VERGING ON EXTINCTION
Wildflowers suffering at our roadsides
by TurfPro Editor, Steve Gibbs
 
Steve Gibbs

For many urban workers, one of their only opportunities to see a green and bio-diverse space during a regular week, could well be from the window of their car, along the roadside.

 

However, according to the charity Plantlife, the quality and diversity of roadside verges is at risk through both air pollution and what they describe as 'poor management'.

 

The charity says that emissions from vehicle exhausts are acting as a fertiliser for a group of nitrogen-loving plants like nettles, which outcompete traditional flowers.

 

As well as this though, the charity is pointing the finger at some councils, saying that too frequent cutting of verges is also contributing to the problem.

 

Plantlife say a “marauding gang” of plants including brambles and nettles are increasingly taking over road verges and squeezing out wildflowers. The plants which they describe as “nitrogen guzzlers”, which also include cow parsley and creeping buttercup, thrive in nitrogen-rich soils caused in part by pollution from road traffic which settles on road verges.

 

These plants are forcing out other wildlife-friendly and threatened species that prefer less rich soil, with the array of wildflowers on road verges shrinking by almost a fifth, analysis of trends since 1990 showing. Species such as red clover and lady’s bedstraw, which support high numbers of insects, have seen the most rapid declines, they say.

 

And rare wildflowers such as fen ragwort and wood calamint are apparently clinging on in just a handful of verges, their last remaining habitat.

 

Where the problem lies with some council's management of roadsides, say Plantlife, is through over cutting and the leaving of clippings - which adds to the nitrogen-richness of the soil, allowing these marauding plants to flourish. This combines with the air pollution to create what they are calling "a perfect storm".

 

Changes which the charity is suggesting include cutting less and later in the year so flowers can set seed, allowing semi-parasitic plant yellow rattle to act as a natural lawnmower and not leaving cuttings on the verge where they increase the nutrient richness.

 

They estimate if all the road verges in the UK were managed for nature there could be almost 420 billion more flowers - 6,300 per person.

 

Plantlife's botanist, Dr Trevor Dines, is quoted by the BBC as saying, "Our once colourful and botanically diverse road verges are becoming mean, green thickets where only thuggish species can thrive.

 

"After the froth of cow parsley in May, many verges no longer enjoy a bountiful summer.

 

"The impact of air pollution on human health is well documented but how pollution affects plantlife remains under-appreciated."

 

Going on to describe some councils as "over eager" in their cutting regimes Dr Dines, points out that if cutting frequency was lessened, as well as improving the wildflower life, it would save councils' money.

 

This is interesting food for thought. Is the equation really as simple as that? If councils cut roadsides less, they will save the quality of the life on the verges and save money?

 

If money was indeed saved through less frequent verge cutting could councils divert that saved cash into that other public green space area which so desperately requires attention, parks? We know that they are suffering from under-funding for maintenance across the country, so can a possible means of freeing up council workers' time and public funds be as linear as less time cutting verges, more time maintaining parks?

 

As with all publicly funded services, I'm sure a way can be found to make it a lot more complicated than that.

Rate: 12345 (1)
In this issue
EDITOR'S BLOG
VERGING ON EXTINCTION
NEWS
DENNIS PREPARES FOR RUSSIA
JOHN DEERE TO PARTNER 2019 SOLHEIM CUP
CLIVE PINNOCK RETIRES FROM REESINK TURFCARE
SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED
ERNEST DOE IS LATEST ETESIA DEALER
ISEKI UK APPOINTS
CLUB DOUBLES AERATION REGIME
ICL MANAGER RAISES MONEY FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER
JOBS
ADVERTISE YOUR JOBS HERE
Sponsored Product Announcements
PLAN SPRING SPRAYS FOR BEST CONTROL
PARTNERS
Garden trader
PRODUCED BY THE AD PLAIN