Habitat preferences of three Chorthippus species (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the Chelmsford area
Table 3: Median Domin values for selected vegetation species
at the six study sites in 2000
Site
Species_____________________1__ 2 3 4 5 6
Agrostis capillaris 9 9
Agrostis stolonifera 8
Alopecurus myosuroides 6
Anisantha sterilis 5 2
Arrhenatherum elatius 3
Avena fatua 2 3
Bromus hordeaceus 6
Calluna vulgaris 5
Cirsium vulgare 5
Erica cinerea 3
Festuca ovina 6
Festuca rubra 3
Holcus lanatus 2 6 5
Holcus mollis 5
Hypochaeris radicata 5
Juncus spp. 5
Lolium perenne 10 6 2
Phleum pratense 10
Plantago major 2 3
Poa trivialis 8 6 2
Quercus robur 3
Trifolium repens 5
Ulex europaeus______________6________________________________________________
1: Galleywood Common 4: Mill Green Common
2: Highwood Set-aside 5: Sturgeon's Track
3: Long Meadow 6: Writtle Set-aside
The abundance of bare earth at each of the six study sites was also very variable (Table 4). High
quantities of bare earth were particuarly evident at Highwood Set-aside and Long Meadow, whereas
there was little present in the heathy vegetation of Galleywood Common and Mill Green Common.
The latter two sites were particularly favourable for C brunneus and C. parallelus, despite (the
apparent lack of any sizeable patches of bare earth.
Table 4: Median Domin value of bare earth for each site in 2000
Site Median Dunlin
_______________________________Value
Long Meadow 6
Highwood Set-aside 5
Galleywood Common 3
Mill Green Common 3
Sturgeon's Track 2
Writtle Set-aside 1
88
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 20 (2003)