The effect of trampling on neutral grassland

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the intensity of trampling on the soils and the vegetation on three transects which reached from the bank of the River Thames, across a footpath and into a grazed water meadow. Soil bulk density, penetration resistance, water content and the height above the water table were all strongly correlated with trampling. The correlations between the occurrence of the common species and the intensity of trampling and the soil qualities were investigated by means of linear regression analysis. Poa annua, Plantago major, Poa pratensis and Lolium perenne were positively correlated with trampling intensity and Holcus lanatus, Agrotis stolonifera and Phleum bertolonii had negative correlations. The effect of trampling on neutral grassland was broadly similar to other situations but there is evidence which suggests that the relative trampling tolerance of different species cannot be considered in isolation from the habitat in which they are growing.