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Table 2 Results from surveys of 45 (3 m2) quadrats
Covering the April 1992 scrape
One species, Tormentil, was noticeable for its significant decline from 31% to 4%, which is in
direct contrast to its increase observed in the August 1992 scrape. This could be a result of the
flooding in the April 1992 scrape, although the appearance of Mat Grass and the increase in
Heather, reported above, suggest that other factors may be responsible for Tormentil's decline.
Birch has remained at much the same frequency (16 - 18%) which gives an indication of the
effectiveness of the grazing (see also below), as well as the effects of winter flooding.
Impacts of grazing
The two 0.25 hectare grids, one over a Bracken-dominated area ('the southern grid') and the
other over a Purple Moor-grass-dominated area ('the northern grid'), have responded differently
to the grazing and so their results are presented separately below in Tables 3a & b and 4a & b
respectively.
Purple Moor-grass
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 16 (1999)