More photos of our intrepid volunteers in June 2014 and results: -
Plots first and then the 1km walk
Plots first and then the 1km walk
Scale=
Domin
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
%
cover
|
<1
1-2
indivs
|
<1
Several
indivs
|
1-4
|
5-10
|
11-25
|
26-33
|
34-50
|
51-75
|
75-90
|
91-100
|
What is 1%? |
Area 1 - the wet woodlands
Alder
|
Alnus glutinosa
|
3
|
Ash
|
Fraxinus
excelsior
|
1
|
Bramble
|
Rubus
fruticosus
|
8
|
Cleavers
|
Galium
aparine
|
6
|
Creeping
buttercup
|
Ranunculus
repens
|
8
|
Enchanter’s
nightshade
|
Circaea lutetiana
|
7
|
Hawthorn
|
Crataegus
monogyna
|
2
|
Holly
|
Ilex aquifolium
|
1
|
Honeysuckle
|
Lonicera periclymenum
|
1
|
Ivy
|
Hedera
helix
|
1
|
Red
currant
|
Ribes
rubrum
|
1
|
Scaly male
fern
|
Dryopteris
affinis
|
4
|
Soft rush
|
Juncus
effusus
|
5
|
Wavy
bittercress
|
Cardamine
flexuosa
|
1
|
Dandelion
|
Taraxacum
sp.
|
1
|
Broadleaved
willowherb
|
Epilobium
montanum
|
2
|
Area 2 - the dry meadow
Common
Spotted orchid
|
Dactylorhiza
fuchsii
|
3
|
Common
Vetch
|
Vicia
sativa
|
3
|
Creeping
buttercup
|
Ranunculus
repens
|
3
|
Creeping
Thistle
|
Cirsium
arvense
|
4
|
Cut
leaved cranesbill
|
Geranium
dissectum
|
1
|
Greater
stitchwort
|
Stellaria
holostea
|
2
|
Hop trefoil
|
Trifolium
campestre
|
3
|
Ribwort
plantain
|
Plantago
lanceolata
|
4
|
Sheep’s
sorrel
|
Rumex
acetosella
|
4
|
Grasses
(see below)
|
7
|
|
Cocks
foot
|
Dactylis
glomerata
|
|
Ryegrass
|
Lolium
perenne
|
|
Timothy
|
Phleum pratense
sens
|
|
Falseoat
|
Arrhenatherum
elatius
|
|
Rough
bluegrass
|
Poa
trivialis
|
Common
Knapweed
|
Centurea nigra
|
3
|
Spear
thistle
|
Cirsium vulgare
|
3
|
Area 3 - the boggy bit
Black medic
|
Medicago lupulina
|
3
|
Bramble
|
Rubus fruticosus
|
3
|
Broad leaved dock
|
Rumex obtusifolius
|
1
|
Cleavers
|
Galium aparine
|
1
|
Cocks foot
|
Dactylis glomerata
|
2
|
Common Knapweed
|
Centaurea nigra
|
2
|
Common mousear
|
Cerastium fontanum
|
2
|
Common vetch
|
Vicia sativa
|
1
|
Compact rush
|
Juncus conglomerates
|
5
|
Creeping buttercup
|
Ranunculus repens
|
3
|
Creeping Thistle
|
Cirsium arvense
|
1
|
Falseoat
|
Arrhenatherum elatius
|
2
|
Greater stitchwort
|
Stellaria holostea
|
3
|
Hogweed
|
Heracleum sphondylium
|
1
|
Long leaved plantain
|
Plantago lanceolata
|
1
|
Meadow buttercup
|
Ranunculus acris
|
3
|
*Meadow vetchling
|
Lathyrus pratensis
|
4
|
Sedge
|
Carex sp
|
2
|
Sheep’s sorrel
|
Rumex acetosella
|
2
|
Silver weed
|
Potentilla anserine
|
2
|
Soft rush
|
Juncus effusus
|
4
|
Timothy
|
Phleum pratense sens
|
1
|
White dead nettle?
|
Lamium album
|
2
|
Yorkshire fog
|
Holcus lanatus
|
6
|
*Meadow vetchling
|
Lathyrus pratensis
|
Now 5
|
Field woundwort
|
Stachys arvensis
|
4
|
The 1km walk - species list
English
|
Latin
|
Alder
|
Alnus glutinosa
|
Ash
|
Fraxinus excelsior
|
Beech
|
Fagus sylvatica
|
Black bryony
|
Tamus communis
|
Black medic
|
Medicago lupulina
|
Blackcurrant
|
Ribes nigrum
|
Blackthorn
|
Prunus spinosa
|
Bluebell
|
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
|
Bracken
|
Pteridium aquilinum
|
Bramble
|
Rubus fruticosus
|
Broad leaved dock
|
Rumex obtusifolius
|
Broad-leaved
willowherb
|
Epilobium
montanum
|
Brook lime
|
Veronica beccabunga
|
Bugle
|
Ajuga reptans
|
Bulbous buttercup
|
Ranunculus bulbosus
|
Butterbur
|
Petasites hybridus
|
Cherry
|
Prunus sp
|
Cleavers
|
Galium aparine
|
Cocks foot
|
Dactylis glomerata
|
Common Knapweed
|
Centaurea
nigra
|
Common knotgrass
|
Polygonum aviculare
|
Common mousear
|
Cerastium fontanum
|
Common nettle
|
Urtica dioica
|
Common sorrel
|
Rumex acetosa
|
Common spotted
orchid
|
Dactylorhiza fuchsii
|
Common vetch
|
Vicia sativa
|
Compact rush
|
Juncus conglomerates
|
Cotoneaster
|
Cotoneaster sp
|
Cow parsley
|
Anthriscus sylvestris
|
Creeping
buttercup
|
Ranunculus repens
|
Creeping thistle
|
Cirsium arvense
|
Crested dogstail
|
Cynosurus cristatus
|
Curly dock
|
Rumex crispus
|
Cut leaf
cranesbill
|
Geranium dissectum
|
Dandelion
|
Taraxacum sp.
|
Dock
|
Rumex obtisuflous
|
Dog rose
|
Rosa canina
|
Enchanter’s
nightshade
|
Circaea lutetiana
|
Falseoat
|
Arrhenatherum elatius
|
Field bindweed
|
Convolvulus arvensis
|
Field horsetail
|
Equisetum arvense
|
Field maple
|
Acer campestre
|
Field woundwort
|
Stachys arvensis
|
Fleabane
|
Pulicaria dysenterica
|
Garlic mustard
|
Alliaria petiolata
|
Great willowherb
|
Epilobium hirsutum
|
Greater
stitchwort
|
Stellaria holostea
|
Greater/ broad
leaf plantain
|
Plantago major
|
Greater/ giant
willowherb
|
Epilobium hirsutum
|
Ground elder
|
Aegopodium podagraria
|
Guelder rose
|
Viburnum opulus
|
Hard rush
|
Juncus inflexus
|
Hawthorn
|
Crataegus monogyna
|
Hazel
|
Corylus
avellana
|
Hedge bindweed
|
Calystegia sepium
|
Hemp-agrimoney
|
Eupatorium cannabinum
|
Herb bennet
|
Geum urbanum
|
Herb-robert
|
Geranium robertianum
|
Hogweed
|
Heracleum sphondylium
|
Holly
|
Ilex aquifolium
|
Honeysuckle
|
Lonicera periclymenum
|
Hop trefoil
|
Trifolium campestre
|
Horsetail
|
Equisetum
|
Ivy
|
Hedera helix
|
Ladies mantle
|
Alchemilla mollis
|
laurel
|
Prunus laurocerasus
|
Lesser spearwort
|
Ranunculus flammula
|
Long leaved
plantain
|
Plantago lanceolata
|
Lords-and-ladies
|
Arum maculatum
|
Marsh willowherb
|
Epilobium palustre
|
Meadow buttercup
|
Ranunculus acris
|
Meadow cranesbill
|
Geranium pratense
|
Meadow vetchling
|
Lathyrus pratensis
|
Meadowsweet
|
Filipendula ulmaria
|
Montbretia
|
Crocosmia
|
Nettle
|
Urtica dioica
|
Oak
(pendunculate)
|
Quercus robur
|
Pineappleweed
|
Matricaria discoidea
|
Purple-loosestrife
|
Lythrum salicaria
|
Ragged robin
|
Lychnis flos-cuculi
|
Ragwort
|
Senecio jacobaea
|
Red bartsia
|
Odontites verna
|
Red clover
|
Trifolium pratense
|
Red currant
|
Ribes rubrum
|
Redshank
|
Persicaria maculosa
|
Ribwort plantain
|
Plantago lanceolata
|
Rosebay
willowherb
|
Chamerion angustifolium
|
Rough bluegrass
|
Poa trivialis
|
Ryegrass
|
Lolium perenne
|
Scaly male fern
|
Dryopteris affinis
|
Sedge
|
Carex sp
|
Sheep’s sorrel
|
Rumex acetosella
|
Silver birch
|
Betula pendula
|
Silver weed
|
Potentilla anserine
|
Soft rush
|
Juncus effusus
|
Spear thistle
|
Circium vulgare
|
Sweet vernal
|
Anthoxanthum odoratum
|
Sycamore
|
Acer pseudoplatanus
|
Timothy
|
Phleumpratense sens
|
Tufted vetch
|
Vicia cracca
|
Water mint
|
Mentha
aquatica
|
Water pepper
|
Persicaria hydropiper
|
Wavy bittercress
|
Cardamine flexuosa
|
White clover
|
Trifolium repens
|
White dead nettle
|
Lamium album
|
Wild angelica
|
Angelica sylvestris
|
Wild carrot
|
Daucus carota
|
Willow
|
Salix sp
|
Wood avens
|
Geum urbanum
|
Wood-sorrel
|
Oxalis acetosella
|
Yellow iris
|
Iris pseudacorus
|
Yellow rattle
|
Rhinanthus minor
|
Yorkshire fog
|
Holcus lanatus
|
Plantlife is an organisation set up in 1989, after a conference of leading conservation groups argued that not enough was being done to protect and conserve plants, wild flowers and fungi. Its first president was David Bellamy. Although the rarer flowers are protected, the organisation highlighted the importance of maintaining the more common plants and in 2000 they launched the Wildflowers Count – the only annual wild flower survey in the UK. Experts and non-experts alike are invited to monitor areas near where they live and submit their results to Plantlife. This allows a picture to be built up of the biodiversity and health of the environment nationwide.
In 2010 Plantlife launched its first children’s wild flower survey, appropriately called “Bee Scene”, as part of a five year project to encourage all age groups to learn about wild plants. This information has been provided to the local schools to stimulate their interest in the ‘nature reserve’ on their doorstep here in Nant Fawr.
At the local level we belong to the Cardiff Biodiversity Partnership, an umbrella group for the different organisations involved in conservation in and around the city. One of its current projects is research into pollinators and the need to increase them. This ties in well with our intention of maximising the flowering potential of the native wild flowers in our meadows.
We need first to establish a baseline of the wild flowers to be found in our meadows. Then we plan to improve biodiversity by collecting the seeds from desirable species. In the following year(s) the seeds can be sown, or planted as plugs, in the areas we wish to improve, thus helping to maximise the flowering of native plants. This will in turn encourage more pollinators to thrive and provide useful data for the Pollinator study mentioned above. So this year sees the start of an ongoing data collection (and seed collection).
We have now registered with Plantlife and they provide the survey packs (free!). We have been allocated our 1 km square that need to be monitored. There are, at present) some 99 wild flowers on their list to look out for over the spring and summer months.
The Survey in June will consist of : -
This will be repeated in August
If you would like to find out more about Plantlife, and the Survey, visit their website: -
http://www.plantlife.org.uk/Biodiversity