The scarce blue-tailed damselfly was recorded in late summer along a restored stretch of the River Ash, which is one of only around 260 chalk rivers on the planet. The species recently faced an elevated threat level, moving from Near Threatened to Endangered on the British Dragonfly Society's Red List. In addition to aiding insects, the newly installed gravel beds along the restored 4.3-mile section are already serving as spawning grounds for brown trout. Conservationists from the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust emphasized that such wetlands also strengthen landscape resilience against drought and floods.
Key points
Reconnecting floodplains and returning chalk rivers to natural channels provides critical…: Reconnecting floodplains and returning chalk rivers to natural channels provides critical breeding habitat for rapidly declining insect species.
The River Ash represents a rare global ecosystem, forming one of only approximately 260 c…: The River Ash represents a rare global ecosystem, forming one of only approximately 260 chalk rivers found worldwide.
Revitalizing river corridors delivers vital ecosystem resilience that protects surroundin…: Revitalizing river corridors delivers vital ecosystem resilience that protects surrounding landscapes from the impacts of flooding and drought.
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- Published
An endangered damselfly has been spotted in wetlands created by an "ambitious" project that restored a stretch of a rare chalk river.
The scare blue-tailed damselfly, one of the world's earliest flying insect species, was recorded alongside the River Ash near Hertford.
The 4.3-mile (7km) stretch at the Easneye Estate was restored to its original course last year.
The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust said that for species facing increasing pressure, creating and restoring suitable habitats was "vital to reversing declines".
The scarce blue-tailed damselfly was recorded at two monitoring sites located close together in late summer.
A new assessment of Britain's dragonflies and damselflies highlighted growing concerns about the future of some species.
The British Dragonfly Society's Red List, external review reclassified the scarce blue-tailed damselfly from Near Threatened to Endangered.
It found that eight species were now classed as endangered, twice the number identified in the previous assessment in 2008.
The River Ash is one of about 260 chalk rivers in the world, and the restoration project has included the creation of new gravel beds.
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