Small Fleabane in the New Forest
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Small Fleabane in the New Forest FC Contract No.304/NF/13/721 Clive Chatters, Catherine McGuire, Martin Rand & Neil Sanderson 2014 Isle Isle Wight of Wildlife Trust, Beechcroft House,Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire,SO32 2DP Hampshire & Company limited by guarantee and reg’d England in No 676313. Registered Charity No 201081. Chatters et al. Small Fleabane in the New Forest, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, 2014 The Authors Clive Chatters is the Head of Conservation (Policy and Evidence) of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Clive has studied Small Fleabane since the early 1980s. Clive is the principal author of the report. Catherine McGuire is the Ecologist (Data Analysis) of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Catherine managed the data arising from the project and integrated the 2013 survey data with previous surveys. Martin Rand is the BSBI vice-county recorder for South Hampshire. Martin provided detailed historic records of Small Fleabane, has participated in previous Small Fleabane surveys and has contributed to the 2013 survey. Neil Sanderson of Botanical Survey and Assessment has a detailed understanding of the flora and phytosociology of the New Forest and has participated in previous Small Fleabane surveys. Neil undertook the 2013 field survey of populations and plant communities. Neil’s detailed field report ‘Survey of Pulicaria vulgaris on the New Forest 2013’ is available separately. Recommended citation Chatters. C., McGuire, C., Rand, M., and Sanderson, N. (2014), Small Fleabane in the New Forest. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Curdridge Cover image by Clive Chatters: Small Fleabane at Cadnam Green, September 2009 Mapping Maps within this report have been reproduced by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (Ordnance Survey Licence No. 100015632) with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, Crown Copyright 2014. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. British Crown and MarineFind Ltd. All rights reserved. For enquiries relating to the Wildlife Trust’s GIS data contact Catherine McGuire, email [email protected]. ii Chatters et al. Small Fleabane in the New Forest, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, 2014 Contents Table of Figures ...................................................................................................... vi Summary .................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1: Introduction. ......................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2: An introduction to Small Fleabane, its ecology, distribution and history to 2009 ......................................................................................................... 4 Small Fleabane in Europe ...................................................................................... 5 Small Fleabane in Britain ....................................................................................... 6 Small Fleabane in the New Forest ......................................................................... 9 Historic photographs of former Small Fleabane localities in the New Forest ........ 11 Chapter 3: The 2009 survey .................................................................................. 14 The west of the Forest ......................................................................................... 14 The east of the Forest .......................................................................................... 14 Crown Land populations ...................................................................................... 15 Chapter 4: The 2013 survey .................................................................................. 16 The west of the Forest ......................................................................................... 16 The east of the Forest .......................................................................................... 16 Crown Land populations ...................................................................................... 17 Historic sites and surveys of potential sites .......................................................... 18 Historic sites ........................................................................................................ 18 Ashurst (Lyndhurst Road Station) and Ashurst Lodge ......................................... 18 Bolton’s Bench, Lyndhurst ................................................................................... 19 Brockenhurst ....................................................................................................... 19 Emery Down ....................................................................................................... 19 Ibsley Water ........................................................................................................ 19 Lyndhurst Church ................................................................................................ 20 Surveys of potential sites ..................................................................................... 20 Foxbury (Ringfeeders) ........................................................................................ 20 Fritham ................................................................................................................ 20 Hilltop, Beaulieu Heath ........................................................................................ 20 Linwood .............................................................................................................. 20 Longdown ........................................................................................................... 21 Moorbridge Farm, Furzley ................................................................................... 21 Nomansland ........................................................................................................ 22 Swallowfields ...................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 5: Detailed site accounts ......................................................................... 23 Extant Crown Land populations ........................................................................... 24 Bartley Greens .................................................................................................... 24 iii Chatters et al. Small Fleabane in the New Forest, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, 2014 Nomansland ........................................................................................................ 26 Extinct Crown Land populations ........................................................................... 27 South Weirs ........................................................................................................ 27 Pipers Wait / Longcross ...................................................................................... 30 Extant populations in the east of Forest ............................................................... 31 Cadnam Green and Adjacent Lanes ................................................................... 31 Biddlecombe Farm, Cadnam Green .................................................................... 32 Withers Farm ...................................................................................................... 34 Grazing around Cadnam Green .......................................................................... 35 Penn Common .................................................................................................... 36 Moorbridge Farm and Nomansland ..................................................................... 38 Storms Farm ....................................................................................................... 39 Extant populations in the Western Commons ....................................................... 41 Lanes and greens around Mockbeggar and Gorley ............................................. 41 Population trends of Small Fleabane in the west of the New Forest ..................... 43 Avon Valley populations ....................................................................................... 45 Pithouse Farm ..................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 6: Population and distribution trends .................................................... 48 Populations within commoners’ holdings .............................................................. 50 Distribution of populations by designation and land ownership ............................. 50 Meta-populations and extinction debts ................................................................. 51 Chapter 7: Plant communities and associated species ...................................... 53 Chapter 8: Grazing and other management inputs ............................................. 56 A summary of trends in grazing the New Forest since 1854 ................................. 56 A summary of trends in the number and sizes of commoners’ holdings ............... 56 A summary of trends in the number and type of livestock .................................... 59 Pigs and other animals ........................................................................................ 61 Is Small Fleabane a grazing dependant species? ................................................ 62 Has the growth in livestock