An update on Stinking Goosefoot in Felixstowe, Suffolk – Nigel Odin

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AN UPDATE ON STINKING GOOSEFOOT IN FELIXSTOWE, SUFFOLK NIGEL ODIN

Nigel Odin

Stinking Goosefoot Chenopodium vulvaria L. persists at only three sites in Britain. One of these is Landguard Point, where it has been known to occur since at least 1899.

Historically in Suffolk it was last recorded away from Felixstowe in 1958, apart from records at Wherstead in dumped soil in 1986 and via a deliberate introduction at Bungay in 1987, but not since at either of these sites (Sanford & Fisk, 2010).

Nationally it receives protection under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 as a Red Data Book species, with listing due to a reduction in population size and it is at risk of extinction in the wild Cheffings et al., 2005).

Stinking Goosefoot Chenopodium vulvaria at Landguard.

There are two sites in Felixstowe: LANDGUARD NATURE RESERVE On Landguard nature reserve historically the numbers noted had been dependent on interest shown in the species by visiting naturalists who often just listed the species present, with a maximum count of 12 by Arthur Copping in August 1982. From 1990

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WEAR AND STINKING TEARGOOSEFOOT ON FLINT PEBBLES

management work and counts were undertaken. Annual reports were compiled for English Nature for the years 1990 to 2000 (Odin, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1994; Holmes, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) after which the site managers no longer continued with the work. Inadequate works were undertaken for a couple of years in the 2000’s but no documentation of this exists. Plants have appeared in locations across the site from Manor Terrace car park at the northern end to an area alongside installed boardwalk near the point following disturbance by man. Natural ground disturbance by the sea, rabbits, dogs digging, and human activity (either deliberate or accidental) can result in plants germinating in bare areas where there is no competition from other plants.

The counts below should be taken as absolute minimum figures as plants can appear at any time from May to October and disappear due to grazing by Rabbits or trampling pressure. Rainfall is probably essential for germination although droughts do not seem to prevent plants appearing in bare areas nearer the sea. Not all sites at Landguard have been counted annually, with the figure for 1999 just for the managed area, and plants recorded as present at other locations as in 1998. The counts below should update and add to those held in the Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service database.

Year 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Count 4 125 29 23 1 18 75 83 259 298 35+ 111 80 nil nil 1 ?

Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Count noted ?

31 98 106 315 noted nil 6 6 19 31 nil 118 65 61

MARTELLO RARE PLANT SITE This site is on the seaward side of the seawall, opposite Martello Tower ‘P’ (TM293331). First noticed in 1989 by Mike Crewe (Crewe, 1991) following the ground being disturbed pending “development” of the area for housing inside of the seawall. Subsequently this area was designated as a County Wildlife Site with a detailed site survey and management recommendations given for the site by Susan

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Stone in 2008 following sea defence work by the Environment Agency. Visits to this site to check for Stinking Goosefoot have been very sporadic with no recording of nil returns. As far as is apparent none of the recommendations given in the 2008 report were acted on.

Year

Count

1989 1993 1994 2017

120 20 9 3

THE FUTURE Whether the plant appears, or not, is highly dependent on the ground where seed is present being disturbed, with the plant seemingly intolerant of any competition in such disturbed areas. Seeds are probably viable for a long period of time. Natural disturbance of shingle areas by the sea seems to produce a good number of plants.

The seed base is undoubtedly diminished by trampling and Rabbit grazing before the plants set seed in the autumn at Landguard, although this is probably not an issue at the Martello tower site despite the huge number of people walking alongside this location. In the short-term rough weather, wave action, sea level rises, and storm surges will aid ground disturbance and the plants, although in the medium term all of its current locations will be lost to the sea.

Acknowledgements Many thanks to Martin Sanford for providing data held at the Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service, Sue Stone for information on the Martello Tower Rare Plant County Wildlife Site and Leonie Washington for comments.

References Cheffings, M. C. & Farrell, L. (Eds.) (2005). Species Status No.7 The Vascular Plant List for Great Britain. JNCC. Crewe, M. D. (1991). Stinking Goosefoot at Landguard Point. Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc., 27: 30-31.

Holmes, P. (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000). Reports on management work for Chenopodium vulvaria at Landguard Nature Reserve, Suffolk. Reports for English Nature. Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

Odin, N. (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994). Reports on management work for Chenopodium vulvaria at Landguard Nature Reserve, Suffolk. Reports for Nature Conservancy Council/English Nature. Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

Sanford, M. N. & Fisk, R. (2010). A Flora of Suffolk. D. K. & M. N. Sanford, Ipswich.

Nigel Odin, Landguard Bird Observatory, View Point Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 3TW

Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 57 (2021)