Nottinghamshire Vice County 56 Rare Plant Register
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Nottinghamshire Vice County 56 Rare Plant Register 2nd Edition David Wood BSc(H) Mark Woods BSc, MCIEEM, CEcol Rare Plant Register Nottinghamshire VC56 The Rare and Scarce Vascular Plants of Nottinghamshire Vice County 56 Researched by David Wood BSc(H) Prepared by Mark Woods BSc, MCIEEM, CEcol February, 2017 All text © of Mark Woods and David Wood; all distribution maps © of Nottingham Natural History Museum, Nottingham City Council and issued under licence from Alan Morton, DMAP software, and geological maps © of and issued under licence from the British Geological Survey. Front Cover photographs: Hypochaeris glabra at Besthorpe (Steve Hammonds) Dactylorhiza viridis at Teversal (Ken Balkow) Rare Plant Register Nottinghamshire VC56 Acknowledgements For the second edition the authors would like to thank all of the recorders and photographers who have continued to contribute to the register. Rob Johnson, Peter Acton and Jane Carruthers of Nottingham Biological and Geological Records Centre continue to support all aspects of the project and we have retained much of the original introductory text, including the geological information that was kindly supplied by David Bate on behalf of the British Geological survey. There are no new photographs in this edition of the register, but the digital library of Nottinghamshire’s plants continues to expand on the Flikr web-site, thanks to the effort of the editor Ken Balkow and the various contributors. An increasing number of records have been supplied by the band of volunteers that have contributed records to the BSBI Atlas 2020 project and we are very grateful for the countless hours of effort and dedication. Rare Plant Register Nottinghamshire VC56 Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 The County ............................................................................................................... 1 Criteria for Inclusion in the Register......................................................................... 7 Records and Recorders ........................................................................................... 7 Confidentiality ........................................................................................................... 8 Extant and Extinct Taxa ........................................................................................... 9 Vulnerable Taxa ..................................................................................................... 81 References ............................................................................................................. 98 Appendix I: Status of Taxa Checklist ..................................................................... 99 Appendix II: Recorders ........................................................................................ 108 Appendix III: Supplementary Geological Information .......................................... 110 Rare Plant Register Nottinghamshire VC56 Introduction This is the second edition of the register that provides details of the distribution and abundance of rare, scarce and threatened plants found in Vice County 56 Nottinghamshire. The register is intended to contribute to the national initiative of the Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI), which aims to produce rare plant registers for all of the Vice Counties (VC) of the British Isles. The register includes records of plants recorded between 1970 and 2015 and the last known records of plants, which are now extinct in the county, if the records are pre-1970. Although this is a relatively long period of time it is considered to be necessary, because it is now 50 years since the publication of the last County Flora by Howitt & Howitt (1963). The only other publication since 1963 being a flora of the City of Nottingham, written by Dr. P. Shepherd and published in 1998. Although there has been relatively little by way of published works relating to Nottinghamshire’s plants, extensive survey work has been carried out by individuals and organisations, which has contributed to the production of this register. It is anticipated that publication of this register will provide a baseline to continue with and promote further survey work so that the distribution and abundance of the plants in this register will continue to be studied and better understood. In addition, the register will provide for conservation organisations, local authorities and individuals information regarding those species at risk and requiring protection; those species that are vulnerable to declines and may need protection, and those species that have already become extinct. In order to be an effective tool for the conservation of rare and scarce plants this register will be updated at periodic intervals and re-issued electronically on the BSBI website. In the latter part of the 20th Century, industrial development and agricultural intensification has had a profound impact on the flora of the county. The west of the county and the Trent valley has been particularly affected by industrial development including surface and underground mineral extraction and the construction of power stations. Sherwood Forest has lost much of its heathland, because of afforestation and intensive arable farming on the more productive soils. Agricultural intensification has modified farming systems on the Lias Clays and Keuper Marls leading to a significant reduction in livestock farming and large-scale conversion to rotational arable systems. A noticeable impact of this conversion has been the removal of hedgerows in order to increase field sizes and maximise efficiency. A further outcome of agricultural intensification has been the general eutrophication of soils and aquatic ecosystems. In recent years there have been successful efforts by conservation organisations, land-owners and land-managers to reverse some of the adverse impacts described above and to conserve rare and scarce plants as part of larger initiatives to promote biodiversity. This has coincided with a greater public awareness of conservation and environmental issues, and a greater desire to see environmental improvements and protection of wildlife. For example, the colliery spoil tips have provided opportunities to create new habitats. The cessation of deep mining has also seen the return of higher water tables, which has aided the restoration of wetlands and rivers in the county. Other initiatives include heathland restoration on previously afforested land and the reinstatement of traditional management of semi-natural habitats such as low-intensity grazing. The sympathetic management of semi-natural habitats is being supported by a general trend towards larger scale conservation schemes that link up the County Wildlife Sites and Statutory Sites of Nature Conservation interest, which are often isolated islands of biodiversity. The Environmental Stewardship Scheme has provided financial assistance for landowners and land- managers to facilitate some of the initiatives that are described above. The County In the last county flora, Howitt & Howitt (1963) described Nottinghamshire as being a fairly typical Midlands county and although lacking dramatic landscapes was not without its own charm. The rivers of the county dominate the landscape, particularly the River Trent, which drains most of the county. Low rolling hills adjoin the river valleys in the south, west and central parts of the county. Elsewhere the lands to the east and north are relatively flatter with occasional hills that form prominent landscape features. Nottinghamshire has a varied geology that was separated into divisions by Professor J. W. Carr in the Victoria County History. Howitt & Howitt subsequently adopted the divisions for their 1963 County Flora. The divisions are still useful to this day and form the basis for understanding the distribution of plants within the county. The divisions include Permian Marls, Coal Measures and Dolomitic Limestones; Bunter Sandstones; Keuper Waterstones and Marls, and Lias Clays. 1 Rare Plant Register Nottinghamshire VC56 Howitt & Howitt (1963) provides a detailed but succinct description of the geological formations of the county and the flora that each geological formation supports. As the work is out of print and no longer readily available, it is considered that the inclusion of a brief description of the geology and land use is appropriate in order to provide an insight into the modern distribution and abundance of the rare and scarce plants of the county. In broad terms the bedrock geology of Nottinghamshire is relatively simple, consisting of a succession of rock formations, from oldest in the west to youngest in the east, which outcrop in a series of belts running the length of the county (Figure 1). In detail there are minor complications to this apparently simple arrangement which result from folding, faulting and overstep. For botanical purposes the bedrock succession can be conveniently grouped into four principal divisions, each yielding a specific range of soil types and plant habitats. A fifth division covers superficial deposits of Glacial and Recent age (Figure 2). I. Coal Measures and Permian Mudstones and Dolomitic Limestones The Coal Measures and overlying Permian formations are confined to the western edge of the county, and although variable in composition, are here considered together because of their relatively restricted outcrop within the county. The Coal Measures