Quantifying changes in growth strategy and environmental variables in sensitive semi-natural vegetation communities using Vegetation Trend Analysis, a case study

In the United Kingdom, nature conservation charities manage a substantial proportion of semi-natural habitats, but monitoring their vegetation quality is frequently a low priority for funding. One of the charity groups, the Wildlife Trusts, often rely on volunteers to survey but once collected, the data analysis is not always carried out. Developed as an aid to understanding data and quantifying change, Vegetation Trend Analysis (VTA) was developed. Based on Ellenberg numbers and CSR, the software aims to enable practitioners to better understand and quantify changes in environmental variables and growth characteristics in the vegetation they are managing. Examples are presented to explain potential uses of VTA.