Fanshawe Gate Farm Vegetation Monitoring Strategy Essay

Fanshawe Gate Farm Vegetation Monitoring Strategy - Essay Example A phase one survey has been undertaken and information obtained from this will be useful to understand the current conditions of fields 2 and 6 and provide a context to carry out a phase 2 survey and a National Vegetation Classification (NVC). To successfully survey the two fields, technical and scientific approaches should be used to achieve all the needed objectives (JNCC 2010). The process starts by defining the objectives, devising a strategy o help achieve the set objectives. Once the strategy is put together, it should be tested by implementing it. The final step is to review and finalize the strategy. Legal requirements should also be maintained throughout the process to ensure the analysis and strategy is standard and as should be. Monitoring Strategy Objectives of the survey To know what type of vegetation is found in the fields. To establish the type of soil in the fields and what vegetation would do best in the given fields. To have a clear picture of the situation in the fields: climate and all To come up with ways to help improve the fields. Increase the diversity of grassland Have more unimproved grassland Analysis or Survey of fields 2 and 6 The fields have areas with tall ruderal vegetation with certain areas characterized by thistles (cirsium ssp). The vegetation in the fields also includes nettles (Urtica dioica). Generally, the fields have semi-improved grassland. This vegetations tends to change across the two fields (some patches have tall grass while others have short grass, others are bare while others have grass, especially under trees). Besides the grass, the waxcap fungi, (Hygrocybe spp) was formed part of the vegetation in the fields. The fungi is an indicator of unimproved grassland in both fields. However, some slight differences were found in field 6. In field 6, marshy grassland was evidenced around the area where a small stream ran. This changed and the vegetation became a bit scarce where the ground rose above the water table. I n areas where the land was sloping, the vegetation cover was constituted by acid grassland, some scrub and Hygrobe calyptiformis. Monitoring Strategy A) Field 2 According to the survey, field 2 was established to have a sloping topography 2 with semi improved grassland and some species of unimproved grassland (Hydrocybe caliptiformis). The unimproved grassland was found in the lower down part of the slope in the field. To attest this, samples would be taken from across the whole field. The samples would help determine if the grassland was becoming more unimproved as one moves further down the slope. To measure the variation in plant species along the sloppy part of the field, quadrants could be studied in two parallel belt transects. The field would be split into quadrants on both belts, from where samples would be taken. To have reliable results, the belts will be divided into 25 quadrants where each will be 0.5 by o.5 m. This is highly recommended so as to get a reliable frequency of the unimproved indicator species of vegetation. All quadrants will be studied. The study would help prove right or wrong the hypothesis for the analysis that towards the bottom of the slope, the species of unimproved grassland increased. Some changes will be carried in the way the field was managed. The expected result of this is a gradual increase