BSBINews - BSBI Archive - Botanical Society of the British Isles

Notes from the Officers BSBI Plant Unit / Coordinator's Corner 71
of lowland populations of Juniper in England.
Consequently, we have included these populations
for next year to run alongside a more
intensive survey of 'key sites' being carried out
by Plantlife. This uses a rather more detailed
survey method, focusing on the size, age,
regeneration of individuals but the results from
the TPP will be vital in providing a more
comprehensive picture of what is happening to
the species across its lowland range.
Although Sium latifolium has received a lot
of attention in the past we are not aware of any
comprehensive analyses of its status and
trends. We therefore felt that its inclusion
would add greatly to our understanding the
threats facing many fenland species. Likewise
Hordeum marinum occurs in a suite of threatened
coastal species for which we currently
have very little information on recent trends
(e.g. Bupleurum tenuissimum (Slender Hare'sear),
Carex divisa (Divided Sedge), Spartina
maritima (Small Cord-grass)). Detailed
monitoring of Herminium by Terry Well's
showed that this species has a cyclical lifehistory,
apparently disappearing in some years
only to return in the next. However, it does
seem to be declining in some areas and it would
be good to have more information on why this
is the case.
Over the next few months we will be selecting
the sample sites for survey in 2010. These
will be circulated to VCRs in October so that
field meetings can be included in the Yearbook.
Recording Strategy
Given the Coordinator's comments on the
death ofDC4, recorders should note that we are
currently working on a plan of recording priorities
for the next two decades (2010-2030).
This 'strategy', for want of a better word, will
provide a plan of how best to combine major
recording activities such as a repeat Local
Change and Atlas 3, alongside local projects as
well as tricky issues such as date-classes and
recording scales. The aim is not to be too
prescriptive but to provide a flexibility of
approach that acknowledges the great variation
that exists in the intensity and practicality of
recording within different parts of the country.
Although there are likely to be key principles
that should underpin good recording practice
we expect that a workable plan will need to
provide a range of options tailored to a range of
local situations. Date-classes are just one
example of where a 'one size fits all' approach
is unlikely to work: we might expect a 10 year
repeat hectad survey in a lowland county with
lots of botanists but can we expect the same
from a county twice the size in the uplands?
And what would that tell us given the pace of
ecological change in montane ecosystems? In
the latter case a sampling approach, backed by
targeted surveys over 20 years might be a much
more realistic alternative. Watch this space.
Coordinator's Corner
ALEX LOCKTON, 66 North Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SYl 21L; coordinator@bsbi.org.uk
The end of date class 4 is nigh
We shall soon know whether date classes are
workable or not. At the end of this year everyone
should close any ongoing record cards
they have open and start a new list afresh. For
anyone who regularly puts their data into
Map Mate or another database this is not an
issue because they will probably keep the full
date for each record, but even they need to
start thinking about a programme of re-recording
over the next decade. Records Committee
is going to review progress and see what the
options are for using date classes to monitor
change in the flora.
We would like you to use the next couple of
years to finish off DC4 and encourage county
recorders to submit any records that they hold.
When I started working as co-ordinator, about
ten years ago, I calculated that it took on
average eight years for a record to make its
way through to the BSBI. Now the average is
less then one year, but the tail end of the graph
is still fairly long. Do please send us your data
as soon as you can - it is easy enough to
correct errors and insert additions later on.