>> Phil Davey of English Nature, who is based at the Lindisfarne National >> Nature Reserve, said: "The rabbit population completely collapsed three or >> four years ago and as a result the grassland vegetation has grown longer >> and longer. The Lindisfarne Helleborine orchid, would eventually disappear
>IIRC, rabbits were introduced to the British Isles by the Normans. So, either >the Helleborine colonized Lindisfarne sometime after 1066, or it it was able to >survive in the absence of rabbits. >Nick Plummer Or the species didn't exist before 1066, and it's precursor has speciated over the last ~ 900 years by adapting to an environment with rabbits. Peter O'Byrne Singapore _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
