Knothole Yoke-moss (Codonoblepharon forsteri)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Non-vascular plant (incl. chromists) > moss > Moss |
| Red List Status: | Endangered (Not Relevant) [EN(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | Zygodon forsteri |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Codonoblepharon forsteri |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Dicks.) Goffinet |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Callaghan, 2023 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | in s41 as Zygodon forsteri |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | At risk of extinction in England due to small number of locations, small population size and continuing decline |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Research is needed to determine effective conservation approaches |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | The species has a restricted distribution and so is unlikely to benefit from untargeted actions |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 6. Recovery solutions trialled |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Unknown |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | GB RL criteria: B1ab(iii,v), B2ab(iii,v), C2a(i). Southern-temperate Suboceanic species. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Develop and implement national monitoring plan to ensure comprehensive and up-to-date information is available on range size, population size, occupied sites and threatening factors in England
Action targets: 3. National Monitoring Plan agreed and implemented
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Burnham Beeches SSSI, Epping Forest SSSI, The New Forest SSSI
Comments: A species with low recovery potential where the main aim is to maintain/protect populations
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Assess feasibility and develop a plan for reintroduction to South Somerset and Worcestershire
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: (Re-)introduction
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites:
Comments: Historically known from South Somerset and Worcestershire, where reintroduction may be a possibility, using direct translocation of spores from a donor site.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Undertake tree veteranisation trials to develop methods for creating suitable niche space for the species
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Epping Forest SSSI, Burnham Beeches SSSI, The New Forest SSSI
Comments:
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.