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Hub AI
Flora of Scotland AI simulator
(@Flora of Scotland_simulator)
Hub AI
Flora of Scotland AI simulator
(@Flora of Scotland_simulator)
Flora of Scotland
The flora of Scotland is an assemblage of native plant species including over 1,600 vascular plants, more than 1,500 lichens and nearly 1,000 bryophytes. The total number of vascular species is low by world standards but lichens and bryophytes are abundant and the latter form a population of global importance. Various populations of rare fern exist, although the impact of 19th-century collectors threatened the existence of several species. The flora is generally typical of the north-west European part of the Palearctic realm and prominent features of the Scottish flora include boreal Caledonian forest (much reduced from its natural extent), heather moorland and coastal machair. In addition to the native species of vascular plants there are numerous non-native introductions, now believed to make up some 43% of the species in the country.
There are a variety of important tree species and specimens; in particular, the Fortingall Yew may be the oldest tree in Europe. The Arran Whitebeams, Shetland Mouse-ear and Scottish Primrose are endemic flowering plants and there are a variety of endemic mosses and lichens. Conservation of the natural environment is well developed and various organisations play an important role in the stewardship of the country's flora. Numerous references to the country's flora appear in folklore, song and poetry.
Scotland enjoys a diversity of temperate ecologies, incorporating both deciduous and coniferous woodlands, and moorland, montane, estuarine, freshwater, oceanic, and tundra landscapes. Approximately 18.5% of Scotland is wooded, 14.5% of which is non-native forestry plantation, but prior to human clearing there were much larger areas of boreal Caledonian and broad-leaved forest. Although reduced significantly (some estimates are as high as 98%),[better source needed] significant remnants of the native Scots Pine woodlands can be found in places.[page needed] Some 21 to 31% of Scotland is covered by heather moorland, while over 20% of Scotland is covered by peatland. Caithness and Sutherland have some of the largest and most intact areas of blanket bog in the world, supporting a distinctive wildlife community. 75% of Scotland's land is classed as agricultural (including some of its moorland) with urban areas accounting for around 3% of the total. The number of islands with terrestrial vegetation is nearly 800, about 600 of them lying off the west coast. Scotland has more than 90% of the volume and 70% of the total surface area of fresh water in the United Kingdom. There are more than 30,000 freshwater lochs and 6,600 river systems.
Below the tree line there are several zones of climax forest. Birch dominates to the west and north, Scots pine with birch and oak in the eastern Highlands and oak (both Quercus robur and Q. petrea) with birch in the Central Lowlands and Borders. The Scottish coastline includes machair, a fertile grassy duneland formed as the land rose after the last ice age. Machairs have received considerable ecological and conservational attention.
The total number of vascular species is low by world standards, partly due to the effects of Pleistocene glaciations (which eliminated all or nearly all species) and the subsequent creation of the North Sea (which created a barrier to re-colonisation). Nonetheless, there are a variety of important species and assemblages. Heather moor containing ling, bell heather, cross-leaved heath, bog myrtle and fescues is generally abundant and contains various smaller flowering species such as cloudberry and alpine ladies-mantle. Cliffs and mountains host a diversity of arctic and alpine plants including alpine pearlwort, mossy cyphel, mountain avens and fir clubmoss. On the Hebridean islands of the west coast, there are Plantago pastures, which grow well in locations exposed to sea spray and include red fescue, sea plantain and sea pink.[pages needed] The machair landscapes include rare species such as Irish lady's tresses, yellow rattle and numerous orchids along with more common species such as marram grass and meadow buttercup, ragwort, bird's-foot trefoil and ribwort plantain. Scots lovage (Ligusticum scoticum) first recorded in 1684 by Robert Sibbald, and the oyster plant are common plants of the coasts.
Bogbean and water lobelia are common plants of moorland pools and lochans. The least (Nuphar pumila), yellow and white water-lilies are also widespread. Pipewort has generated some botanical controversy regarding its discovery, classification and distribution. It was found growing on Skye in the 18th century, although there was subsequent confusion as to both the discoverer and the correct scientific name – now agreed to be Eriocaulon aquaticum. The European range of this plant is confined to Scotland and western Ireland and it is one of only a small number of species which is common in North America, but very restricted in Europe. There are a few localised examples of the rigid hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum).
Grasses and sedges are common everywhere except dune systems (where marram grass may be locally abundant) and stony mountain tops and plateaux. The total number of species is large; 84 have been recorded on the verges of a single road in West Lothian. Smooth meadow-grass and rough meadow-grass are widespread in damp lowland conditions, wood sedge (Carex sylvatica) in woodlands, and oval sedge and early hair-grass on upland moors. In damp conditions Phragmites reeds and several species of Juncus are found abundantly including jointed rush, soft rush and toad rush, and less commonly the introduced species slender rush. Common cottongrass is a familiar site on marshy land, but saltmarsh sedge (Carex salina) was only discovered for the first time in 2004 at the head of Loch Duich.
Shetland mouse-ear (Cerastium nigrescens) is an endemic plant found in Shetland. It was first recorded in 1837 by Shetland botanist Thomas Edmondston. Although reported from two other sites in the 19th century, it currently[when?] grows only on two serpentine hills on the island of Unst.[pages needed] The Scottish primrose (Primula scotica), is endemic to the north coast including Caithness and Orkney. It is closely related to the Arctic species Primula stricta and Primula scandinavica.[failed verification]
Flora of Scotland
The flora of Scotland is an assemblage of native plant species including over 1,600 vascular plants, more than 1,500 lichens and nearly 1,000 bryophytes. The total number of vascular species is low by world standards but lichens and bryophytes are abundant and the latter form a population of global importance. Various populations of rare fern exist, although the impact of 19th-century collectors threatened the existence of several species. The flora is generally typical of the north-west European part of the Palearctic realm and prominent features of the Scottish flora include boreal Caledonian forest (much reduced from its natural extent), heather moorland and coastal machair. In addition to the native species of vascular plants there are numerous non-native introductions, now believed to make up some 43% of the species in the country.
There are a variety of important tree species and specimens; in particular, the Fortingall Yew may be the oldest tree in Europe. The Arran Whitebeams, Shetland Mouse-ear and Scottish Primrose are endemic flowering plants and there are a variety of endemic mosses and lichens. Conservation of the natural environment is well developed and various organisations play an important role in the stewardship of the country's flora. Numerous references to the country's flora appear in folklore, song and poetry.
Scotland enjoys a diversity of temperate ecologies, incorporating both deciduous and coniferous woodlands, and moorland, montane, estuarine, freshwater, oceanic, and tundra landscapes. Approximately 18.5% of Scotland is wooded, 14.5% of which is non-native forestry plantation, but prior to human clearing there were much larger areas of boreal Caledonian and broad-leaved forest. Although reduced significantly (some estimates are as high as 98%),[better source needed] significant remnants of the native Scots Pine woodlands can be found in places.[page needed] Some 21 to 31% of Scotland is covered by heather moorland, while over 20% of Scotland is covered by peatland. Caithness and Sutherland have some of the largest and most intact areas of blanket bog in the world, supporting a distinctive wildlife community. 75% of Scotland's land is classed as agricultural (including some of its moorland) with urban areas accounting for around 3% of the total. The number of islands with terrestrial vegetation is nearly 800, about 600 of them lying off the west coast. Scotland has more than 90% of the volume and 70% of the total surface area of fresh water in the United Kingdom. There are more than 30,000 freshwater lochs and 6,600 river systems.
Below the tree line there are several zones of climax forest. Birch dominates to the west and north, Scots pine with birch and oak in the eastern Highlands and oak (both Quercus robur and Q. petrea) with birch in the Central Lowlands and Borders. The Scottish coastline includes machair, a fertile grassy duneland formed as the land rose after the last ice age. Machairs have received considerable ecological and conservational attention.
The total number of vascular species is low by world standards, partly due to the effects of Pleistocene glaciations (which eliminated all or nearly all species) and the subsequent creation of the North Sea (which created a barrier to re-colonisation). Nonetheless, there are a variety of important species and assemblages. Heather moor containing ling, bell heather, cross-leaved heath, bog myrtle and fescues is generally abundant and contains various smaller flowering species such as cloudberry and alpine ladies-mantle. Cliffs and mountains host a diversity of arctic and alpine plants including alpine pearlwort, mossy cyphel, mountain avens and fir clubmoss. On the Hebridean islands of the west coast, there are Plantago pastures, which grow well in locations exposed to sea spray and include red fescue, sea plantain and sea pink.[pages needed] The machair landscapes include rare species such as Irish lady's tresses, yellow rattle and numerous orchids along with more common species such as marram grass and meadow buttercup, ragwort, bird's-foot trefoil and ribwort plantain. Scots lovage (Ligusticum scoticum) first recorded in 1684 by Robert Sibbald, and the oyster plant are common plants of the coasts.
Bogbean and water lobelia are common plants of moorland pools and lochans. The least (Nuphar pumila), yellow and white water-lilies are also widespread. Pipewort has generated some botanical controversy regarding its discovery, classification and distribution. It was found growing on Skye in the 18th century, although there was subsequent confusion as to both the discoverer and the correct scientific name – now agreed to be Eriocaulon aquaticum. The European range of this plant is confined to Scotland and western Ireland and it is one of only a small number of species which is common in North America, but very restricted in Europe. There are a few localised examples of the rigid hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum).
Grasses and sedges are common everywhere except dune systems (where marram grass may be locally abundant) and stony mountain tops and plateaux. The total number of species is large; 84 have been recorded on the verges of a single road in West Lothian. Smooth meadow-grass and rough meadow-grass are widespread in damp lowland conditions, wood sedge (Carex sylvatica) in woodlands, and oval sedge and early hair-grass on upland moors. In damp conditions Phragmites reeds and several species of Juncus are found abundantly including jointed rush, soft rush and toad rush, and less commonly the introduced species slender rush. Common cottongrass is a familiar site on marshy land, but saltmarsh sedge (Carex salina) was only discovered for the first time in 2004 at the head of Loch Duich.
Shetland mouse-ear (Cerastium nigrescens) is an endemic plant found in Shetland. It was first recorded in 1837 by Shetland botanist Thomas Edmondston. Although reported from two other sites in the 19th century, it currently[when?] grows only on two serpentine hills on the island of Unst.[pages needed] The Scottish primrose (Primula scotica), is endemic to the north coast including Caithness and Orkney. It is closely related to the Arctic species Primula stricta and Primula scandinavica.[failed verification]
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