Plant indicator species (sometimes known as axiophytes) are those plants that, generally speaking, indicate that the habitat they are found in is of good quality.  The greater the number of indicator species in a given habitat the better its quality.  For more detail about these species and an up to date list of those species considered to be axiophytes please visit the Botanical Society of the British Isles web site at (www.bsbi.org.uk/html/axiophytes.html).

Shropshire Council has been working with the Shropshire Botanical Society to produce a list of these species for a variety of uses.  The main use to date has been in the production of the biodiversity theme of Shropshire’s Woodland Opportunity Map.  Please visit the Woodland Opportunity Map section of this web site for further detail.  The list of indicator species has also been categorised into UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority habitats.  Conservation organisations could use this information to highlight the best places in the county to restore Lowland Heathland or perhaps Upland Oak Woodland.

The maps below show the number of indicator species per tetrad (2x2km square) of habitat in Shropshire and can be used to give an idea of the quality of the habitat in each tetrad. Tables listing the indictator species which are associated with each type of habitat in Shropshire can be found by clicking on the link below each map. These maps were created using indicator species records between 1980 and 2005.

All the plant species used as indicator species to create the maps below were given Shropshire BAP status in 2008.  

Click on the maps below to open a large version.
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All habitats Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Ancient and species rich hedgerows Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Blanket bog Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map
Cereal field margins Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Eutrophic standing waters Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Floodplain grazing marsh Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map
Lowland calcareous grassland Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Lowland dry acid grassland Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Lowland heathland Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map
Lowland meadows Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Lowland mixed woodland Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Lowland raised bog Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map
Mesotrophic lakes Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Purplemoor grass and rush pastures Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Reedbeds Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map
Rivers and streams Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Upland heathland Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	Upland oakwood Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map
Wet woodland Click here for a list of the species used to produce this map	All species 'fitted' to  Landscape Description Units