Loddon Pondweed (Potamogeton nodosus)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Vascular plant > flowering plant > Aquatic plant |
| Red List Status: | Vulnerable (Not Relevant) [VU(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: | Potamogeton nodosus |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | Poir. |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | in Stroh et al., 2014 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | Assessed as VU in England by Stroh et al. (2014) due to its presence in <5 locations (all subpopulations in England). However, the forthcoming revision to the GB Red List (Stroh et al., in prep) assesses this species as LC, due to its relatively stable distribution in the Bristol Avon, the Dorset Stour and the River Loddon (Berkshire), and its rediscovery in the Thames in 2009 (in the late 20th century it was thought to be extinct here); it is now known from several sites in the river, being locally abundant in places. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | This nationally scarce aquatic is confined to a few calcareous and moderately eutrophic rivers in England. Most actions pertaining to its conservation and recovery should be (theoretically) addressed through measures designed to improve general water quality via the EA and water companies (Asset Management Plan) schemes, as well as methods to that restrict run-off into the river system. |
| 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: | Yes |
| Justification: | Most actions pertaining to its conservation and recovery should be (theoretically) addressed through measures designed to improve general river habitat and water quality via the EA and water companies (Asset Management Plan) schemes, as well as methods that restrict run-off into the river system. |
Species Assessment
Not relevant as no Key Actions defined.
Key Actions
No Key Actions Defined
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.