This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: One of the special plants once found at Heslington Fields, the marsh helleborine orchid. The grounds, now occupied by the University of York's Campus East and parts of Campus West, were once part of Heslington Fields, an open-field system rich in rare plants, fens and wetlands.
A new study by a University of York researcher, published in The Naturalist, has revealed that before the land was enclosed for farming in 1857, the area was a nationally recognized biodiversity hotspot. Ecologists now believe some of the site's lost flora could be reintroduced to boost local wildlife. Peter Mayhew, from the University of York's Department of Biology, said: "Before the landscape was privatized, over 90% of Heslington Fields was used for growing crops such as cereals, potatoes, flax and mustard.
"But unplowed grassy strips between fields and wet glacial hollows, known as kettle holes, provided ideal habitats for delicate wild species. The flora was very special even for the time, and many species found there are now extremely rare in Great Britain." In the latter half of the 1800s, the land was enclosed for more intensive agricultural use, and the higher rents paid by tenant farmers helped improve Heslington Hall and other village facilities. Mayhew said: "Many of these species declined rapidly across the UK following the introduction of modern fertilizers, chemical herbicides and automated seed cleaning." Some of the habitats found in the study are now being recreated on Campus East as part of the University's ecological management, and Mayhew has developed a self-guided walking trail for members of the public interested in learning more about the landscape.
Among the plants historically recorded at the site were grass-of-Parnassus, dyer's greenweed, pepper saxifrage, saw-wort and small scabious. The study also highlights how the site became a hub for Victorian science because of its accessibility to scholars and science students on field trips. Its proximity to York made it a popular excursion for students at the Friends School on Lawrence Street—now Bootham School.
Founded in the 19th century, the school's natural history society remains the longest-running active school society in the UK. Mayhew said: "The area's unusual plant variety was created by its unique geology. Heslington Fields sat on the York moraine, a ridge of debris left behind by melting glaciers, across the low-lying Vale of York.
"This created a dramatic mix of dry soils and waterlogged bogs within a very small area. Named bogs like Smathorn and Narrow Mill survived well into the 19th century." Conservationists are now looking at whether seeds of species recorded historically could be sourced from regional seed banks and planted back onto the campus grounds. Some species, including devil's-bit scabious, bogbean and yellow loosestrife, have already naturally returned or been planted in created wetland areas.
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