The Ecology of Bracken: Its Role in Succession and Implications for Control

Bracken (Pteridium) holds a pivotal role in succession, usually occurring in sequence between plagio-climax communities such as heathland and woodland. It is at this interface that bracken causes problems for man, as the subseral communities are more valuable for agricultural use and most have a greater conservation value than bracken-dominated ones (there are a few exceptions). This paper examines the role of bracken in a series of successional trajectories on lowland heaths; there is evidence that bracken occurs in a trajectory towards birch woodland in Dorset. Whether the bracken stage is an intermediate stage towards woodland or acts as a ‘mini-climax’ in itself remains to be demonstrated. Thereafter, the impact of bracken control on vegetation development is examined from two successional viewpoints, succession reversal towards the early successional communities, and successional accelerations towards woodland. A range of examples is provided from: (1) lowland heaths in England; (2) moorlands in upland Britain where bracken has been treated with asulam; and (3) in North Wales where attempts have been made to restock woodlands.