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 County 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.