Conservation of Rare Arable Plants in Britain

Transcription

1 Conservation of Rare Arable Plants in Britain Phil Wilson The Species Recovery Trust

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3 Arable land in UK

4 Species-rich communities on chalk and limestone in southern England Kickxia spuria & Euphorbia exigua Fumaria densiflora Papaver hybridum Valerianella dentata Legousia hybrida Chaenorhinum minus

5 Rare species on chalk Galeopsis angustifolium Adonis annua Fumaria parviflora Ajuga chamaepitys

6 Clay and limestone soils Euphorbia platyphyllos Ranunculus arvensis Torilis arvensis Lythrum hyssopifolia Myosurus minimus Scandix pectenveneris

7 Sandy soils in the east Silene noctiflora Scleranthus annuus Descurainia sophia Anchusa arvensis Papaver argemone

8 Rare species in eastern England Filago lutescens Hypochoeris glabra Veronica triphyllos Teesdalia nudicaulis

9 Western fringes Stachys arvensis Spergula arvensis Misopates orontium

10 Fumaria occidentalis in the west Silene gallica Valerianella rimosa Briza minor

11 Fumaria purpurea and Scotland! Galeopsis speciosa Centaurea cyanus Lamium confertum

12 Galeopsis segetum Some species are now extinct in UK Arnoseris minima

13 Important Arable Plant Areas (IAPAs) A method for evaluating arable plant sites by scoring uncommon species Cumulative scores over a 20 year period European importance - >90 (chalk and limestone), >70 (clay soils and sandy soils) National importance (chalk and limestone), (clay soils and sandy soils)

14 Fivehead Arable Fields nature reserve Anthemis cotula, Brassica nigra, Euphorbia exigua, Euphorbia platyphyllos, Kickxia elatine, Kickxia spuria, Legousia hybrida, Lithospermum arvense, Petroselinum segetum, Polygonum rurivagum, Ranunculus arvensis, Scandix pecten-veneris, Sherardia arvensis, Torilis arvensis, Valerianella dentata, Valerianella rimosa, Veronica polita, Vicia parviflora Score = 92, clay soil over limestone European Importance!

15 Porth Joke Owned by The National Trust. Anchusa arvensis, Brassica nigra, Chaenorhinum minus, Chrysanthemum segetum, Erodium moschatum, Euphorbia exigua, Fumaria bastardii, Fumaria occidentalis, Geranium pusillum, Kickxia elatine, Kickxia spuria, Lamium amplexicaule, Legousia hybrida, Misopates orontium, Papaver hybridum, Petroselinum segetum, Raphanus raphanistrum, Sherardia arvensis, Silene gallica, Silene noctiflora, Spergula arvensis, Stachys arvensis Score = 72, Sandy soil European Importance!!

16 Ranscombe Farm Owned by Plantlife Ajuga chamaepitys, Althaea hirsuta, Anagallis arvensis ssp foemina, Anchusa arvensis, Anthemis cotula, Chaenorhinum minus, Euphorbia exigua, Filago pyramidata, Fumaria densiflora, Kickxia elatine, Kickxia spuria, Lamium amplexicaule, Legousia hybrida, Lithospermum arvense, Mercurialis annua, Papaver argemone, Papaver hybridum, Polygonum rurivagum, Sherardia arvensis, Silene noctiflora, Valerianella dentata, Veronica polita Score = 97 European importance!!

17 Changes in arable farming Herbicides for weed control Use of high yielding crop varieties Large increases in quantities of fertiliser (especially nitrogen) Mechanisation Field boundary removal Changes in crop rotations Field drainage Etc etc

18 Changes to arable plant communities Many species have become much rarer Some species have become more common New species continually appearing Some species have reappeared

19 Bromus sterilis Alopecurus myosuroides Galium aparine

20 Amsinckia intermedia Amaranthus retroflexus Echinochloa crus-galli

21 Scandix pecten-veneris Bromus secalinus Bromus diandrus

22 Arable plant reserves

23 Agri-environment schemes England Entry Level Stewardship Higher Level Stewardship Wales Glastir Scotland Nothing at present

24 Higher Level Stewardship HF14 Unharvested fertiliser-free conservation headland 440/ha HF20 Cultivated fallow plots or margins for arable plants 440/ha Entry level stewardship pays only 30/ha

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26 Problems with managing land for rare arable plants Acceptance by farmers Inappropriate targetting of options Increase of competitive weeds Bromus sterilis Elymus repens Arrhenatherum elatius var bulbosus Sonchus arvensis

27 Porth Joke

28 Improving the Management & Success of Arable Plant Options in ELS & HLS (BD5204)

29 New threats Polarisation of agriculture arable in the east, grassland in the west Minimal cultivation has replaced ploughing Increased economic pressures Food scarcity Leaving the EU

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