Long-term monitoring of Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio) at Upwood Meadows NNR, Huntingdonshire

Abstract

The results of monitoring a population of Anacamptis morio over a 40-year period (1978-2017) in a permanent plot at Upwood Meadows NNR, Huntingdonshire, are presented. Flowering and vegetative plants were recorded each year, with individuals relocated using phenomarkers and triangulation. The majority of plants flowered for over half of their lifespan, the average lifespan of an individual plant was almost 10 years, and the known maximum lifespan above-ground for an individual was at least 36 years. The average age of the cohort became much younger over the course of the study, with potential reasons given including extreme old age, a lack of recruitment, and climate.