Ben Lawers NNR in L997. Records were made of: (a) numbers of gentian prants and their height,. (b) flower, capiule and seed p.oJr"tion,. Iql species growing ...
SUMMARY
I.
of the project is to investigate the response of an alpine gentian Gentiana nivalis population to the exclusion of Iarge herbivores.
2.
Caged and unprotected permanent Ben Lawers NNR in L997.
3.
Records were made of:
4.
The aim
plots were established at B sites at
(a) numbers of gentian and their height, (b) flower, capiule andprants seed p.oJr"tion, species growing adjacent to gentians, and Iql botanicar (d) conrp6sition of the"vegetation. rn 1987, gentians were.Tullgl and produced fewer seeds per capsure than they did in L977 and L978. Tiris poor performance was presumabry due to unfavourable summer weather.
5.
caging considerably reduced but did not eliminate rosses of gentian plants and of seed production.
6.
Gentians grew
in close association with Thymus praecox and mosses but weresparSeorabsentamongstgraminoio'.Thus future changes in botanical coipositi;;-r;; changes in the availability of suitabre habitat for gentianifficate estabrishment.
