Leighton Moss (2505)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Leighton Moss
Central coordinates: Latitude: 54.1673, Longitude: -2.7942
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 15 to 15
Area of KBA (km2): 1.2974
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA is situated between Silverdale and Warton on the edge of Morecambe Bay, and contains the largest reedbed (Phragmites) in north-west England. The site is important for breeding reedbed species and wintering wildfowl.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989; no significant changes to the boundary since then. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 33 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 67 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Soil erosion, sedimentation | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |