Meadows in floodplains once formed a major land-use in the British landscape; with historical roots in the Roman occupation, they were flourishing by the time of the Norman Conquest and were still underpinning the rural economy during the First World War. Centuries of consistent management allowed a plant community to develop that is one of the most species rich in Britain. A productive, species rich ecosystem is both an ecological conundrum and a valuable asset to be passed to future generations. My lecture explores our understanding of this agricultural system and considers its future prospects.
David came from an agricultural background and after a first degree in Botany from Cambridge, went to work for the country’s largest flour miller, Rank Hovis. After three years wrestling with the intricacies of the Common Agricultural Policy, he returned to academia to study for a PhD at Lancaster University; investigating how plants sensed soil moisture status. His first research job concerned crop irrigation, but his next one, at Silsoe College, considered the ecology of floodplain vegetation. This research area has interested him for the past 20 years, during which time he became a lecturer at Silsoe, moving to The Open University in 2000.
