The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) has undertaken three national surveys of the British and Irish flora. The most recent, Plant Atlas 2020, was based on fieldwork between 2000 and 2019 and is the focus of the latest report.
Plant Atlas 2020 provides updated distribution maps for 3,495 plant species found growing in the wild in Britain and Ireland. The results of this survey are available on a dedicated website – plantatlas2020.org – and in a two-volume book.
The main results for Britain, including the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, can be found on the BSBI website. A separate report has been produced for Ireland. Comparison with the previous surveys has revealed substantial changes in the distribution of many plant species. The main changes that have taken place since fieldwork was undertaken for the first atlas and its supplement in the period 1930–1969 are outlined as well as what we need to do to restore Britain’s changing flora.