Bright-green Cave-moss (Cyclodictyon laetevirens)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Non-vascular plant (incl. chromists) > moss > Moss |
| Red List Status: | Critically Endangered (Not Relevant) [CR(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Cyclodictyon laetevirens |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Hook. & Taylor) Mitt. |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Callaghan, 2023 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | At risk of extinction in England due to small population size |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | A species with low recovery potential where the main aim is to maintain/protect populations |
| 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): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Combination or other (detail in comments) |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | GB RL criteria: D1. Southern-temperate Hyperoceanic species. Recovery potential low due to climate change and natural rarity. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Undertake surveys and data analysis to determine IUCN Red List status in England
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites:
Comments: In addition to the single known location, nine other sea caves with moderate to high potential for supporting the species have been identified but which remain unsurveyed due to special access requirements by ropes or boat. These sites need to be surveyed and the Red List status of the species re-assessed.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Undertake species distribution modelling to understand vulnerability to projected climate change over the next 50 years
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
Comments: A Hyperoceanic species that may be particularly vulnerable to climate warming
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Undertake research to better understand the ecology and habitat requirements of the species.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
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.