Plants and Habitats Second Edition

Plants and Habitats combines the species and habitat approaches to plants and vegetation. Although flowers are described and illustrated it also uses vegetative characteristics to enable identification in the absence of flowers.

This second edition describes 793 species: an increase of 88 compared to the first edition, without adding any more pages. Most of the additional species are described with notes about differences from illustrated similar species, but many of them are illustrated too. Some details in the text are improved or clarified, and botanical nomenclature and information about habitat classifications and reference sources are updated.

The selected species are those which are common, conspicuous or useful ecological indicators; species which collectively make up most of the vegetation in Britain and Ireland. There is also a separate habitats section describing the flora, ecology and management of habitats. With this combination of approaches, Plants and Habitats aims to help people understand our vegetation at all scales, from individual plants to whole landscapes. The structure and plain English writing style are designed to help with species identification by non-specialists.

Plants and Habitats is illustrated throughout with colour photos and some line drawings. The structure and plain English writing style are designed to help with species identification by non-specialists. For those working with habitat classifications, National Vegetation Classification (NVC) codes are incorporated throughout, and there are summary tables cross-referencing various classifications.

The book is written for a wide readership, including those working or training in subjects connected with ecology, conservation, land management, and other environmental matters.

Plants and Habitats Contents:

Acknowledgements   1
Introduction   3

Section 1: Woody plants (trees; shrubs; dwarf shrubs etc.)   8
1a: Broadleaved trees & shrubs (leaves not like needles or tiny scales)   9
1b: Conifers (fir trees etc.; leaves like needles or tiny scales)   45
1c: Dwarf shrubs (woody shrubs < 1 m tall; heather, billberry etc.)   50
1d: Climbers & scramblers (bramble, ivy, honeysuckle etc.)   72

Section 2: Grasses and other grass-like plants   79
2a: Grasses   80
2b: Sedges   123
2c: Rushes   142
2d: Woodrushes   146

Section 3: Other Plants   149
3a: Leaves divided into lobes / leaflets along their left & right sides   150
3b: Leaves divided into lobes / leaflets radiating out from centre   191
3c: Leaves undivided: in groups of three or more (whorls)   212
3d: Leaves undivided: in opposite pairs along the stems   221
3e: Leaves undivided: not in groups or opposite pairs   253
3f: Mosses & moss-like plants (liverworts, clubmosses & filmy ferns)   304

Habitats   338
– Definition of upland lowland   339
– Woodland & scrub   340
– Hedgerows, underscrub & tall fern vegetation   351
– Grasslands   352
– Heaths   356
– Wetlands   360
– Mountain habitats   370
– Rocks   373
– Coastal habitats   374
– Habitats disturbed by human activity   377
– Lists of UK habitat classifications (NVC, Phase One, UKBAP, Annex 1, SEPA GWDTE)   378

Further reading and study   384
Index   387
Drawings showing the main parts of a plant   396

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