Shore Sedge
Carex limosa
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carex_limosa
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Family
Cyperaceae
Genus
Carex
Shore Sedge belongs to the family Cyperaceae, order Poales, within the Liliopsida class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Shore Sedge faces severe threats from habitat loss due to wetland drainage, peat extraction, and agricultural conversion of its specialized bog and fen habitats. Climate change poses additional risks through altered hydrology and temperature regimes that disrupt the delicate water balance required for bog ecosystems. The species' restricted distribution and specific habitat requirements make remaining populations highly vulnerable to local extinctions.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Shore Sedge inhabits acidic bogs, fens, and wet meadows with consistently high water tables, typically growing in sphagnum moss communities and calcareous wetlands. The species requires nutrient-poor, waterlogged soils and is often found in transitional zones between open water and terrestrial vegetation in northern temperate and boreal regions.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Shore Sedge faces severe threats from habitat loss due to wetland drainage, peat extraction, and agricultural conversion of its specialized bog and fen habitats. Climate change poses additional risks through altered hydrology and temperature regimes that disrupt the delicate water balance required for bog ecosystems. The species' restricted distribution and specific habitat requirements make remaining populations highly vulnerable to local extinctions.
Climate change and altered hydrology
Peat extraction and mining
Wetland drainage and conversion
Agricultural encroachment
Habitat fragmentation
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Shore Sedge (Carex limosa). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/shore-sedge