Cheddar Whitebeam (Sorbus cheddarensis)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Vascular plant > flowering plant > Shrub/sub-shrub |
| 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: | Sorbus cheddarensis |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | L.Houston & Ashley Robertson |
| 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: | Yes |
| Justification: | Cheddar Sorbus species (S. cheddarensis, S. eminentoides, S. rupicoloides) were being surveyed with Forestry Commission funding in 2024 (awaiting publication) and National Trust will be completing more surveys in 2025. The main issues are goat grazing affecting established trees, lack of regeneration (too much sheep grazing, spread of Rubus carpeting ground) and some trees affected by a fungus (as for Avon Gorge). Suggest review in 2026 when existing work completed. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | May require localised fencing to project some trees, and understanding of fungus affecting trees. |
| 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: | Wider management of Cheddar Gorge a key factor but very complex balance. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Pathogen, hybridisation, INNS |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Structured - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Cheddar Sorbus can be grouped together for similar action plans |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: On-going already funded project by Forestry Commission/Forestry England collecting the data needed to determine the actions, review when data available
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: Cheddar Gorge SSSI
Comments: ongoing project with funds
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.