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The Godwin Plots are one of the world's longest running science
Wicken Fen nature trail showing the location of the plots
Ecological experiments
The Godwin Plots are one of the world's longest running science experiment
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...
s. They can be found at Wicken Fen
Wicken Fen is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Wicken, Cambridgeshire, Wicken in Cambridgeshire. It is also a National Nature Reserve, and a Nature Conservation Review site. It is protected by international designations ...
nature reserve, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...
, England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
Five experimental areas of vegetation were established in the 1927 by Prof. Sir Harry Godwin
Sir Harry Godwin, FRS (9 May 1901 – 12 August 1985) was a prominent English botanist
Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxon ...
. The first plot is never cut. The second is cut every four years, the next every three years and so on. Godwin completed his experiment in 1940, and the plots were left uncut, but the same plots were restored in 1954, and have been managed in accordance with Godwin's original methodology since that time.
The cutting is undertaken in November/December every year. This management has, over many years, produced different vegetation patterns. Godwin used the experiment to demonstrate that management alone can change plant communities - an idea which is almost universally accepted today, but was quite radical in the early 20th century. Because of this work, the Plots, or Wicken Fen generally, are sometimes referred to as 'The birthplace of modern ecology'.
See also
* Long-term experimentReferences
{{ReflistExternal links
Wicken Fen nature trail showing the location of the plots
Ecological experiments