TRANSACTIONS BRECKLAND DERRICK J .
FLORA MARTIN
THE diversity of the flora in the different parts of Breckland itself and the Variation between those of Breckland and of other parts of the country are so obvious, that the question of why this should be demands an answer. The recording of all plants that can be found in the area must, of course, be a first step. This has been done so thoroughly that it is unlikely that any of us will find fresh species. We may, however, find a change in the flora todav compared with the list made in the Suffolk Flora of 1889. There have been so many changes since that time due to the behaviour of man in his changing farming practice, in the planting of the Forestry Commission's forests, in the building of aerodromes and the establishment of battle areas, and in the spread of the towns themselves, that all these must have had their influence on the flora. The decrease in the rabbit population too has made obvious changes and how far these will go is a matter for our Observation at the present time. In spite of changes, our Breckland flora is still distinctive : we are used to seeing fields bright with Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare) or white with Campion (Melandrium album) and fields lined with Mignonette (Reseda lutea). The nature of Breckland soil must be the chief influence affecting its flora as elsewhere, and we know that it must have had many changes. T h e soil was laid down during the glacial ages and so, spread Over the area is boulder clay, or glacial drift as ecologists like to call it now, made up of a mixture of chalk and sand. This sand may have been brought down from the Sandringham greensands. This can be very fertile soil, but as the mixture is about 50% sand and 50% calcium carbonate its texture is very porous and in consequence of rain seeping through, the bases are washed out leaving the sand behind. As this leaching takes place, not only are the bases removed, but also the finer particles in the soil and so it becomes even more porous.