Floodplain Meadows Partnership: Steering group meeting 8 May 2009.
Research Co-ordinator report.
Achievements 2008-2009.
1. Field work
Botanical Survey work.
The 2008 field work program was successfully achieved with 1409 vegetation monitoring quadrats
recorded across 12 sites.
Repeat Sites
These included repeats of previous surveys using precisely relocatable quadrat positions at
Cricklade North Meadow (320 quadrats), Elmlea SSSI (50), Oxford Meadows (200), East
Cottingwith (121) repeat of a 1998-2004 monitoring program (121) together with the new
drainage/cutting trial (200), Mottey Meadows (62), Upton Ham (50), West Sedgemoor (60),
Oxley/Mill Crook (100).
New sites
New survey areas included a new control site for the Oxford meads at New Marston (18) plus 24
extra plots within the Oxford Meads to expand coverage of soil and hay sampling; a new
monitoring trial at Wheldrake Ings (72); new locations at Mottey Meadow to expand the coverage
of the site (54); Portholme (50) new locations on a widely spaced grid to cover the range of
vegetation communities present; Fancott Meadow (28).
NVC Surveys
In addition to the permanently marked monitoring quadrats a number of NVC surveys were carried
out to expand the coverage of sites and types of floodplain meadow grasslands. Surveys included
Eakring and Besthorpe meadows in Nottinghamshire (Wallace and Prosser 2008) for the local
Wildlife Trust. In addition to the permanent quadrat monitoring on the Oxford Meads, the
distribution and boundaries of NVC communities were mapped with additional botanical records to
‘fill in the gaps’ not covered by the monitoring blocks (Wallace et al 2008). In early August an NVC
survey of Ashleworth Ham (Wallace et al 2009a) was carried out as part of a wider study on the
vegetation of the Severn Vale floodplain (Wallace et al 2009b).
Chemical analysis of soil, hay and sediment.
On a number of the monitored sites, soil and hay samples were taken. Sample locations were
chosen to cover the range of vegetation (and thus soil and drainage) conditions across each site.
Samples were collected from Cricklade North Meadow, Oxford Meadows, East Cottingwith and
Wheldrake Ings, Upton Ham, Portholme and Mottey Meadows.
Results for some of these have already been presented in various contract reports (Gowing et al
2008, Wallace et al 2008, 2009a).
2. Database.
All the botanical data from the 2008 field survey have now been entered into the database, along
with all past botanical data records dating back to the mid-1990’s.
All the nutrient data for soil samples collected in 2008 are ready for entry into the database
together with previous results from Cricklade, Oxford, the Derwent Ings and other projects.
Hydrological data have been supplied by the Environment Agency to update existing models to the
end of 2008 and models have been re-run for a number of sites. Updated water-table data are
ready to enter into the database for Cricklade, West Sedgemoor, East Cottingwith, Upton Ham and
Mottey Meadows. Models for other sites are currently being updated.
The structure of the database has now been finalised and it is ready to receive additional data
relating to site management, etc.
3. Analysis of Floodplain meadow grassland communities.
This is on-going. A TWINSPAN analysis of 7770 quadrats has produced interesting initial results
with, as expected, a strong hydrological gradient of variation. We are currently concentrating on the
‘drier’ MG4 side of the analysis (c.5300 of the quadrats) and have a provisional synoptic table of 18
groups ranging from stands transitional between MG4 and MG5 at the driest end of the gradient to
MG4 Carex acuta at the wetter end. It is hoped to reduce this to a maximum of 6 types of MG4
together with transitions to MG7, MG6 and MG8. A full interpretation of the Calthion vegetation will
be deferred in the hopes of expanding the data set over the next few years’ field seasons.
4. Publications.
Partnership staff contributed to the vegetation analysis section of a recent paper on phosphorus
availability in species-rich grassland published in Biological Conservation (Gilbert et al 2009)
Contributed to a paper to be presented by Richard Jefferson at an International Scientific and
Practical workshop entitled ‘Floodplain meadow ecosystems as objects with high phytodiversity,
their study and mapping’ to be held in Belarus in June 2008.
5. Program for 2009.
The field work program is now finalised for 2009 with additional monitoring already funded for
Clifton Ings (Yorks) and Ducklington (Oxon); an NVC survey is also planned for Sherborne
Meadows (Warks). A number of visits are scheduled to look at new sites in the Peak District and
East Wales and several potential restoration sites in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. It is hoped
to add at least one new restoration site to our program this year, possibly at Thorganby on the
Derwent Ings. Sarah Lambert, Francis Kirkham, Mike Prosser, Irina Dodd and Ann Fells will
assist with the fieldwork in 2009. It is planned to submit a paper to J.Veg.Science on the MG4
community descriptions by end 2009.
6. Reports and publications.
Gilbert, J., Gowing, D. Wallace, H.L. (2009). Available Phosphorus in semi-natural grasslands:
Assessment methods and community tolerances. Biological Conservation, 142, 1074-1083
Jefferson, R.G., Pinches, C.E., Wallace, H.L. and Gowing, D.J.G. (submitted). Monitoring of British
floodplain meadows: approaches to guide management.
Wallace, H.L. and Prosser, M.V. (2008). NVC survey of Eakring and Besthorpe Meadows. Report
to the Wildlife Trust.
Wallace, H.L., Prosser, M.V., Dodd, M.E., Sargent, E., Gowing, D.J.G. (2008). Botanical monitoring
(2006-2008) and NVC survey (2008) of the Oxford Floodplain Meadows. Report to Black and
Veatch/Environment Agency, Oxford.
Gowing, D.J.G., Wallace, H.L., Prosser, M.V., Dodd, M.E. (2008). Nutrient analysis of the Oxford
Floodplain meadows.
Wallace, H.L., Prosser, M.V. Gowing, D.J.G. (2009a). National Vegetation Classification survey,
Ashleworth Ham SSSI. August 2008. Report to NE.
Wallace, H.L., Prosser, M.V. Gowing, D.J.G. (2009b). The vegetation of the Severn/Avon Vale
floodplain meadows. Draft Report to NE.
Gowing, D.J.G., Wotherspoon, K (2009) Modelling the soil water regime of floodplain meadows in
Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. Report to Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund.