In light of the lack of precise habitat definitions for many terrestrial orchid species, it was the overall aim of this study to gain a more accurate and quantitative understanding of the factors that determine orchid occurrence and to demonstrate how these data could be used to inform orchid conservation. We have developed a novel approach to ecological research and conservation strategy development that, if adopted, could facilitate empirically-based conservation projects that are more easily and effectively implemented by non-specialist conservation practitioners at a local level. Our approach integrates two techniques that are increasingly being used in ecological research and conservation biology and which have great potential to facilitate targeted and applicable studies of this type. The first is GIS, which has recently emerged as a powerful tool for studying landscape ecology and for developing conservation strategy at a landscape level. The second is the data analysis technique of Classification and Regression Tree Analysis (CART). Our method integrates the power of GIS and CART analysis to characterise the determinants of orchid dispersion and the combination of these factors that represent ‘good’ or potential habitat for the species.

1. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence

2. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
The Warburg Reserve, Oxfordshire
A heterogeneous mosaic of rich and diverse habitats –
 BBOWT’s Flagship Reserve – SSSI.
 265 acres (about 100 hectares).
 Originally SSSI listed due to orchid diversity and abundance – 19 species have been recorded.
 Also important for several other animal and plant species.

3. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
The Warburg Reserve, Oxfordshire
A heterogeneous mosaic of rich and diverse habitats –

4. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Orchids at the Warburg Reserve, Oxfordshire
Bee Orchid – Ophrys apifera

5. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Orchids at the Warburg Reserve, Oxfordshire
Broad-Leaved Helleborine – Epipactis helleborine

6. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Orchids at the Warburg Reserve, Oxfordshire
Fly Orchid – Ophrys insectifera

7. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Orchids at the Warburg Reserve, Oxfordshire
Military Orchid – Orchis militaris

8. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Orchids at the Warburg Reserve, Oxfordshire
Pyramidal Orchid – Anacamptis pyramidalis

9. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Warburg has unique collection of historical orchid data.
• Hand drawn maps traced from OS Map.
• Individual plants mapped for each species each year – 1988 to 2001.
• 29 maps for 1993 orchid survey data.

10. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
All 29 maps scanned, georeferenced and rectified.

11. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Locations of orchids digitised using a 2m x 2m grid

12. 23
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
2005
237
10
1993
9
1014
7
1208
818 26
Species and Habitat Management
Pyramidal Orchid Study

13. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Warburg has unique collection of historical orchid data.
 This complete 10 year data set allowed for population trends to be determined.
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1990 1995 2000 2005
Year
Number of PYR Flower Spikes

14. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Design of the Study -
AIM – To determine the habitat determinants of orchid dispersion.
 If you look up pyramidal orchid habitat in a book
it says –
“…dry, well drained grassland on chalk,
limestone or other calcium rich soils…”
 There are places where this is accurate and
others where it is not.
SO…If you want to conserve them how do you
know what to do?

15. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Design of the Study -
AIM – To determine the habitat determinants of orchid dispersion.
 I wanted to examine what other factors were effecting orchid dispersion.
• So I designed a method that used GIS and CART to find out.
Broad habitat type Soil Type
Aspect Footpath associations
Slope Light Levels - Spring
Soil pH Light Levels – Summer

17. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

18. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

19. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

20. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

21. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

22. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

23. 3
Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

24. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

25. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

26. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

27. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

28. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

29. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

30. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

31. 4597
patches
Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

32. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Orchid data combined with habitat variables
2085 Pyramidal orchid positive patches
Habitat
Soil Type
Aspect
Footpaths
Slope
Soil pH
Light Spring
Light Summer

33. Classification and Regression Tree Analysis

35. Rules for terminal node 2
IF
HABITAT = A 2.1.0. Scrub - Dense
Classification and Regression Tree Analysis
B 2.2.0. Neutral Grassland
B 3.1.0. Calcareous Grassland
AND
SLOPE <= 5.5
AND
LIGHT JUNE > 3.5
THEN PYR = Present

36. Rules for terminal node 5
IF
CANOPY = Open
AND
HABITAT = A 1.1.1. Broadleaved Woodland
AND
SOIL TYPE = 2
THEN PYR = Present

37. Rules for terminal node 5
IF
CANOPY = Open
AND
HABITAT = A 1.1.1. Broadleaved Woodland
AND
SOIL TYPE = 2
THEN PYR = Present
Rules for terminal node 7
IF
BUFFERDIST = 5
AND
SOIL TYPE = 1
AND
HABITAT = A 1.1.1. Broadleaved Woodland
A 1.3.1. Mixed Woodland
A 2.2.0. Scrub - Scattered
THEN PYR = Present

38. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
CART analysis also scores the importance of the variables…

39. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Creating a Conservation Strategy Map
 Key variables used to create map of optimum habitat.
 Variables weighted according to importance scores derived from model.

40. Species and Habitat Management
Using GIS to Examine the Key Determinants of
British Native Orchid Occurrence
Pyramidal Orchid Study
Creating a Conservation Strategy Map
 Key variables used to create map of optimum habitat.
 Variables weighted according to importance scores derived from model.
Colony growth
after changed
management
Colony growth
after changed
Colony growth management
after changed
management
Colony growth
after changed
management
No prospect of
colonisation –
possible site for
translocation

41. The End…