More than a quarter of the UK's mammals are at risk of extinction, according to the latest report on the health and conservation of Britain's natural world, as reported by the BBC.
It also mentions that one in seven species is threatened with extinction, while 41 percent of the studied species have recorded a constant population decline since 1970.
Report State of Nature wrote more than 70 non-governmental and governmental organizations monitoring the condition of almost 7000 species. According to him, 26 percent of mammal species are threatened with extinction.
A separate report shows the situation in Scotland, where a decline in the diversity and distribution of species was also recorded. In that part of the UK, an average number of species has declined by 24 per cent, and around one in 10 species is threatened with extinction.
The report mentions that the plant world is also at risk and that a fifth of plant species, along with 15 percent of fungi and lichens, may soon disappear from the territory of Great Britain.
The main culprits: agriculture and climate change
The study states that the key cause of species loss is the intensive development of agriculture. Although it led to greater food production, it also "dramatically affected the biodiversity of agricultural land". The report states, for example, that the area of crops treated with pesticides increased by 53 percent between 1990 and 2010, reports the Index.
State of Nature also pointed to the permanent impact of climate change on Great Britain's biodiversity. According to the British Met Office, the 10 warmest years in the UK have been recorded since 2002.
"Wildlife in Great Britain is in serious trouble. Now is the time for concrete action, we must no longer just pay lip service," said environmentalist Rosie Hales from the National Trust.
"We need new laws to hold politicians accountable and to set long-term and ambitious goals," she added.
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