Fritillary
Fritillary 4
For the fourth volume of Fritillary we have decided to go on line. From this page you can download the articles in Fritillary 4 in PDF format . But if you would like a bound paper copy (A4 format, price £6.50) you can still get one by contacting Fritillary Orders.
If you want to assemble your own booklet of the complete Fritillary 4, we have provided a PDF version of the cover for you. The papers all appear here in the correct order.
Pearl-bordered Fritillary was last seen in Oxfordshire in 1995; this photo was taken in 1993
Contents
- Cover
- Editorial
A W McDonald and D Lewis - Stanley Woodell 1928 – 2004
J Steel and A W McDonald
Summary...The obituary of Stan Woodell, first editor of this journal and long-time member of the editorial board. - Changes in the flora of a Berkshire farm after a period of 24 years
G S Davy
Summary...The flora of the estate and farmland at Jealott’s Hill Research Centre in Berkshire was surveyed in 1978 and again in 2002 using 100 metre grid squares for recording purposes. In the intervening years there have been some considerable changes. The arable species have declined in number and in frequency. This is probably due to the use of selective herbicides, but the ending of field experiments on nitrogen fertilisers that had helped to maintain rich seed banks will have had an effect. There was no difference between the Ellenberg Indicator Values for nitrogen for those annual and biennial species that had declined or had increased. However, some of the perennial species that had declined, such as betony (Stachys officinalis) and burnet-saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga), have low Ellenberg Indicator Values for nitrogen and are ancient grassland species. The survival of perennial species from a set-aside experiment and the earlier scattering of wild flower seeds have added to the flora. There is no evidence that the use of selective herbicides has had any adverse effect on the perennial species along field borders. Disturbance to roadside grassland caused by the lining of the edges of the main roads with kerbstones together with the remaking of the roadside ditches has reduced the number of perennial species along the roads bordering the farm. A few species, such as plicate sweet-grass (Glyceria notata), have been lost or much reduced along the bridleways due to improvement of the surface for the benefit of walkers and riders. The increase of scrub has also had an effect in shading out species. - Effects of habitat characteristics and ride management on the abundance of the wood white butterfly in a Buckinghamshire wood
R Jeffree
Summary...Habitat transect and woodland management practice data were used to investigate the factors influencing the abundance of the wood white butterfly (Leptidea sinapis (L.)) in Whitecross Green Wood, Buckinghamshire. Adult butterflies were counted during the summer 2003 flight period along a transect route divided into 35 50m sections. Eight explanatory environmental variables were measured in each section. These were combined with data on mowing regimes in a general linear model (GLM). The abundance of the larval host plant, meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis (L.)), was found to be a significant determinant of butterfly numbers.
- The changing bryophyte flora of Chawley Brick Pit, Oxford
J A Wright and I R Wright
Summary...The bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) of Chawley Brick Pit, Oxford were surveyed in the years 2002 and 2003, and a diverse bryoflora was recorded. Higher plants and soil acidity were also recorded to assist with an understanding of the site. The bryophyte survey added 16 species to the extensive historical list for the pits, including the locally rare liverwort Pellia neesiana. The natural succession that has occurred in the pits (1940-2000), from bare soil and acidic pools to woodland, is closely related to the industrial history of the site, and the results are placed in the context of these changes. The site is notable for the regionally and nationally rare bryophytes that have been recorded there, and some of these remain, including Sphagnum species. Factors relating to the future of bryophytes at the site are discussed.
- Public awareness and participation in the conservation of common juniper at Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve
J McGinlay
Summary...The colonies of common juniper in Southern England have been steadily declining. The colony at Aston Rowant on the Chiltern escarpment is one of the largest to have survived. This paper describes work done to assess current levels of public awareness of the species and its declining status, and of participation in its conservation.