Marsh Club-moss Lycopodiella inundatum at Stedham and Iping Commons Graeme Lyons January 2013

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1 Marsh Club-moss Lycopodiella inundatum at Stedham and Iping Commons Graeme Lyons January Summary Two specimens of Marsh Club-moss were recorded at Stedham Common on the 30 th May 2012, the first to be recorded on the site since Regular searching of the purpose built scrapes has never yielded any specimens of the species and the 2012 specimens were on an area that was poached by cattle. The subsequent trampling of these specimens in the following week, although disappointing, gives further evidence that pulsing livestock is essential for such early successional species by providing germination space and the allowing periods of growth. Ongoing monitoring will continue in 2013 at Stedham after the grazing is pulled off before summer. 1 - Introduction Marsh Club-moss is classed as Endangered and is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act It s also a BAP species. At Iping and Stedham prior to 2012, despite a reintroduction at Stedham in 1994, the plant has not been recorded since 2001 at Stedham or 1987 at Iping. 2 - Methodology No standardised surveys have been carried rather than annual walk over surveys of the purpose built scrapes since After the success of finding the plants far away from the re-introduction site on poached bare mud, it is suggested that this walk over survey is expanded to any potential habitat that may be created by the livestock. As a minimum, a 10 figure grid reference should be recorded along with the number of plants and photographs of the microhabitat in addition to date and recorder. These should then be passed to the SxBRC. 3 - Results Despite searching for Marsh Club-moss in the purpose built scrapes at Stedham annually since 2008, no plants have been found. Round-leaved Sundews were present on the purpose built scrapes and Black Darters were recorded in abundance in these areas. Bare ground specialists on wet heaths such as the striking Agonum sexpunctatum will also benefit from these areas. On 30 th May 2012, two specimens of Marsh Club-moss were found in the gun club area of Stedham to the south west. This area is very wet but has had no purpose-built scrapes put in. Instead, the habitat is generated by the livestock. Having been grazed with British Whites over the last decade, a number of early successional species have appeared over the years, with White-beaked Sedge appearing in This species is known to grow in similar places to Marsh Club-moss and therefore all records of this species should be kept and 10 figure grid references recorded.

2 Figure 1. Marsh Club-moss 3.1 Dates when no specimens were found 5 April checked Stedham scrapes none found 23 June checked Stedham scrapes none found 30 March checked Stedham scrapes none found 10 May checked Stedham scrapes none found 15 August checked Stedham scrapes none found 27 September 2012 checked Stedham scrapes none found 5 May checked north west Iping wet bits none found 23 June checked north west Iping wet bits none found 16 May checked north west Iping wet bits none found This further illustrates the need to look in areas away from our preconceived ideas of where we think the plant is likely to grow. 4 - Discussion It is encouraging that these species have responded to grazing better than they have to the purpose built scrapes as, long term, this becomes more sustainable. It is the author s opinion that it is far easier to create suitable habitat for pioneer species on wet heath with grazing alone than it is on dry heath. The intensive management at Iping Common to create bare areas for many invertebrates such as Heath Tiger Beetle, Field Cricket and aculeates could not be replicated with grazing alone. In the first week of June, an attempt to re-find the Marsh Club-moss failed and using the photograph figure 2 it was possible to confirm the plants had been trodden into the ground by the livestock. Although disappointing, this is not a disaster. It illustrates a very important point about grazing, that pulsing livestock is very important to allow periods of blooming and germination. This is exactly what SWT does on most of their grazed sites and it was just unfortunate that the specimens recorded were then subsequently trampled in a short period of time.

3 It is clear that Marsh Club-moss requires grazing but can also be eliminated by grazing. Therefore, periods of both grazing and not grazing are required for such species to thrive. This clearly cannot happen at the same time and must therefore happen by pulsing. Livestock will be pulled off Stedham before the summer of 2013 and monitoring of the area and the scrapes for Marsh Club-moss will again be carried out throughout the summer of The 2012 record was 330m away from the last record in It is likely that either the plant was always in this area and spores have been released from the soil by cattle OR spores have been transferred from another part of the site. Either way, it is thought these plants were highly unlikely to have grown without the benefits of grazing. Figure 2. Location of Marsh Club-moss plants References and Bibliography Rose, F. (1989) Colour Identification Guide to the Grasses, Sedges, Rushes and Ferns of the British Isles and north-western Europe. Viking. last accessed 7th February last accessed 7th February Sussex Biodiversity Records Centre database last accessed on 7 th February Acknowledgements Thanks to Bruce and Jacqui Middleton, Jane Willmott, Mark Monk-Terry, Mike Edwards, Andrew Lawson and the late Francis Rose.

4 Figure 3. Marsh Club-moss records at Stedham and Iping mapped by record square size and labelled by date.

5 Figure 4. Close up of the Marsh Club-moss records at Stedham. The purpose built scrapes are visible under the 2001 record.