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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/4709 |
| Date | 2011 January 1918 |
| Creators | Akbar, K.F., Hale, William H.G., Headley, Alistair D.D. |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article, No full-text in the repository |
| Relation | http://www.pol.j.ecol.cbe-pan.pl/ |
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