BOTANICAL SURVEY by Joshua Styles MCIEEM AMRSB
This survey of the North Wirral Foreshore at Hoylake started in February 2020. Further seasonal surveys will be undertaken each year.
The survey will record species that occur across the full extent of Hoylake beach and will compare and contrast year-on-year species diversity and the number of notable species and should help inform future management and conservation designations for the site.
Some rare species recorded at Hoylake this year, such as Yellow Glasswort (Salicornia fragilis), have not been seen for many years.
Indeed, not only is Whorl-grass (Catabrosa aquatica) Red-list Vulnerable in England, it was last seen on Hoylake beach in 1895, over 120 years ago!
As the beach continues to change, ongoing surveillance could reveal a recovery in these and many other rare species’ populations.
As a further observation, many of the plant species now growing on the Hoylake beach are intolerant of brackish conditions. Marsh Arrowgrass (Triglochin palustre) and Whorl-grass (Catabrosa aquatica) are very intolerant of saline conditions, indicated by very low Ellenberg values for salinity (S=2 and S=1, respectively).
This is in complete contradiction to the existing SSSI citation as it stands, and is a clear indicator of dune development following significant accretion.
NB This survey has been conducted on a voluntary basis.
North Wirral Foreshore [Hoylake] Botanical Survey
The DAFOR scale represents the relative abundance of each species found:
D = Dominant; A = Abundant, LF = Locally Frequent, F = Frequent, O = Occasional, R = Rare
ELLENBERG salt values are an indicator of whether or not grasses favour fresh, brackish or saltwater environments:
9 = Very salt tolerant; 0 = Salt intolerant
Why this is important
By monitoring these two values together (DAFOR; relative species abundance and ELLENBERG; species salt tolerance), we can calculate relative changes in overall salt levels across the site over time; a useful indicator of habitat change as a consequence of sand accretion (as is happening at Hoylake) or erosion.
It is also an indicator at Hoylake of a shift from dominance of waterborne silt deposition to a dominance of windblown sand deposition.
| English name | Scientific name | 16.02.20 | 02.07.20 | 27.09.20 | 31.05.21 | Ellenberg value (salt) | Notable species | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Liverwort | Marchantia polymorpha | R | 0 | |||||
| Fern-leaved Hook-moss | Cratoneuron filicinum | R | 0 | |||||
| a Dandelion | Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia | R | R | R | 1 | |||
| Annual Meadow-grass | Poa annua | O | R | R | O | 1 | ||
| Annual Sea Blite | Suaeda maritima | R | R | 7 | ||||
| Annual Wall-rocket | Diplotaxis muralis | R | 1 | |||||
| Babbington's Orache | Atriplex glabriuscula | R | 3 | |||||
| Barren Brome | Anisantha sterilis | R | 0 | |||||
| Broad-leaved Dock | Rumex obtusifolius | R | 0 | |||||
| Buck's-horn Plantain | Plantago coronopus | F | LF | LF | LF | 2 | ||
| Buttonweed | Cotula coronopifolia | LF | LF | O | 4 | |||
| Celery-leaved Buttercup | Ranunculus sceleratus | R | R | R | R | 2 | ||
| Cleavers | Galium aparine | R | 0 | |||||
| Cock's-foot | Dactylis glomerata | O | 0 | |||||
| Common Cord-grass | Spartina anglica | R | R | R | R | 7 | ||
| Common Daisy | Bellis perennis | R | 0 | |||||
| Common Duckweed | Lemna minor | R | R | 0 | ||||
| Common Glasswort | Salicornia europaea | R | 9 | |||||
| Common Groundsel | Senecio vulgaris ssp. vulgaris | R | R | R | 0 | |||
| Common Knotgrass | Polygonum aviculare agg. | R | R | 0 | ||||
| Common Mouse-ear | Cerastium fontanum | R | 0 | |||||
| Common Orache | Atriplex patula | R | R | 2 | ||||
| Common Poppy | Papaver rhoeas | R | R | R | 0 | |||
| Common Ragwort | Jacobaea vulgaris | R | 0 | |||||
| Common Reed | Phragmites australis | R | 2 | |||||
| Common Saltmarsh-grass | Puccinellia maritima | F | A | A | LA | 5 | ||
| Creeping Bent | Agrostis stolonifera | R | 1 | |||||
| Creeping Buttercup | Ranunculus repens | R | 0 | |||||
| Curled Dock | Rumex crispus | O | O | O | 2 | |||
| Cut-leaved Dandelion | Taraxacum lacistophyllum | R | 1 | |||||
| Danish Scurvygrass | Cochlearia danica | LF | LF | LF | R | 4 | ||
| English Scurvygrass | Cochlearia anglica | R | 6 | |||||
| False Fox-sedge | Carex otrubae | R | 2 | |||||
| Fat-hen | Chenopodium album | R | 1 | |||||
| Fleabane sp. | Erigeron sp. | R | 0 | |||||
| Floating Sweet-grass | Glyceria fluitans | LF | O | O | R | 0 | ||
| Fool's Watercress | Apium nodiflorum | R | 0 | |||||
| Frog Rush | Juncus ranarius | LF | LF | 1 | YES | Species of Conservation Importance for NW England, listed within the NW Biodiversity Audit (1999) (SCI) | ||
| Glasswort sp. | Salicornia sp. | R | R | R | R | 9 | YES | Both Purple and Long-spiked Glassworts are rare on Wirral peninsula |
| Grass-leaved Orache | Atriplex littoralis | R | R | R | 4 | |||
| Great Willowherb | Epilobium hirsutum | R | 0 | |||||
| Greater Sea Spurrey | Spergularia media | O | O | R | 5 | |||
| Hairy Bitter-cress | Cardamine hirsuta | R | 0 | |||||
| Hard-grass | Parapholis strigosa | LF | LF | O | 5 | |||
| Hemlock Water-dropwort | Oenanthe crocata | R | O | 1 | ||||
| Hoary Willowherb | Epilobium parviflorum | R | 0 | |||||
| Hybrid Orache | A. x hulmeana | R | 2 | |||||
| Hybrid Orache | Atriplex x gustafssoniana | O | 2 | |||||
| Jointed Rush | Juncus articulatus | R | R | 1 | ||||
| Lesser Chickweed | Stellaria pallida | R | R | 0 | YES | Rare in Cheshire Vice County | ||
| Lesser Sea-spurrey | Spergularia marina | O | 5 | |||||
| Long-bracted Sedge | Carex extensa | R | R | R | 4 | |||
| Long-headed Poppy | Papaver dubium | R | 0 | |||||
| Long-stalked Orache | Atriplex longipes | R | 4 | YES | New to both Wirral and the Vice County. Very rare in the region and nationally scarce. | |||
| Lyme-grass | Leymus arenarius | R | R | 3 | ||||
| Marram | Ammophila arenaria | R | R | 3 | ||||
| Marsh Arrowgrass | Triglochin palustre | LF | LF | F | 2 | YES | Near-Threatened in England | |
| Marsh Foxtail | Alopecurus geniculatus | R | 1 | |||||
| Narrow-fruited Watercress | Nasturtium cf. microphyllum | O | 0 | |||||
| Night-scented Stock | Matthiola longipetala | R | 1 | |||||
| Pellitory-of-the-wall | Parietaria judaica | R | R | R | R | 1 | ||
| Perennial Rye-grass | Lolium perenne | O | O | O | 0 | |||
| Pineappleweed | Matricaria discoidea | R | R | R | 0 | |||
| Prickly Saltwort | Salsola kali | R | 3 | YES | Red-list Vulnerable in Great Britain, rare in Cheshire Vice County, SCI | |||
| Prickly Sow-thistle | Sonchus asper | R | R | R | 0 | |||
| Procumbent Pearlwort | Sagina procumbens | R | R | R | R | 1 | ||
| Purple Glasswort | Salicornia ramosissima | R | 9 | YES | Both Purple and Long-spiked Glassworts are rare on Wirral peninsula | |||
| Ray's Knotgrass | Polygonum oxyspermum ssp. raii | R | R | R | 3 | YES | Nationally Scarce | |
| Red Bartsia | Odontites vernus | R | 3 | |||||
| Red Fescue | Festuca rubra | R | R | R | 2 | |||
| Red Valerian | Centranthus ruber | R | 1 | |||||
| Reed Canary-grass | Phalaris arundinacea | R | R | R | 1 | |||
| Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass | Puccinellia distans | O | O | O | 4 | |||
| Rock Samphire | Crithmum maritimum | R | 5 | |||||
| Rough Meadow-grass | Poa trivialis | R | 0 | |||||
| Sand Couch | Elymus junceiformis | R | R | R | O | 0 | ||
| Sea / Lesser Mouse-ear | Cerastium diffusum / semidecandrum | R | R | R | R | 1 | ||
| Sea Arrowgrass | Triglochin maritima | F | F | F | 4 | |||
| Sea Aster | Aster tripolium | LF | LF | LF | O | 5 | ||
| Sea Beet | Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima | R | R | R | R | 3 | ||
| Sea Clubrush | Bolboschoenus maritimus | O | O | O | 4 | |||
| Sea Couch | Elymus athericus | R | R | R | 4 | |||
| Sea Fern-grass | Catapodium marinum | R | 1 | |||||
| Sea Mayweed | Tripleurospermum maritimum | O | O | O | 1 | |||
| Sea Milkwort | Lysimachia maritima | LF | LF | O | 4 | |||
| Sea Pearlwort | Sagina maritima | R | R | 4 | ||||
| Sea Plantain | Plantago maritima | O | O | O | O | 3 | ||
| Sea Purslane | Atriplex portulacoides | R | R | 6 | ||||
| Sea Raddish | Raphanus raphanistrum ssp. maritimus | R | R | R | 0 | YES | Species of Conservation Importance for NW England. Listed within the NW Biodiversity Audit (1999) (SCI) | |
| Sea Rocket | Cakile maritima | R | R | R | 3 | |||
| Sea Rush | Juncus maritimus | R | 5 | |||||
| Shepherd's Purse | Capsella bursa-pastoris | R | 0 | |||||
| Smooth Hawk's-beard | Crepis capillaris | R | 0 | |||||
| Smooth Sow-thistle | Sonchus oleraceus | R | R | R | O | 0 | ||
| Soft Brome | Bromus hordeaceus | R | 0 | |||||
| Spear-leaved Orache | Atriplex prostrata | R | R | O | 2 | |||
| Spreading Meadow-grass | Poa humilis | R | 2 | |||||
| Sticky Mouse-ear | Cerastium glomeratum | R | 0 | |||||
| Sunflower | Helianthus annuus | R | 0 | |||||
| Thrift | Armeria maritima | R | 3 | YES | Rare at Vice County level - | |||
| Toad Rush | Juncus bufonius | O | O | O | 1 | |||
| Trifid Bur-marigold | Bidens tripartita | R | 0 | |||||
| Tufted Forget-me-not | Myosotis cf. laxa | R | 0 | |||||
| Wall Barley | Hordeum murinum | R | R | R | 0 | |||
| Water Bent | Polypogon viridis | R | R | R | ||||
| Watercress agg. | Nasturtium officinale agg. | O | R | R | O | 0 | ||
| White Stonecrop | Sedum album | R | 0 | |||||
| Whorl-grass | Catabrosa aquatica subsp. minor | F | F | F | 1 | YES | Red-list Vulnerable in England. Rare in Cheshire Vice County SCI. 2nd record for Wirral. Last recorded for Hoylake in 1895. Second English extant site. | |
| Willowherb sp. | Epilobium sp. | R | R | R | R | 0 | ||
| Yellow Glasswort | Salicornia fragilis | R | 9 | YES | Nationally scarce. Last recorded for Hoylake pre-2000 |
