David Beeson, May 2023 While it is photosynthesis that captures the sunlight energy and converts it into chemical energy in sugars, the flowers drive reproduction and evolution. There are a few variants of photosynthesis (CAM etc – see previous articles) but huge numbers of flower design variations. Some flower stems hold a single flower andContinue reading “Flower Power”
Category Archives: Plants
Tulipa sylvestris and friends
David Beeson April 19th 2023 Tulipa sylvestris is a delightful species that is distributed across much of Europe. It does occur wild in the UK, but they are from garden escapes or deliberate wild plantings. However, I’m content for it to grace my own meadows, and as seed is produced, some insects must be enjoyingContinue reading “Tulipa sylvestris and friends”
Lifestyles and amazing organisms
David Beeson, March 2023 Being omnivorous mammals, we can be forgiven for thinking that most animals act in a similar way. But even the slightest thought ensures alternative thinking. Some mammals are fully carnivorous, and some of those feed off decaying meat that would be inaccessible to us without huge risks. Yet, vultures and kitesContinue reading “Lifestyles and amazing organisms”
Winter-green Orchids
David Beeson We have a wide variety of UK orchids in our garden. Most have arrived quite naturally and have increased in number. Others have been introduced by seed or with tubers. Not all those species thrived, as one might expect as the soil or climate was perhaps not ideal. For example, we had aContinue reading “Winter-green Orchids”
The Ecology of Spring
David Beeson, February 2023 Our chunk of rock we call Earth and it sits in space, some lucky distance away from our star. We neither freeze nor fry at this distance. Our planet had a minuscule chance not to rotate and a near 100% chance to turn on its axis and this rotation gives usContinue reading “The Ecology of Spring”
Madeira’s Laurel Forests
David Beeson, February 2023 Many people visit the Portuguese island of Madeira for winter sun or summer lounging, yet the island has an interesting geology and some important conservation areas. Madeira is located off the West African coast in the Atlantic, level with Moroccan Agadir. It is 800 square kilometres in size and of volcanicContinue reading “Madeira’s Laurel Forests”
The Biology of Freshwater (flowering) Plants
David Beeson, September 2022 Evolution is powerful. If you fail to fit in, something else will take your place, and freshwater is today only filled with the fittest of plants. Yet, those plants originated as marine organisms that migrated onto the then uncolonized land. Here the conditions were very different, and evolution forced them toContinue reading “The Biology of Freshwater (flowering) Plants”
Some wildlife in South Wales
David Beeson June 2022 Annette and I embarked on a two-week exploration of the coastline at the start of June. Our first stop was just west of Newport at the Tredegar House caravan site. This allowed easy access to The Newport Wetlands which are partly managed by the RSPB and dominated by present and pastContinue reading “Some wildlife in South Wales”
Plant Families
David Beeson, May 2022 If you are a subscriber and receive all the articles, do look at the NEW HOMEPAGE at http://www.nwhwildlife.org as all the posts have been reorganised to make searching easier. The placing of organisms into groups some people think is a rather boring topic. I agree; yet understanding some aspects of classificationContinue reading “Plant Families”
YOU SHOULD READ THIS ————-SOIL – an article from the UK GUARDIAN newspaper.
From David: Worth reading. The author is a well-known environmentalist. The newspaper is straight and factual (unlike some others). Don’t dismiss soil: its unknowable wonders could ensure the survival of our species by George Monbiot Sat 7 May 2022 09.00 BST Beneath our feet is an ecosystem so astonishing that it tests the limits of ourContinue reading “YOU SHOULD READ THIS ————-SOIL – an article from the UK GUARDIAN newspaper.”
The Invasion of Land, and the first land plants … The Bryophytes (Mosses and Liverworts)
David Beeson, 28th February 2022 About 450 million years ago, in the Silurian era, plants invaded the land. With water and land / air being such different habitats evolution had to throw up some divergent life forms to survive there. It would take millions of years for the complete colonisation of land. The first trueContinue reading “The Invasion of Land, and the first land plants … The Bryophytes (Mosses and Liverworts)”
Peat and pollen analysis
David Beeson, January 2022 For us, northern hemisphere people, the year is edging towards longer days and shorter nights … and about time too! And there are signs that life is at least starting to think about spring. We have snowdrops just coming into flower, the Tulipa sylvestris have popped up above soil level andContinue reading “Peat and pollen analysis”
Epipactis, the helleborines and other summer-flowering orchids of the southern UK.
David Beeson, August 2021 PLUS: photographs of plants on Eastern Salisbury Plain Army Training Area. But, firstly let us separate the two different genera of ‘helleborines’. There are Epipactis and Cephalanthera helleborines. The Cephalanthera genus contains the white, red and narrow-leaved helleborines. The white helleborine I find locally, sometimes in good numbers. I associate itContinue reading “Epipactis, the helleborines and other summer-flowering orchids of the southern UK.”
Waste ground?
David Beeson, 1st July 2021 North-west Hampshire’s non-urban areas are dominated by three land uses. 1) Forest on the alkaline, chalky clay caps, 2) Damp riverine meadows, some of which were proper water meadows until the mid-1900s and 3) Traditional farmland, which is mostly arable, growing grass crops – wheat, barley and blue ryegrass forContinue reading “Waste ground?”
Photo Essay – Plants in June
David Beeson, 24th June 2021 Just a ramble through some of my recent images. A bit of this and that! The Dorset area called Purbeck is a great wildlife location. It also offers ‘family’ entertainment and great cream teas at Worth Matravers. When the steam railway is not operating the track bed offers good sightingsContinue reading “Photo Essay – Plants in June”
Some early summer orchids and other floral delights
David Beeson 07/06/2021 I have been looking in three spots for plants, on one occasion as John wielded his camera in pursuit of butterflies. Spot one was in my own garden: spotted, southern marsh, twayblade and lesser butterfly orchids are currently in flower. Location two was alongside the A303 road, the route from London toContinue reading “Some early summer orchids and other floral delights”
Edge of the A303, part 2
The UK has left the odds and sods spots for nature. We should be ashamed. Yes, France, Italy, Spain and the USA have some great locations to view wildspaces and the natural inhabitants that occur there. For example, the limestone meadows of the Dordogne, the Italian Dolomites with their iconic mammals, Grazelema and the lynxContinue reading “Edge of the A303, part 2”
Dino-botany in Andover
Rooksbury’s Dinosaurs David Beeson Best time to visit is late spring or summer. If you enter the Rooksbury Local Nature Reserve from the old Test Valley railway line and soon turn right you will spy a miniature forest of horsetails on your right. They grow up to 60cm in height. Their relatives were around withContinue reading “Dino-botany in Andover”
Some of the first land plants: Mosses.
Moss in the Grass David Beeson So, how do you gardeners rid your lawn of moss? Well, you’ll have to read on to find out! When life started to emerge from the watery realms it, unexpectedly, was poorly adapted to life on land. Evolution needs time to work its miracle. LOTS of time. The mossesContinue reading “Some of the first land plants: Mosses.”
Wildlife and Ecology, the Wildlife Encyclopaedia 