Common juniper in Britain:a review of the challenges facingthis iconic species

摘要

Common juniper (Juniperus communis sensu lata) is one of only three native conifers in Britain. It is widely but unevenly distributed with many small and fragmented populations, sometimes comprising ten or fewer bushes. The decline in populations is largely due to a lack of natural regeneration, which in turn is linked to poor seed quality and a shortage of suitable safe sites for germination and seedling establishment. Poor seed quality is often attributed to population size and structure such as mature, even-aged bushes or unbalanced sex ratios. Many populations though have declined further despite intensive conservation management. The aim of this paper is to provide updated information about the taxonomy, reproductive biology, emerging pathogens and conservation of this species.