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The article profiles Botanical Journal of Scotland. According to the author, in 1863 the Botanical Society of Edinburgh has been founded and in 1990 published Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. He added that the name of the Society has been changed to Botanical Society of Scotland and the journal into Botanical Journal of Scotland. Moreover, the change has signaled the formalization of the Society becoming a Scotland-wide organization. He emphasized that one area of success of the journal is the publication of the papers from special symposia.

This paper deals with three aspects of the process of restoring planted ancient woodland sites (PAWS) to semi-natural conditions. Firstly, we describe a baseline assessment of botanical interest within a PAWS. This survey has been undertaken to determine the impact of clearfelling, particularly on lower plants and the subsequent colonisation of ground vegetation into areas currently dominated by needle litter. Secondly, we discuss some of the main considerations when undertaking restoration through alternative silvicultural systems to clearfell. Finally, we describe the main requirement for successful site monitoring for management purposes. The last decade has seen considerable attention given to the benefits of restoring plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) to semi-natural conditions. The survival of species and communities associated with ancient woodland through the process of conversion will be a critical measure of success for restoration practice. It is generally assumed that a gradual approach will improve the chances of such success. Glencripesdale National Nature Reserve (NNR) is a heterogeneous area of semi-natural open ground, ancient woodland and Sitka spruce plantation. The plantation blocks contain occasional discrete elements of semi-natural vegetation, including some veteran trees. Because of difficult access and poor stability, silvicultural options are limited and clear felling is the only practical option. We describe a simple method of monitoring changes to cryptogamic communities and ground layer vegetation prior to and following clearfelling of the plantation matrix. Baseline data are presented. In more stable and accessible stands, there are a number of alternative silvicultural approaches to consider when gradually restoring a PAWS. This paper addresses the question of how to secure ancient woodland remnants. We outline some of the initial silvicultural considerations such as stability, thinning/felling pattern and light requirements of native tree species. An approach to site monitoring is presented to allow managers to assess whether conditions are improving or declining and whether they are delivering objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atlantic Oakwoods support a unique breeding avifaunal community, characterised by redstarts, wood warblers, pied flycatchers and tree pipits. We have used a sample of data from the national Repeat Woodland Bird Survey to examine population changes in these four species within Atlantic Oakwoods over the last two decades. We used data from 29 woods in Argyll in western Scotland surveyed in 1985, and from 27 woods in Gwynedd in northwest Wales surveyed in 1983 and compare them with data from repeat surveys carried Out in 2003 and 2004. In this paper, we report the population changes for these species between these two periods and examine whether changes differed between Scottish and Welsh sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores whether any of the familar range of current oakwood structures in the west of Scotland can be used as realistic analogues for the prehistoric oakwoods. Even for the early historic oak woodlands we have no detailed knowledge of previous structures and composition. The structure of today's oak woodlands, and to some extent even the legacy of species within that habitat, are a type of biocultural heritage. The oak woodlands that we see today are the product of a long interaction: between man's use of the woodlands and the ongoing natural processes within the oakwood ecosystem. Grazing animals, especially domestic cattle and red deer, have played a key part in determining oak woodland structure in historic times, and perhaps have a future role too. Are there lessons to be drawn from knowledge of past management and regeneration of oak which are relevant to the present day, when most managers are finding it difficult to regenerate oak woodlands on any scale? Understanding past utilisation and structure of oak woodlands is valuable mainly as a guide to future management. Indeed one might ask which models and structures are relevant for managing an oak woodland resource now regarded mainly as a wildlife habitat? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between ecological change and human use in Atlantic oakwoods during the last millennium. Information on vegetation change derived from high resolution pollen analytical studies can sometimes be satisfactorily linked with localised documentary evidence of historical woodland management. Key findings based on this approach using case studies of individual woods in Lorn are presented. Relatively diverse woods, probably containing old-growth, were transformed in the medieval period into disturbed open stands used for pasturage and local domestic wood supply. Around or prior to 1700 AD commercial management began and modes of exploitation changed so that, for a period until the late 19th or early 20th century, stands were cropped intensively. In the most recent 100 years or so, use of the woods has been relatively minor except as a grazing resource. The consequences of this history for the development of the current condition and character of Atlantic oakwood resources are discussed with reference to elements of woodland biodiversity such as arboreal species composition and Atlantic bryophyte assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarises activity for the restoration of treeline woodland and montane scrub in Scotland over the last six years and into the near future. It concentrates on promotional activity by the Montane Scrub Action Group, but also includes restoration activities by other bodies. In recognising constraints on resources it proposes a method of prioritising sites in order to develop a strategic action plan for restoration. Better knowledge of the condition of sites will be fundamental to the final stages of such planning and the paper introduces Action Group plans to enlist the assistance of hill users to improve our knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scottish habitats are here reviewed in a European context. Examples are selected in order to identify those recognisable as distinctively Scottish as well as others related to Scandinavian or European counterparts. The paper begins with a resumé of the main environmental influences in Scotland, then describes examples of habitats almost unique to, or best represented in Scotland. This is followed by reference to some distinctively western versions of more widely distributed habitats, and others corresponding to related types elsewhere. The beating of this on site selection for nature conservation is discussed. Hitherto, in the UK selection for National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest has been based largely on the criteria listed in A Nature Conservation Review (Ratcliffe, 1977). It is important, however, also to review Scottish habitats in a European context, as attempted in this paper. In making proposals (now approaching completion) for Special Areas of Conservation, to be recommended by the UK Government for adoption by the European Commission, it is now our duty to include not only habitats for which we have special responsibility because they are unique to or best represented in Scotland, or have distinctively western features, but also sufficient examples of all the main European types occurring in our country. Nomenclature of British flowering plants and ferns follows Stace (1991). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Atlantic Oakwoods can be seen as ‘at the edge’ in two ways. First, they lie at the extreme oceanic end of a series of Quercus robur and Q. petraea woodlands which stretches eastwards from the North Atlantic coast to the continental heartland of Europe. Second, they are at the northern limit of a range of oceanic oakwoods which extends southwards to Iberia where Q. pyrenaica is an important canopy companion. This paper outlines the main variations in trees, shrubs, herbs and cryptogams that can be seen along these two climatic gradients, so as to highlight what is truly distinctive about the Atlantic Oakwoods and how we might rightly value them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the route, speed and mode of colonisation of oaks by integrating a number of independent analyses using molecular ecology, palaeoecology and simulation modelling approaches. Using a synthetic map of the contemporary distribution of chloroplast DNA (integrating several published and unpublished data sets and describing variation in 1468 trees from 313 autochthonous stands of Q. robur and Q. petraea from Britain and Ireland), and considering the postglacial topographic landscape, the most likely routes of postglacial colonisation across the British Isles are suggested. The overall pattern of these directions agrees with previous interpretations, but several routes, particularly those into Ireland, differ from previous interpretations and benefit here from using a single synthesised data set. Interestingly, the Atlantic oakwoods appear to have been colonised by individuals bearing a single haplotype (type 12). Two palaeoecology data sets, published separately for Britain and Ireland, are synthesised here and used to infer the timing of first arrival of oaks across the British Isles (between 9500 and 6000 years before present). The maximum observed colonisation speed within the British Isles is approximately 500 m year-1 in central and southern England. Outputs from a simulation model, which mimics postglacial colonisation processes, and which has been parameterised for the colonisation rate observed from the pollen core record and contemporary cpDNA structure, predict that the rapid colonisation rate observed, for at least the southern portion of the British Isles, can only be achieved via very rare (an approximate frequency 0.01 %), very long distance seed dispersal events (up to 100 km). Potential agents of such dispersal events are birds or major meteorological disturbances, e.g. hurricanes. Additional simulation modelling and genetic analysis of latitudinally stratified populations indicate that non-synchronous colonisation fronts, topographic barriers and temperature related survival may also have had an effect on the speed of migration and resulting genetic structure. Finally, in an attempt to record predicted long distance seed dispersal events, a novel curve fitting technique is applied to molecular parentage assignment data for field established seedlings from a contemporary population. A notable discrepancy is recorded between contemporary field estimates (just over 1 km) and those predicted by simulation modelling, and is discussed in detail. A concluding section describes future research priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atlantic oakwoods are the oceanic oak-dominated woodlands that fringe the western coast of Britain and Ireland and, due to their high humidity and rich and luxuriant lower plant assemblages, have been regarded as ‘temperate rainforest’. However, unlike the similarly iconic Caledonian pinewoods, Atlantic oakwoods have no formal designation or associated woodland classification type, which gives some uncertainty to the extent of the oakwoods habitat on its fringes. This paper examines the various elements central to the concept of an ‘Atlantic oakwood’ and discusses their occurrence in Great Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term survival is a feature of plant life in the Arctic both for individuals and species. Stems of willow can be centuries old and vegetatively reproducing clones can have their ages counted in millennia. Circum-polar examination of chloroplast DNA has made it possible to trace the migration of Saxifraga oppositifolia clades over a period of 4-5 million years and demonstrate that this species maintained a presence north of the ice sheets during the last glacial maximum and probably longer. There has long been speculation that the Arctic has two distinct tiaras, an ancient autochthonous flora (an original endemic flora) that has survived since the Pleistocene and an invading flora that has immigrated into the Arctic during late glacial and post-glacial times. It is therefore probable that Saxifraga oppositifolia is not alone in its Pleistocene occupation of High Arctic polar deserts. The ancient autochthonous flora consists of conservative species with widespread distributions and chromosome counts that are simple diploids, with little evidence of allo-polyploidisation. This is in marked contrast to the majority of the Species that arc now present in the Arctic which arc polyploid. This paper considers some of the physiological and genetic properties of polar-plant-populations that may facilitate persistence in uncertain and heterogeneous adverse environments. Attention is drawn to some possible advantages that diploid species may possess over polyploids. in having a mutualistic rather than a competitive relationship between varying sub-populations and local ecotypes whereby. diploid species. consisting of many variable populations that readily interbreed. provide a mutually accessible source of genetic variation that may have contributed to long-term survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports demographic studies of the endemic Cerastium nigrescens and the very rare Arenaria norvegica ssp. norvegica on the Keen of Hamar ultramafic outcrop on Unst, Shetland from June 1994 to November 1996. Plants of Cerastium nigrescens showed a Deevey type II curve and mature plants had a half-life of 3.8 years. Plants of Arenaria norvegica ssp. norvegica showed a Deevey type I curve with high mortality after flowering in the second year. There was some evidence of increased mortality during droughts but this had little impact on the total population. Seed production and seedling recruitment for both species was good throughout the study period. Seed bank measurements ranged from 12-13 m[sup -2] for Cerastium nigrescens and 24-43 m[sup -2] for Arenaria norvegica ssp. norvegica. The study showed that there was no immediate threat to the populations of the two species but because of their isolated occurrence they are susceptible to extinction and should be carefully monitored. Key words: Arenaria norvegica ssp. norvegica; Cerastium nigrescens; conservation; demography; fellfield; monitoring; seed bank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a range of legislation and policy relating to plant conservation in Scotland, including international, European and domestic measures (Scottish Office, 1998). There are, in addition, opportunities and challenges for plant conservation as a result of devolution. This paper reviews examples taken from the range of current policies and laws to illustrate both where these have been beneficial and where they have not been so successful for plant conservation, and offers some views on what lessons have been learnt from these actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the status of surviving montane willow scrub on or adjacent to Ben Lawers NNR, referring to eight species of willow and juniper. Most of these have no viable future on the Reserve. The evidence and reasons for decline are discussed, and the conservation work initiated since 1987 described, including its rationale and the associated objective problems. Intervention with fencing and planting is intended to test the feasibility of restoring a viable scrub community, with the proximate objective of reestablishing seed-producing populations of the respective species. The long term and uncertain nature of the work is discussed. Plant names used are according to Stace (1991). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blanket bogs of Caithness and Sutherland are the finest examples of their type in the world. Restricted to a few parts of the world where cool, oceanic climatic conditions prevail, Britain holds approximately 13% of the total global resource of blanket bog, of which the bogs of Caithness and Sutherland form the largest and most intact area. In recent times, extensive areas of the peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland have been damaged — principally through drainage and forestry. In 1994, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) purchased Forsinard Estate in the heart of the peatlands as part of a EU LIFE funded project on blanket bog conservation. In partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage and Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise, this four year RSPB led project promoted a number of initiatives on awareness raising and ecotourism as well as a range of practical demonstrations on restoring damaged blanket bog. More recently, a follow up LIFE Peatlands Project was launched in 2001 where RSPB extended the partnership to include SNH, Forest Enterprise, Plantlife and the Forestry Commission. This paper gives an overview of the partnership approach to the management and restoration of damaged blanket bog in Caithness and Sutherland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the assessment of upland plant communities in the context of Scottish Natural Heritage's Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) programme. The quality of all notified features on all statutory designated sites will be monitored every six years, with the first national report being produced in 2005. Notified habitat features are largely defined in terms of plant communities. It is important to appreciate that plant communities are to some extent used as proxy indicators for wider interests. Upland monitoring will cover 973 specific vegetation features (grouped into just over thirty generic feature types) and 66 habitat assemblage features, spread over 223 sites and 6516 km². Problems and solutions associated with the identification of feature boundaries, quality attributes and targets, and sampling are discussed. Three sets of assessment issues are selected for further discussion: first, appropriate species composition, and the use of direct and indirect targets; second, appropriate disturbance regimes and how this relates to naturalness and bioiversity; and third, the inclusion in monitoring of long-term progressive changes that may also be large scale. Finally, a brief summary is provided of those plant communities and processes for which, currently, monitoring can only be superficial because of insufficient information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is a prominent species in moorland and woodland vegetation which spreads and survives mainly by vegetative growth from buds. Each berry contains many seeds but seedlings are rarely seen in Scotland. Thus, it is of interest to establish whether the lack of seedlings reflects a low production of viable seeds, their dormancy status, or germination requirements or seed longevity. Samples of V. myrtillus berries were collected from moorland in the east Grampian mountains, Scotland. Each berry contained about 70 seeds. Small seeds did not germinate but large fresh seeds achieved over 80% germination in laboratory tests. Seeds stored dry for one year did not lose viability. Seeds stored in moist cold conditions (to mimic conditions in the soil over winter) lost viability progressively and none germinated after about 43 weeks. Germination occurred over the range of 15-24°C. These seed germination and longevity characteristics may currently severely limit the window of opportunity for germination of seeds of V. myrtillus in Scotland and have implications for the spread of V. myrtillus if average temperatures increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robert Smith and his brother William (W.G.) were described by Tansley (1939) as 'the original pioneers of modem Ecology in Britain'. However, rather few are aware of R. Smith's important role in a revolution of Botanical science in Britain just over 100 years ago. Smith entered the University College of Dundee (now the University of Dundee) as a student in 1893 and came under the influence of Patrick Geddes, then Professor of Botany, who appointed him Demonstrator in Botany as soon as he had graduated. Geddes encouraged his interest in the newly emerging science of plant ecology and, in particular, his programme for mapping the vegetation of Scotland. To this end, he arranged for Smith to spend some months in Montpellier, where he was much influenced by Professor C. Flahault's approach to vegetation mapping on the basis of recognisable associations of plant species. On his tatum to Scotland, he developed this theme and applied it to making vegetation maps in various parts of Scotland, regarding this as a preliminary to understanding relationships between vegetation, climate, soil and human impacts. Thus, the first stirrings of practical ecology in Britain were influenced by the phytosociological outlook which was developing in Europe. Sadly, Robert Smith died prematurely in 1900, but his work was continued for a time by his brother, W.G. Smith, and others. It was the primary inspiration for the formation of a 'Central Committee for the Survey and Study of British Vegetation' in which other pioneers of plant ecology, including A.G. Tansley, participated. Although, for various masons, their interests moved away from vegetation mapping towards plant-environment interactions, ecological processes, and vegetation dynamics, Smith's work had laid the foundations for a series of important studies of Scotland's plant communities, including those of E.L. Birse and J.S. Robertson, M.E.D. Poore, D. McVean and D. Ratcliffe. In 1964 J.H. Burnett revived the aim of comprehensive description of Scottish vegetation with his book The Vegetation of Scotland. R. Smith's work helped to bring a fresh approach into British botany, and launch plant ecology as a scientific study of vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the biodiversity action plans for species and habitats in Scotland. Habitat type or taxonomic group; Three classes of research requirements; Key areas of research identified in the published species action plans and habitat action plans.

Examines the responses of Sorghum bicolor L. seedlings to soil penetration resistance. Effects of soil penetration resistance treatment on the root biomass of the seedling; Decrease in shoot growth; Increase in the carbon sink strength of the roots.

The article focuses on the research on the aspects of grazing and browsing and their effects on vegetation in Scotland. According to the author, herbivorous animals influence the vegetation in many ways in addition simply to removing green leaves and shoots. He added that one of the most spectacular effects on biting, grazing and browsing is seen in bark-stripping by red deer. Moreover, the destructive effect of grazing on birchwoods is a fairly common sight throughout the Highlands. He emphasized that to recognize the degradation that is often associated with animal management on free-range is important.

The article highlights the alien plants in the Tweedside district. According to the author, another source of alien seeds is the old skin works in Galashiels and wool shoddy is spread on fields to improve soil fertility. He added that the modern affluent treatment and the cessation of spreading wool shoddy has largely curtailed the introduction of alien seed except for those introduced via wild bird seed. Moreover, the alien plant together with Phacalie tanacetifolia Benth. is most often sent to the Botanic Garden for identification. Furthermore, the control of Ragweed is compulsory in many countries in continental Europe since it is hyper-allergenic and causes severe hay fever.

The article provides information on the botanical characteristics and medicinal properties of Cannabis indica an Indian hemp. According to the author, the extracts of cannabis can relieve some of the symptoms of multiple selerosis. He added that the hemp has been in constant use by the Hindoos as a means of allaying pain and more particulary as an intoxicating drug among the east inhabitants. Moreover, the effect of hemp is powerfully aphrodisiac wherein after the stage of excitement the experimenter returns to his natural state except that the ideas are often confused for a little.

The article focuses on the intimate and complex relationships between orchids and fungi in the British Isles. According to the author, the approach focused on the isolates of Rhizoctonia solani, the agent of silver scurf disease of potatoes and eye-spot of wheat and its relationship with Goodyera repens. He added that the fungi studied by Dorothy Downie turned out to link orchids to arborescent plants. Moreover, the growth induced by Rhizoctonia solani is much less and the association is more unbalanced than with their respective endophytes.

The article focuses on the analysis on the origin and success of polyploids in the Boreal Circumpolar Flora. According to the author, polyploids are most likely to arise and achieve initial success in regions where alternate isolation plus differentiation followed by reunion and hybredization. He added that initial polyploids vary greatly in their evolutionary success. Moreover, the separation of poyploids into three groups such as paleo-, meso and neo-polyploids is a necessary procedure since the groups behave differently with respect to both geographical and ecological distribution. Furthermore, particular attention must be paid to mesopolyploids in considering the outstanding success of polyploids in many plant genera.

The article focuses on New Morphology introduced by H. Hamshaw Thomas in 1932. According to the author, the face of Morphology has been changed by paleobotany. He added that three basic organs known in classical Morphology are stem, leaf and root. Moreover, the concept of homology rests on inequality of daughter-cells of a cell-division and though more vaguely on the comparison of organs to which growth alterations are ascribed. Furthermore, the basic unit of Cormophyta is the protostelic and the only way on ramification is dichotomy.

The article highlights the British Flora. According to the author, J.G. Goodchild is right in emphasizing that the current native British and Irish Flora is very similar in composition to that which existed during the previous interglacials. He added that the British and Irish Flora contains a large percentage of naturalized aliens and most of which are introduced either by accident or design due to human activities. Moreover, the flora contained in Cromer Forest Bed is divided into two groups such as the forest trees and the marsh or aquatic plants.

Sixty-four species of coprophilous fungi were recorded from 42 herbivore dung samples collected in Orkney and Shetland in summer 2005. One, Ascobolus brantophilus, a high latitude species, is newly recorded for the UK and 13 and 28 species are newly recorded for Orkney and Shetland, respectively. The data obtained, with other records, are used to provide support for an earlier demonstration that the latitudinal gradient of species richness, which declines with increasing latitude, can be observed by studying coprophilous fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saxifraga hirculus, the yellow marsh saxifrage, is a rare protected species growing in base-rich flushes. For conservation, better knowledge is needed on its performance and habitat preferences, hence three colonies in the Cabrach district of Aberdeenshire have been monitored closely over the past eleven years. Additionally observations are reported on flowering at a ‘recovery site’ to which saxifrage plants have been transplanted. At one of the natural colonies S. hirculus has clearly increased, at another there has been decline, and at the third so many inflorescences are removed by grazing that the trend could not be decided. The increase, as measured by flowering, was associated with moderately heavy grazing that maintained sward height at about 20-25 cm in summer. The decrease in saxifrage flowering was associated with light grazing and a sward of 35-40cm height; however drought conditions in 2003 were perhaps responsible, affecting the water table of this colony more than the other colonies due to site topography. At the third colony water voles (Arvicola amphibious) have been regularly present, and have clear impact on the vegetation around their holes. It is suggested that the voles eat the flowering shoots of the saxifrage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this brief review, the use of wild flower seeds is described as a contribution to the enhancement of biodiversity and as a way of improving grassland and other plant communities. Ecological concerns about sowing seeds in locations that are climatically contrasted to the countries from which the seed is sourced are discussed. Characteristics that aid the spread and survival of normally uncultivated species create difficulties in seed production and use. Establishment of a crop for seed production and subsequent weed control can be troublesome and procedures to achieve these have been developed based on experience. Harvesting methods are selected and modified to suit the maturity and dispersal characteristics of different species. Drying and processing, to ensure the removal of a large proportion of the unwanted material,such as appendages that aid wind dispersal, insect parts and weed seeds, can consist of as many as 10 stages for some species. As the final stage in production, seed quality control of wild flower seeds through germination testing has not been routine in the past. Our research has identified appropriate dormancy breaking treatments for a range of species, so that we currently can test the quality of seeds both from different harvest years and periods of storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oil-shale bings of West Lothian, Scotland, are a group of post-industrial waste sites, unique in Britain and Western Europe. The industrial exploitation of oil-bearing rocks has created a habitat with its own distinctive flora and fauna. The floral diversity of individual sites has been documented as species lists in several studies. A comprehensive list of more than 350 plant species, with supplementary information on animal species, was compiled from an extensive literature review of these studies. From these data it was possible to determine the extent of species variation within and between bings, identify locally and nationally rare species, and thus to determine the importance of the oil-shale bing habitat at a local and national scale. The results will go some way to allay concerns about the loss of local biodiversity, generally throughout the countryside, due to changes in agricultural practices and increased urbanisation. Findings from the bings and evidence from other types of derelict land suggest that species are not lost, they have moved to new habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoration of scrub and woodland in deforested upland sites is an important conservation activity. However, little is known about the mycorrhizal colonisation potential of upland soils or the factors that influence the distribution of mycorrhizal inoculum. We investigated the effect of existing vegetation on mycorrhizal colonisation potential for a sub-arctic willow (Salix lapponum) by planting uninoculated cuttings into plots representing two upland habitats with either grass and herbs (‘grass’) or Vaccinium myrtillus (‘vaccinium’) and assessing mycorrhizal colonisation after 14 months using morphological and molecular techniques. From 40 willow cuttings (20 in each habitat), DNA sequences of five ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungal taxa were recovered: Laccaria proxima, Thelephora terrestris, Hebeloma sp., ‘Thelephoraceae sp.’ and ‘Pezizales sp.’ Cuttings in the ‘grass’ habitat were dominated by Laccaria proxima and ‘Pezizales sp.’ and in the ‘vaccinium’ habitat by Thelephora terrestris which was absent from the ‘grass’ habitat. There were no significant differences between habitats in frequency of EcM inoculum (overall percentage of cuttings colonised = 70%) or colonisation potential (overall mean percentage of root tips colonised per cutting = 20%). These data suggest that the mycorrhizal colonisation potential and diversity of fungi available to willow in these upland soils are low and planted willow may benefit from inoculum enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfortunately the Atlantic oakwoods of Scotland have never been targeted by mycologists and information is very patchy. The best data lie in the lists of fungi from the Inner Hebridean oakwoods and it is on these records which go back to the end of the 19th century, and limited information from the mainland that a potential picture is offered. There appear to be no fungi specific to Western oakwoods and there are few differences between eastern and western oak communities in Scotland. Emphasis is placed on the need for more funding for those who can identify and recognise potential indicator species so that progress can be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Atlantic broad-leaved woodlands of Britain are of international renown for their lichen floras. They are inhabited by 517 lichens, representing 28.3% of the total lichen flora and 73.2% of all British woodland lichens, and they are the main habitat for 165 species. Of these, 31 have a marked southern distribution and do not reach Scotland, whereas 26 species are found in Scotland, but not England or Wales. Their British Red-listed species are outnumbered by the 86 species for which Britain has International Responsibility. Within the Atlantic broad-leaved woodlands, only 30 lichens show a preponderance for oak. With the exception of some ancient oakwoods in southern England, a high lichen biodiversity is rarely dependent on a dominance of oak in the woodland canopy, more usually it is the result of a long ecological continuity, often a varied tree and shrub composition, a varied canopy density, and good air quality. Consequently, the oak stands within former ‘industrial’ woodlands have a much lower lichen biodiversity compared with woodlands that have a history as ‘pasture woodland’ or, as with some ravine woodlands, have otherwise escaped intensive management. The life-history of an oak tree is considered in relation to the niches it provides for lichen colonisation with time. Some management scenarios are provided with the enhancement of the lichen interest of former ‘industrial’ oakwoods as an objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oceanic bryophyte element of the vegetation of British and Irish Atlantic oakwoods is not only the richest bryophyte flora in Europe, it is also one of the richest bryophyte floras in the world. The oceanic climate and the buffering provided by the tree canopy are critical in maintaining the constant humidity and equable temperatures which provide the basis for this diversity. Though the initial impression of these woodlands is of a homogeneous green carpet over both rocks and trees, most good woodlands will have over 200 different species of moss and liverwort, many of which are very specific as regards micro-habitat. Within the woodlands, a recently glaciated landscape gives much exposed rock of different aspect, texture and chemistry, and also turbulent burns in deep ravines which enhance the humidity. These niches are exploited by different bryophyte communities which may contain a number of species that are very rare in European terms and for which we have a special responsibility. Any management plans for these woodlands should take account of this variety of micro-habitat, and monitoring of the effects on bryophyte populations of any resulting change in the structure of ground vegetation is vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main period of the exploitation of the Atlantic oakwoods lasted from around 1700–1900, and was intense only from 1750–1850, though it had been preceded by a long period of anthropogenic interference of which medieval boatbuilding at least had the potential to alter the character of the woods. The Irish were pioneers when they began to search the coast from the Solway to the Great Glen for fresh supplies of oak bark for their tanning industry, and early in the 18th century this involved an attempt to buy large swathes of Argyll oakwoods, and also to create iron works at Glen Kinglas to utilise local charcoal. This failed, but by mid-century English ironmasters had followed them at Bunawe and Craleckan, works ambitious enough to draw fuel from most of the area within reach of the sea, and this led to greater care being taken of the woods involving the exclusion of stock, systematic rotational coppicing and apparently species selection in favour of oak. Management for tanbark by Scots to supply Scottish markets outpaced charcoaling before 1800, however, and affected areas like Loch Lomondside and Perthshire far from the sea, with similar consequences. A crisis developed when the tanbark and charcoal markets collapsed, notably after 1840, but it took another generation of owners to adapt. Before the end of the century, coppice was largely abandoned, though in places where there were pyroligneous acid works or opportunities to sell spoke wood, the practice lingered on. Generally, however, stock were readmitted, and the woods converted to high forest or game coverts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present here a review of the recolonisation of the Atlantic oakwoods following the end of the last glacial period. The study is based on two independent data sources: palaeoecological and phylogeographical data. The spread of oak is examined at two scales: (1) continental, allowing a consideration of the location of glacial refugia and the broad outlines of the migration, (2) the Atlantic coastal region, in order to establish the specific history of the Atlantic oakwoods. Climatic and human controls on the timing, speed and pattern of spread are considered, in particular, the conditions of the early Holocene period during which the majority of the recolonisation took place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular techniques applied to Scottish collections of Sarcodon imbricatus showed that these collections did not belong to this species but to the closely related S. squamosus. This latter species is accepted as a member of the British mycota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seed size that is characteristic of each plant species is of central importance fur their regeneration because of its effect on dispersability and seedling establishment. The chemical composition of the stored nutrients is also important in the early stages of growth. The factors that influence individual seed size and nutrient allocation during development on the parent plant are examined, and allocation strategies are compared in different plants. Experiments to determine the effective supply of different elements in seeds are reviewed. The apparent imbalance in the seed nutrient allocation is discussed. Mineral use in early seedling growth is described and the exhaustion of internal nutrient reserves is considered as a means of defining the end of seedling growth phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty-seven species of coprophilous fungi are recorded from 14 dung samples collected from the Souss Valley area of southern Morocco that were Incubated in moist chambers. Several new records for Morocco are reported. Evidence for reduced diversity due to the severely degraded nature of the habitats in which the samples were collected is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the Dawyck Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland. History of the botanic garden; Features of the cryptogamic project being done on the area where the botanic garden was located; Educational instruction incorporated within the Dawyck project; Data on fungi found in the Dawyck Botanic Garden; Implication of the project on the field of botany.

The alpine gentian (Gentiana nivalis L.) is a mountain rarity found at only two localities in Britain. It is an annual, establishing anew from seed each year and so the size and persistence of its seed bank is important for survival. Seed bank size was measured in summer, before seeds were shed, by sampling from soils at two sites where the alpine gentian is common. As the seeds do not germinate readily in the laboratory, it was assumed that all apparently healthy seeds extracted from the solis were alive and viable. This assumption was corroborated when 95-97 % of seeds buried experimentally for 9-12 years germinated after repeated applications of gibberellic acid solution over a period of 6 months. Densities of naturally buried alpine gentian seeds at the two sites ranged from 1.3 to 6.8 × 10³ seeds m-2 and they comprised a major component of the community seed bank, disproportionately greater than the abundance of parent plants in the vegetation. The half-life of experimentally buried seeds was estimated as 15 or 32 years, depending on depth of burial and soil type. The findings explain why alpine gentian numbers can recover quickly after a population crash and emphasise the importance of the seed bank to the species' long-term survival in the montane environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seed content of individual capsules of alpine gentian (Gentiana nivalis L.), a rare annual of Scottish mountains, was compared amongst (a) single- and multi-flowered plants and (b) the years 1987-92 inclusive. Capsules contained two types of seeds, 'live' seeds that were terete and apparently viable, and 'aborted' seeds that were shrunken and clearly dead. The topmost capsule on plants with two-five flowers contained two-three times the number of live seeds found in capsules from plants with a single flower. The mean annual production of live seeds per plant from 176 in single-flowered plants through 445, 580, 983 and 1145 in plants with two, three, four and five flowers respectively. The mean live seed content of capsules varied annually, depending on the numbers of seeds that aborted. Annual variation in the proportion of aborted seeds was negatively correlated with mean maximum temperature during July, when the plants began flowering. It is suggested that cold temperatures in July possibly inhibited the activity of pollinating insects and the growth of pollen tubes. The results are discussed in the context of possible future changes in the Scottish climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty-one fungal taxa, the majority macromycetes, were recorded from the Chagos Archipelago and the Seychelles, 29 and 17 respectively, with five, all macrofungi, common to both. Most of the fungi recorded are of wide distribution in the palaeotropics being either associated on these Indian Ocean islands with Cocos plantations and disturbed and/or anthropogenic sites. Some are even pantropical and none appears to be distinctive to these islands. A single collection (Sphinetrina tubiformis) is noted from Aldabra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Females and males of dioccious species may not allocate the same proportions of assimilate to plant protection and so may be differentially grazed. The distribution range of the dioccious, coniferous shrub, juniper (Juniperus communis) is declining in the UK and populations are becoming fragmented. The main aims of this study were to (i) assess the sex structure of populations of prostate juniper at four sites in northern Scotland and (ii) assess the extent of grazing on individual plants. A total of 518 prostate juniper plants were inspected in the four populations. The sex of 30-35% of them could not be determined. There were differences between the sites in grazing intensity, plant density, plant size, and the proportion of females. Between June and September, there was almost no grazing of current growth and no difference between males and females in the amount of grazing. Most grazing took place over winter. This was supported by the observation that dung counts over summer did not correlate with grazing of current or old shoots. Female, male and unsexable plants had similar size ranges. Female and unsexable plants had similar numbers and proportions of old shoots grazed but male plants had significantly less. This suggests that many of the unsexable plants were non-reproducing females and that the grater grazing on unsexable plants might be responsible for the cessation of reproduction. The impact of differential winter grazing of prostate female and male juniper plants is discussed in relation to the conservation of this species in Scotland and the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twinflower, Linnaea borealis L., is a creeping, woody, clonal perennial nationally scarce in the UK, with its distribution confined to discrete patches in Scotland. Translocation of twinflower from natural patches into either existing patches, with a view to increasing genetic variation and outcrossing rates, or to unoccupied habitat, with a view to increasing its overall prevalence, could effectively increase the species' viability. In a small pilot experiment 38 shoots were moved from a vigorous patch in the Scottish Borders into two overtly hospitable clearings within the same woodland. Two years later 18 shoots (47%) survived and three years later four shoots (10.5%) remained, with die-back occurring irregularly over shoots of different initial lengths. No measured character of the original shoots explained which survived at each time interval. The most likely cause of the high mortality was competition from established grasses (Deschampsia flexuosa) which prevented growth and the formation of new roots along stolons. The study should help focus future efforts to determine best methods of increasing establishment of twinflower in Scotland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robert Smith (1874-1900) is credited with haying made the first systematic ecological studies to be carried out in Britain. His childhood in Dundee is described and consideration is given to the possible influence of his brother William and of the countryside of Angus and Ayrshire in forming his early interest in field botany and vegetation science. His pioneering studies were encouraged by Patrick Geddes and D'Arcy Thompson, and later by Charles Flahault in Montpellier, so that Smith became an outstanding teacher and researcher at a time of momentous developments in the natural sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal grazing treatments were begun in 1990 on two sites of bilberry moorland that lay 60-200 m from a strip of riverside woodland in Northern England. Treatments were summer grazing, winter grazing, year-round and no grazing, fences being moved in mid April and mid October each year to open or close plots. The main plant species, Calluna vulgaris, Empetrum nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus, showed negligible response in cover or height to season of grazing, but colonisation by deciduous trees was much affected. On plots given summer protection (total area 2000 m²) 249 Sorbus aucuparia saplings were counted in 2000, together with one Quercus robur sapling, but no saplings were found in summer-grazed and year-round-grazed plots. Each winter the rowan saplings in the summer-protected plots were severely browsed by sheep, but they recovered in the next growing season. Their increasing trunk diameter and shoot increment up to 2000 suggested that some would soon escape herbivore control. But the fence moves did not take place in 2001, and in April 2002 these saplings were found to have been very heavily browsed. Nearly all survived but regrowth was much poorer in summer 2002 than summer 2000, so several more years of recovery are needed before it can be decided if summer protection from grazing allows succession to woodland at these sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]