Abrehart Ecology Ltd was commissioned by Natural England to undertake a botanical survey of rare and uncommon species which had previously been recorded in the survey area, across North Thames Estuary and Marshes. A walkover survey of twelve survey compartments from Tilbury Fort to Mucking village was undertaken. The area included post-industrial habitats with restored landfill / quarry and flooded pits, historic grazing marsh and arable farmland. The study aimed to update the records and assess the number and distribution of target vascular plant species across the survey area to inform the case for designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Records were made targeting peak flowering windows between May and September 2022. This period was chosen to account for habitats vulnerable to drought, present early in the season, midsummer for aquatic macrophytes and charophytes and late summer for coastal species.
The surveyor recorded locations of the notable species as presence/absence with accompanying information on population size (specified in more detail in the accompanying survey spreadsheet). For greater understanding of nil records of rare species with previous known records in a locality, comments are provided on time spent searching, habitat suitability and survey coverage.
Two non-native species were recorded in the surveys, Cotula australis and Crassula helmsii. No charophyte species were found during the survey.