The BSBI 2013/2014 New Year’s Day Plant Hunt is over and the results announced, this set Dr M thinking… why not try out this super eXtreme botanical concept on the University of Reading Campus…?
OK, we are a bit late for a New Year hunt in the sensu stricto – BSBI rules say the hunt should take place between 28 December and 1 January – so Dr M must modify the rules, but we can still keep them nice and simple:
1. Pick a day when the weather is decent enough to record in – Dr M suggests Tuesday 14th January as the date of his first MSc Vegetation Survey and Assessment class.
2. Record all wild and naturalised plants (but not planted species) in flower.
3. Record for up to 3 hours.
4. Compile the list and compare with the BSBI New Year hunt lists (taking into account our slightly later survey date where necessary).
5. Repeat in 2015 et seq for comparison!
So far Dr M has only spotted very common things in the amenity grasslands on campus – e.g. Achillea millefolium (Yarrow), Bellis perennis (Daisy), Senecio vulgaris (Groundsel), Stellaria media (Common Chickweed), Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia (Common Dandelion) and Veronica persica (Common Field-speedwell).
So, will a more careful hunt reveal more? And how much more? Watch this space for the results!
Find the results here!
January 8, 2014
