Conservation & Ecology
“
Northern hay meadows form a distinctive
community centred on the Pennine Dales and Cumbria, with outliers in the Peak District, north Wales and Scotland
Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea)
because of the geology and soil type, but also down to hydrology (movement of water through the soil). Rivers commonly flooded over the winter
and entrained within the flood-water was nutrient-rich silt which would be deposited on, what were, mainly alluvial soils. This flooding was managed in the water-meadows and would also be used to warm the meadows in the spring and encourage growth.
Northern hay meadows form a distinctive Meadow Buttercups (Ranunculus acris)
The National Vegetation Classification forms the background against which we consider the most appropriate species mix to select when trying to establish a wildflower area
” 106 I PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
community centred on the Pennine Dales and Cumbria, with outliers in the Peak District, north Wales and Scotland. Here, the meadows endure a cooler climate with a late, shorter growing season. Almost every county has its own distinct meadow vegetation that is peculiar to the local climate and soil type, but one type of wild flower area, MG5, can be recognised throughout most of the UK. Ecologists categorise meadows by the
assemblage and proportion of the different types of plants through a standard methodology presented in a series of volumes by John Rodwell; the National Vegetation Classification (NVC). Each NVC community was given a code number and a name. The code indicates which broad habitat type it belongs to and provides a shorthand label. MG5, Crested Dog's-tail - Common Knapweed (Cynosurus cristatus - Centaurea nigra) Grassland is the type that occurs over most of the neutral grassland that grows on deep, brown soils of a loamy or clay texture, across a wide range of pH, calcium content and soil moisture regime. Most general wildflower seed mixtures are loosely based on the plants that occur within this community because these species are known to have a wide ecological tolerance. This forms the background against which
we consider the most appropriate species mix to select when trying to establish a wildflower area. Significant factors to consider are:
- Soil type - this has an important effect on
the availability and flow of moisture through the site as well as the response of the soil to the weather
- pH - determines the availability of particular nutrients. Plants have a preference for acid, neutral or alkali soil types
- Hydrology - this is affected by the soil type, but specifically concerns the movement of water through the soil, i.e. where ground water comes to the surface in a flush or spring, or the water table fluctuates considerably through the season
- Nutrient availability - there is no area within Britain that has not been affected by man. The amount and type of nutrients available within the soil will have the most significant effect on establishing a wildflower area
- Location - the east of the country is strongly influenced by the continental climate and is, therefore, colder and drier, whereas the west is driven by the Atlantic which is warmer and wetter. Temperatures in the north of Britain are lower over the course of a year than in the south
- Altitude - for every 1,000 metres of altitude, the average temperature falls by about 6.4°C
- Aspect - this determines how much incidental sunlight a site is exposed to. South facing exposures can dry out very quickly and experience higher temperatures, whereas north facing slopes can lie cold and wet
- Previous management - sites with a history of human intervention will take longer to develop a stable flora than sites that have been left untouched
Close attention to the flora growing locally is a useful shortcut to knowing what type of plants will thrive naturally. Useful guide books that can be used to help identify the various wildflowers are:
The Wildflower Key by Francis Rose, updated
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