This illustrates the distribution of different types of relatively common orchid across Minchinhampton Common using observations mainly collected in May and June 2018.
The pop-up should show latitude and longitude. Index numbers start with a letter that indicates:
|
Key on Map |
Detailed Map Via Link |
| A | Autumn Lady's Tresses |
| B | Bee Orchid Map |
| C | Common Spotted Orchid Map |
| E | Early Purple Orchid Map |
| F | Fragrant Orchid Map |
| G | Green Winged Orchid Map |
| P | Pyramidal Orchid Map |
Last updated 23 April 2020 (but note that no complete resurvey occurred this year - just the addition of new sightings).
The apparent association of orchids along side the roads is partly determined by land usage:
- Golf fairways, where the grass is mown, tend to be at least a little away from the road sides.
- Footpaths are generally also away from road sides. Although some of the orchids appear to track footpaths, for example on the "ramparts", these paths are actually running along the top of the ridge and the orchids are on the steep slopes either side.
- Drainage may well be better by the roads, because of the disturbed ground. This tends to leach nutrients from the soil and may give orchids some advantage in the competition for nutrients because of relationships with soil fungi.
These factors mean that there is probably rather less footfall disturbance along the road sides - though it does seem to be the whole story, because there are also lines of orchids unassociated with roadsides.
One cannot ignore the fact that large areas of the Common are grazed and fertilised by cows. Nor should one forget that the underlying geology creates micro-environments. (Some areas of soil tend to have more clay than other, and some are distinctly more likely to be damp.) The "layer-cake" structure of the local geology and the modest slope to the north means that there will be long outcrops of clay rich layers, which cause damp ground above and dry below.
However, although I have not systematically mapped areas that have been surveyed and found to have low orchid frequency, orchids are indeed largely absent from large areas of our Common that I have regularly walked. More systematic mapping is required to clearly show unpopulated areas. </p> <p> </p>
