SOME SIMPLE GUIDELINES TO HELP YOU CARRY OUT YOUR SURVEY

WHEN TO SURVEY?

Juniper can be surveyed at any time of year. Juniper is distinctive because of its evergreen greyishgreen needles and its small black or green “berries”. Its flowers are very small and inconspicuous.

FINDING A SITE

Juniper is found in a wide variety of sites across northern Britain in Scotland, north Wales, Cumbria and Northumberland, in pine and birch woods, roadsides, pasture and moorland. In moorland and montane habitats, you may find either the common or prostrate juniper.

RECORDING GRID REFERENCE AND ALTITUDE

On the survey form we ask you to give a grid reference of the location you have surveyed. If you are recording over an area larger than 100m2 please note the separate grid references for each site. It is extremely important that you provide these details as without them we cannot use your records.

From an OS map, please give the grid letters, followed by the easting, read off the top or bottom of the map and then the northing, read off the left or right side of the map (eg NH452675). Details are given on how to do this on the maps themselves. Alternatively, if you have access to the web, you can retrieve the grid reference for your location through the getamap link on the Ordnance Survey website (www.ordsvy.gov.uk).

On the getamap website, either search for your location with a place name or postcode, or zoom repeatedly into the main map until you get to your site. By placing the cursor over your site you can read off its six figure grid-reference in the bottom left corner.

If you have a GPS, please give the 10 digit grid reference. For altitude, please use an OS map rather than a GPS altitude reading.

COUNTING JUNIPER

We would like to know the size of the population of juniper you are surveying and we ask you to estimate the number of individuals present. Where feasible, please count the individuals but where this would take too long, please indicate whether there are 100+, 500+ or 1000+. Please also indicate the age and the health of the bushes.

AGE CLASS

The age of juniper bushes can only be properly assessed by counting the growth rings. However an approximation can be gained from its size and shape:


Seedling: Young plants up to 25 cm tall	Young: <25 cm height or spread; bushy; not obviously grazed or wind pruned	Mature: >25cm height; spreading or branched

Mature; >25 cm height; columnar	Old: >25 cm; very branched, broken, bare branches	Old: >25 cm height; columnar but branched with broken and bare branches

If you have any problems, email juniper@plantlife.org.uk

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