From detailed technical reports (of which we have written well over 200) to material for general public interest, we write authoritatively in good, clear English and always try to make the subject interesting to the reader. Among our publications are:
An Illustrated Guide to British Upland Vegetation (of which we are first and second co-authors); published by the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee; a widely-used reference about the vegetation of northern and western Britain; won the Botanical Society of the British Isles / Wild Flower Society Presidents’ Prize for best botanical publication of 2004. Now in print by Pelagic Press, or downloadable free as a pdf file from http://data.jncc.gov.uk/data/a17ab353-f5be-49ea-98f1-8633229779a1/IllustratedGuideBritishUplandVegetation-2004.pdf
Plants and Habitats: an introduction to common plants and their habitats in Britain and Ireland written by Ben, published in 2013 and currently on its fourth reprint; a popular reference book that is mainly a guide to the identification plant species but also provides an understanding of plant communities and a link between the species/flora and plant community/habitat approaches to botany.
Springs and Flushes – a booklet written by Alison and published in 2003 in the Scottish Natural Heritage Scotland’s Living Landscape series; a guide to the nature and diversity of these wetland habitats in Scotland. Downloadable free as a pdf file from https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2017-07/Publication%202003%20-%20Springs%20and%20Flushes.pdf
Managing for Scotland’s mountain plants – a booklet written by Alison and published by Plantlife in 2015 to help people manage upland areas better for their botanical interest. Downloadable free as a pdf file from https://www.plantlife.org.uk/application/files/2014/8233/9486/
Managing_for_Scotlands_mountain_plantsWEB.pdf
Bryological assessment for hydroelectric schemes in the West Highlands (2nd edition) (of which Ben is a co-author) – published by Scottish Natural Heritage in 2012 (SNH Commissioned Report No. 449b) and used together with the Scottish Natural Heritage online Hydroelectric Planning Tool. Downloadable free as a pdf file from https://www.nature.scot/snh-commissioned-report-449b-bryological-assessment-hydroelectric-schemes-west-highlands-2nd-edition
Review of coverage of the National Vegetation Classification (of which Ben is a co-author) – published by the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee in 2000 to identify and describe plant communities that were not covered by the NVC. Downloadable free as a pdf file from http://data.jncc.gov.uk/data/cd2859d5-c248-4a7f-92d5-735880823a78/JNCC-Report-302-FINAL-WEB.pdf
Alison wrote a chapter (Love and the longing to survive) in the forthcoming book Curious about Nature, a book about the excitement and importance of fieldwork in the study of nature; edited by Tim Burt and Des Thompson; Cambridge University Press; due out in March 2020. See https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/curious-about-nature/267594631E133C8578F865291FC7935A
Vegetation survey of Horoka Tomamu Montane Forest, Hokkaido, Japan, 2016/2018 – by Ben (2019); a detailed report from the survey work done at this fascinating forest reserve in Japan; downloadable free as a pdf file from http://www.horoka.org/pdfs/htmfsurvey3.pdf
Autumn in Hokkaido; plants of Horoka Tomamu Montane Forest – by Ben (2019); a photographic presentation of vascular plants, mosses, liverworts and lichens found by Ben at this nature reserve in September 2016 and October 2018; downloadable free as a pdf file from http://horoka.org/pdfs/htmfsurvey3Autumn.pdf
Ben also wrote the illustrated account of The vegetation of Morvern in Exploring Morvern (volume 1), published by the Morvern Heritage Society in 2004.