No / The roadside vegetation in some counties of north England (north and west Yorkshire) was studied to determine the community structure according to the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC) and main environmental factors influencing its composition. The data from Phytosociological survey (699 quadrats) and from the physico-chemical analyses of 233 soil samples from 35 sites were obtained. Both the classification (TWINSPAN & MATCH) and ordination programs (Canonical Correspondence Analysis) were used. The roadside vegetation is mainly dominated by few grasses (Arrhenatherum elatius, Festuca rubra, Dactylis glomerata, Lolium perenne, Poa trivialis, Elymus repens, Holcus lanatus) and their associated herbs (Cirsium arvense, Heracleum sphondylium, Urtica dioica). Five NVC Mesotrophic grassland communities (Arrhenatheretum elatioris community MG1, Lolium perenne-Cynosurus cristatus grassland MG6, Lolium perenne leys MG7, Holcus lanatus-Deschampsia cespitosa grassland MG9, Festuca rubra-Agrostis stolonifera-Potentilla anserina grassland MG11) and one Upland Festuca ovina-Agrostis capillaris-Galium saxatile grassland, U4 were identified which in general, exhibited good fit with the typical NVC units.

No / The roadside verges and their vegetation in selected counties of north England were evaluated for their conservation status. Thirty five different road sections each 50 m long along different A and B class roads were surveyed and the criteria selected for conservation evaluation included verge area, plant diversity, species richness, disturbance, presence of rare species and structure of hedges. A field assessment sheet was prepared in which, for each factor, a numerical rating system was used. For each factor, information was recorded to help the surveyor in choosing the appropriate score for that site. The rarity of recorded species was determined from the published sources. Most of the surveyed verges (54%) are of low conservation value, 40% are of medium conservation value and only 6% have high conservation status. Despite the unsatisfactory situation, there is considerable potential for using roadside verges for nature conservation because medium class verges could be improved by adopting sound management techniques.

Roadside vegetation provides numerous environmental and psychological benefits to drivers. Previous studies have shown that natural landscapes can effectively lower crash rates and cause less stress and frustration to the driver. However, run-off-the-road crashes resulting in a collision with a tree are twice as likely to result in a fatality, thus reinforcing the need to examine the placement of vegetation within the clear zone. This study explores the relationship between the size of the clear zone and the presence of roadside vegetation on selected driver attributes, including both driver speed and lateral positioning. To evaluate the effect on the driver speed selection process, a static evaluation was employed. Completed by more than 100 drivers, the static evaluation was utilized to gather speed selections on both real and virtual roads containing four combinations of clear zone size and roadside vegetation density. Additionally, field data was collected to validate the findings of the static evaluation and to determine the extent to which roadside vegetation impacts driving attributes. When presented with a large clear zone, drivers positioned the vehicle further from the edge of the road as the vegetation density increased. Furthermore, the speeds observed in the field correlated with the speeds that participants selected when watching a video of the same road. Finally, the UMassSafe Traffic Safety Data Warehouse was utilized to link crash and roadway data, allowing for an in-depth analysis of run-off-the-road (ROR) crash severity. The results of this study further demonstrate the nature of the relationship between clear zone design and driver behavior.

No / The roadside vegetation in some counties of north England (north and west Yorkshire) was studied to determine the community structure according to the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC) and main environmental factors influencing its composition. The data from Phytosociological survey (699 quadrats) and from the physico-chemical analyses of 233 soil samples from 35 sites were obtained. Both the classification (TWINSPAN & MATCH) and ordination programs (Canonical Correspondence Analysis) were used. The roadside vegetation is mainly dominated by few grasses (Arrhenatherum elatius, Festuca rubra, Dactylis glomerata, Lolium perenne, Poa trivialis, Elymus repens, Holcus lanatus) and their associated herbs (Cirsium arvense, Heracleum sphondylium, Urtica dioica). Five NVC Mesotrophic grassland communities (Arrhenatheretum elatioris community MG1, Lolium perenne-Cynosurus cristatus grassland MG6, Lolium perenne leys MG7, Holcus lanatus- Deschampsia cespitosa grassland MG9, Festuca rubra-Agrostis stolonifera-Potentilla anserina grassland MG11) and one Upland Festuca ovina- Agrostis capillaris-Galium saxatile grassland, U4 were identified which in general, exhibited good fit with the typical NVC units. Altitude, pH, potassium, sodium and road age were found to be the main variables affecting the roadside vegetation. By relating the floristic composition with ecological characteristics of the roadside verges, three kinds of pattern of variation are observed. The first pattern is related to regional or geographical characteristics and the second pattern of variation exists across the width of the road verges showing a zonal pattern of plant distribution. The third scale of pattern is active at the local level including micro-environmental conditions, e.g., local edaphic variables.