AN ECOLOGICAL STUDY
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MANAGEMENT.
The Mickfield meadow is not cut or grazed. In some parts there is a dense mat of decaying leaf and in others there are aggressive grasses such as Descampsia casepitosa and Dactylis glomerata wh have made tall tussock-like growth. In addition, Epilobium hirsutum and Chamaenerion angustifolium are increasing and together with Rubus spp. and Rosa spp., are creating shade and excluding the grasses. At Framsden, in spite of the presence of Filipendula ulmaria which is kept in check, there is a compact open sward with no bushes. It is cut annually in July and subsequently grazed from August to October. SUMMARY.
Fritillaria meleagrisflourishesin a wet meadow under conditions where there is no grazing or cutting during the active life of the plant. It is tolerant of low fertility and the land may be subjected to prolonged winterflooding,though somewhat less wet conditions are more favourable tofiowering.Its companion plants are preferably grasses and other pasturefloranormally associated with an old and well managed sward. It is essential that a reasonably open sward is maintained by cutting the seasonal growth and where practicable, to follow with autumn grazing so that the sward enters the following season with an even growth and the minimum of dead leaf and stem debris. The lesson to be drawn from these two meadows is that a nature reserve intended to preserve some particular plant or animal must be so managed as to secure conditions which favour the species to be preserved and discourage its competitors. The method devised by two generations of the Fox family has been outstandingly successful, though better drainage conditions to avoid the prolonged winterfloodingwould be more desirable and would reduce the spread of Filipendula ulmaria, the sole competitor in the sward. In contrast the Mickfield meadow, which has been unmown and only lightly grazed on a few occasions since 1953, shows the normal succession of invading plants which takes place in the boulder clay in the absence of cutting, grazing and the application of phosphate. Strong growing grasses such as Deschampsia caespitosa and Dactylis glomerata became aggressive in growth and are followed by scrub leading to afinaljungle of thorns, ash and oak which covered much agricultural land in the thirties. The scrub cutting of 1960 will only postpone for a year or two the inevitable climax if the Mickfield meadow is not managed like the Framsden one in the future.