 09:04
Warrington-Stuart's picture

Size: 

800.00hectares

Species total: 

9421

Ranking breakdown

Breakdown of species counts by category

Algae: 

313

Slime Moulds: 

7

Protists other than Algae and Slime Moulds: 

38

Lichens: 

131

Fungi other than Lichens, including fungoid organisms: 

685

Bryophytes: 

140

Vascular Plants: 

442

Sponges: 

1

Molluscs: 

89

Bryozoans: 

3

Annelid worms: 

29

Arachnids: 

325

Myriapods: 

20

Crustaceans: 

128

Springtails, proturans and 2-tailed bristletails: 

43

Insects: Odonata: 

29

Insects: orthopteroids: 

13

Insects: hemipteroids: 

451

Insects: Hymenoptera: 

855

Insects: Coleoptera: 

1 775

Insects: Diptera: 

2 067

Insects: Lepidoptera: butterflies: 

35

Insects: Lepidoptera: moths: 

1 248

Insects: remaining small orders: 

163

Fish: 

24

Reptiles: 

3

Amphibians: 

4

Birds: 

229

Mammals: 

34

other Animals (Placozoa, Myxozoa, rotifers, other worms, Hemichordata, etc.): 

97