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The Woodland Education Centre
The Heathland Restoration Project
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Ecological Survey 2001

Spring, Summer & Autumn Cut (Section 6)

These descriptions build upon the descriptions of the sections given in the 2000 ecological survey and should be read in conjunction for maximum benefit.
Spring, Summer & Autumn Cut Section 2000

Observations 2000 - 2001

Section 6 2001 Section 6 continued to be a very diverse wild flower meadow, containing a number of dense clumps of Heather and a little Bell Heather.

 

Cat's-ear in section 6 2001. There were few overall changes in the composition of the vegetation of the section from the preceding year.

Cat's-ear (left) maintained a similar abundance and continued to be a dominant species. It was intermingled with much lesser quantities of Autumn Hawkbit.

 

Woodrush Woodrushes (left) continued to be an important component, occurring in over half of the quadrats sampled. 

 

Heath Speedwell and Polytrichum in section 6. Heath Speedwell (oval leaves, left foreground) increased in abundance for the second consecutive year. It was now found in 75% of all quadrats sampled, covering almost 20% of the area..

The moss, Polytrichum formosum, (visible in the back right-hand corner)  had declined over the year.

 

A diverse sward in section 6. The sward in this section was a highly diverse tangled mass of different species.

The very small section pictured (left) covered an area of no more than a few inches square. This tiny representative patch contains at least 8 discernible species (Marsh Thistle, Yorkshire Fog, violet, Heath Speedwell, woodrushes, Bugle, Yellow Pimpernel and Slender St. John's-wort).

 

 

Dominant Plants in Section 6 in 2001
with figures from 2000 for comparison.

Characteristic heath species are in bold print

Species Overall % frequency Mean % Cover (all quadrats)
2001 2000 2001 2000
Common Bent 100 81 36 29
Yorkshire Fog 97 90 14 19
Eurhynchium praelongum 94 81 41 33
Common Dog-violet 94 78 13 14
Heath Speedwell 75 49 18 10
Bugle 64 61 10 14
Field Woodrush 54 42 8 4
Slender St John's-wort 52 27 6 2
Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil 49 55 9 14
Cat's-ear 45 49 5 6
Thuidium tamarascinum 43 49 7 21
Marsh Thistle 42 48 4 13
Polytrichum formosum 29 49 15 28
Wood Sage 29 16 1 1
Green-ribbed Sedge 27 23 3 5
European Gorse 27 20 4 2
Pill Sedge 27 20 2 2
Velvet Bent 23 35 7 10
Smooth-stalked Sedge 23 23 3 3
Heather 17 14 7 3
Percentage frequency = the percentage of the total number of quadrats sampled over the whole site which contain the species. For example, a percentage frequency of 100%, means that the species was found in all quadrats sampled.

 

>> Continue to Hand weeded Section

 

 

Ecological Survey 2001
Contents