We have the expertise to carry out vegetation surveys to meet all your requirements, from a basic overall assessment of habitat types to in-depth botanical surveys.
Our vegetation assessment services include the following types of survey:
Phase 1 Habitat Survey - This is the starting point of ecological investigations for many projects as it provides a base-line overview of vegetation types. We utilise the nationally recognised JNCC (2007) guidelines to classify habitat types in a site and identify particular ecological features of note.
National Vegetation Classification (NVC) Survey - For sites that are highlighted as having potentially ecologically important habitat, a more in-depth NVC survey may be required. Our expert botanists use the detailed NVC methodology (Rodwell 1992) to record the frequency and relative abundancy of all species present. This information is then used to classify habitats against pre-defined plant communities.
Hedgerow Survey - Removal of certain hedgerows is covered by the Hedgerow Regulations (1997). We are able to carry out a hedgerow survey using recommended methodology to determine whether hedgerows qualify as 'important' or not under the Hedgerows Regulations. We also carry out general hedgerow surveys using the DEFRA guidance, to assess their ecological value.
Marine Habitat Survey - We carry out inter-tidal marine surveys in accordance with the Marine Nature Conservation Review (MNCR) guidelines. The MNCR method involves systematically and consistently characterising the habitats present and the abundance of species.
Invasive Plant Species Surveys - We can carry out surveys to identify the location and extent of all species considered to be invasive in the UK, such as Japanese knotweed Fallopia japonica and Himalayan balsam Impatiens glandulifera. We also cover aquatic invasive species such as parrot's feather Myriophyllum aquaticum and New Zealand pygmy weed Crassula helmsii.
