Summary
Percentage cover data from vegetation in the Narrator catchment, Dartmoor, have been analysed by reciprocal averaging ordination and by Ward's error sum of squares classification technique. Eleven plant community types have been identified which are compared with the classification of Dartmoor vegetation by Ward et al. (1972). Ordination shows that two groups of environmental variables are important in determining the composition and distribution of the vegetation. The first axis correlates with soil moisture, pH, soil/peat depth and slope angle, while the second axis is explained by biotic factors, particularly burning and grazing. The significance of drainage basins as basic units for the study of vegetation in areas where soil moisture is an important factor is discussed.
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Nomenciature follows Clapham, Tutin & Warburg (1962), and Warburg (1963) for mosses.
We wish to thank Mr. Simon Ward for assistance with field-work, Dr. Stephen Ward, Dr. J.L. Ternan, Mr. P. Sims, Dr. D.L. Wigston and Dr. O.L. Gilbert for constructive comment on early drafts of the manuscript and Miss S Webber for cartographic work.
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Kent, M., Wathern, P. The vegetation of a Dartmoor catchment. Vegetatio 43, 163–172 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00158746
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00158746