A management tool for monitoring the botanical condition of EWT grassland nature reserves
indicator species of sward composition: Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria, Adder's- tongue-
Fern Ophioglossum vulgatum, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, Betony Stachys
officinalis, Burnet-saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga, Bird's-foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus.
Cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis, Cowslip Primula veris. Devil's-bit Scabious Succisa
pratensis, Dyers Greenweed Genista tinctoria, Grass Vetchling Lathyrus nissolia. Green-
winged Orchid Orchis morio. Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus/L. saxatilis, Harebell
Campanula rotundifolia, Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum. Salad Burnet Sanguisorba
minor. Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis,
milkworts Polygala spp., Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare. Pepper-saxifrage Silaum
silaus, Pignut Conopodium majus, Ragged-robin Lychnis flos-cuculi, Selfheal Prunella
vulgaris, small blue-green sedges Carex spp., Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, Tormentil
Potentilla erecta, Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor.
TARGET: AT LEAST TWO SPECIES ARE FREQUENT AND TWO OCCASIONAL,
i.e. out of 20 stops species recorded between 5 and 8 times arc occasional and those
recorded 9 or over are frequent throughout the walk.
4) Sward composition: frequency of negative indicator spccics/taxa - these are listed as
injurious weeds under the Weeds Act 1959. Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense. Spear
Thistle Cirsium vulgare. Broad-leaved Dock Rumex obtusifolius. Curled Dock Rumex
crispus and ragwort species Senecio spp.. Others also include Cow Parsley Anthriscus
sylvestris and Common Nettle Urtica dioica. Some negative indicators have been rejected
because of difficulties of identification.
TARGET: NO SPECIES MORE THAN OCCASIONAL THROUGHOUT THE
SWARD OR SINGLY OR TOGETHER MORE THAN 5% COVER
5) Sward composition: indicators of waterlogging - certain species are indicative of water-
logging resulting in poor survival of grassland interest. Cover % of rushes Juncus spp.,
Tufted Hair-grass Deschampsia cespitosa, large sedge Carex spp. (leaves more than 5mm
wide), e.g. Carex acutiformis, large grasses (leaves more than 10mm wide, stout stems),
i.e. Glyceria maxima, Phalaris arundinacea, Phragmites australis.
TARGET: NO SPECIES TOGETHER OR SINGLY COVERING MORE THAN
10% OF THE SWARD.
6) Sward composition: frequency and % cover of all scrub and tree species - scrub and
tree species arc clearly problematic for grasslands if they become abundant because they
shade out grassland plants. How ever small amounts of scrub can be of interest depending
on the conservation objectives for the site. Any size of woody species, such as Bramble,
Hawthorn and Blackthorn seedlings, would be described as scrub in the targets rather than
frequency. If scrub/tree species in pastures are more than occasional throughout the sward
and less than 5% cover, they are soon likely to become a problem if grazing levels are not
sufficient or if scrub control is not being carried out.
TARGET: NO MORE THAN OCCASIONAL THROUGHOUT THE SWARD, i.e.
out of 20 stops no species recorded more than 8 times throughout the walk.
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Essex Naturalist (New Series) 20 (2003)