Plagioclimax Essay
“The vegetation of the UK has been so massively affected by human activity that there is now no climax vegetation left. The whole country is now effectively a plagio-climax. Discuss this statement. (40 marks)
A plagio-climax is the plant community that exists when human interference prevents the climatic climax from being reached. The plagio-climax of Britain is heather moorland as it is maintained by human intervention. The uplands of Britain use to be covered by a climax vegetation of deciduous woodland and there was only a small amount of heather moorland. Though during the Anglo-Saxon periods 90% of the original woodland was cut down in England and Wales, this was to make room for housing and land for farming. Britain’s soil deteriated without the deciduous vegetation and only hardy plants such as heather moorland could survive and they came to dominate the British uplands. Heather moorland is maintained through farmers managed burning their land. In most places the uplands are burnt every 15 years. Sheep also prevent the regeneration of climax woodland by destroying young saplings. If the burning stopped and the heather moor is not grazed by cattle or sheep then the heather grows old and woody. It can be invaded by scrub and woodland, however if the land is over grazed the young heather can be destroyed leading to the invasion of bracken or by mat grass. This evidence shows that Britain is dominated by heather moorland which is a plagioclimax. This supports the statement however does not prove that the whole country is a plagioclimax. Another example of a plagioclimax in Britain is managed forests; voluntary environmental groups maintain forests through human intervention. This by definition creates a plagioclimax. One million hectares of forest land is managed by a company called PEFC, they sell timber from forests and replant trees in the old ones places whilst this leads to a sustainable environment, it creates a plagioclimax, however it is a
A plagio-climax is the plant community that exists when human interference prevents the climatic climax from being reached. The plagio-climax of Britain is heather moorland as it is maintained by human intervention. The uplands of Britain use to be covered by a climax vegetation of deciduous woodland and there was only a small amount of heather moorland. Though during the Anglo-Saxon periods 90% of the original woodland was cut down in England and Wales, this was to make room for housing and land for farming. Britain’s soil deteriated without the deciduous vegetation and only hardy plants such as heather moorland could survive and they came to dominate the British uplands. Heather moorland is maintained through farmers managed burning their land. In most places the uplands are burnt every 15 years. Sheep also prevent the regeneration of climax woodland by destroying young saplings. If the burning stopped and the heather moor is not grazed by cattle or sheep then the heather grows old and woody. It can be invaded by scrub and woodland, however if the land is over grazed the young heather can be destroyed leading to the invasion of bracken or by mat grass. This evidence shows that Britain is dominated by heather moorland which is a plagioclimax. This supports the statement however does not prove that the whole country is a plagioclimax. Another example of a plagioclimax in Britain is managed forests; voluntary environmental groups maintain forests through human intervention. This by definition creates a plagioclimax. One million hectares of forest land is managed by a company called PEFC, they sell timber from forests and replant trees in the old ones places whilst this leads to a sustainable environment, it creates a plagioclimax, however it is a