Pastures New ... and Old

Abiotic Factors:
Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems (e.g., soil nutrients, pH, flooding).

Acid Grasslands:
Grassland communities found on acid soils (pH less than 5.5), generally characterised by lower species diversity.

Agricultural Grasslands:
Grasslands that have been significantly modified by modern intensive land management practices such as ploughing, reseeding, or heavy fertilisation, typically resulting in low wild plant diversity.

Amenity Grass:
Grassy areas, such as mown lawns, maintained for aesthetic or recreational purposes, often lacking significant biodiversity.

Biodiversity:
The variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and the ecological and evolutionary processes that sustain it.

Biotic Factors:
Living or once-living components of an ecosystem that affect other organisms or the environment (e.g., human management, plant competition, grazing animals).

Brownfield:
Land previously used for commercial or industrial purposes, or in this context, areas of disturbed or amenity land, not considered true natural habitats.

Calcareous Grasslands:
Grassland communities found on calcareous soils (pH above 7.0), typically formed from chalk and limestone, renowned for their high plant species richness.

Copse Plantations:
Small areas of trees, often planted or managed for specific purposes, such as wildlife habitat or timber.

Cut and Clear Regime:
A management practice for grasslands where vegetation is cut (e.g., for hay or silage) and then removed from the site, which helps to reduce nutrient levels and promote wildflower diversity.

Forbs:
Herbaceous flowering plants that are not grasses, sedges, or rushes.

Improved Grassland:
Grassland significantly altered by intensive agricultural practices (heavy grazing, drainage, high doses of fertilisers/herbicides/manure), leading to a limited range of common species.

Indicator Species:
A species whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition or a characteristic of an ecosystem. For example, Waxcap fungi indicate old, unimproved grasslands.

Invertebrates:
Animals without a backbone, such as insects, spiders, and worms.

Jurassic Coast:
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southern England, known for its outstanding geological importance and natural beauty.

Neutral Grasslands:
Grassland communities typically found on neutral soils (pH 5.5-7.0), encompassing a wide range of plant communities.

Otter Sandstone:
A geological formation, a type of reddish sandstone, found in the Sidmouth area, influencing local soil characteristics.

Pasture:
A type of grassland that is primarily used for grazing by livestock.

Plagioclimax Communities:
Ecological communities that are prevented from reaching their full climatic climax (e.g., woodland) by recurring disturbance, often human-induced, such as grazing or mowing.

Poaceae:
The botanical family of grasses, which dominate grassland ecosystems.

Pollinators:
Animals, typically insects like bees and butterflies, that transfer pollen from one flower to another, enabling plant reproduction.

Priority Species:
Species identified as being of principal importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity in the UK.

Restoration:
The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. In grasslands, this often means restoring biodiversity and ecological function.

Rough Meadow:
A less intensively managed grassland area, often with longer grass and a mix of wildflowers, managed for wildlife conservation and recreation.

Semi-improved Grassland:
A transitional category of grassland that has been modified by agricultural practices but still retains some conservation value and a wider range of species than fully improved grasslands.

Semi-natural Grasslands:
Grasslands that are largely a result of long-term human activities (like grazing or mowing) maintaining environmental conditions and species pools by natural processes. Highly biodiverse in areas like the UK.

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI):
A conservation designation in the UK indicating an area of particular interest to science due to its flora, fauna, geological, or physiographical features.

Sward Composition:
The mixture and proportions of different plant species (grasses, forbs, legumes) that make up the vegetation cover of a grassland.

Unimproved Grassland:
Grassland that has not been significantly altered by modern intensive agricultural practices, typically exhibiting high species diversity characteristic of the area and soils. Often synonymous with species-rich semi-natural grassland.

Upper Greensand:
A geological formation found in the Sidmouth area, often associated with more acidic soils.

Vegetative Analysis:
The study and description of the plant species present in an area, used to draw conclusions about habitat type, soil conditions, and historical land use.

Waxcap Fungi:
A group of fungi known for their brightly coloured, often waxy caps, considered important indicators of old, species-rich, nutrient-poor grasslands in the UK.

Weeds of Cultivation:
Plant species that commonly grow in disturbed soil, particularly those associated with historical or ongoing agricultural practices like ploughing and crop cultivation.