Trends in the botanical composition of set-aside fields in North-east Scotland uncultivated for five years

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Abstract
Species composition was monitored in 13 set-aside fields from 1989 to 1993 and in six others from 1989 to 1991. Grasses contributed more cover than dicotyledonous species throughout, but weedy species, e.g. Agrostis gigantea and Poa annua, were steadily replaced by grasses of permanent grassland, e.g. Agrostis capillaris, Dactylis glomerata and Holcus lanatus. Ranunculus repens (creeping buttercup) and Trifolium repens (white clover) became the main dicotyledonous species, and weeds characteristic of arable land had negligible cover after the first year of set-aside. As a result species richness declined, herbs of semi-natural grasslands being slow to colonize; many entrant species were recorded only in edge quadrats which extended 5 m into the fields from the headland. Noxious weeds (docks, ragwort and thistles) remained at low cover levels.

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