Comparative assessment of morphological traits and population density in the native species (Ilex aquifolium) and the hybrid species (Ilex × altaclerensis) in Saltburn Valley Gardens, Northern England, UK

This study compared morphological traits and population density of the Native Species ( Ilex aquifolium, L . ) and the Hybrid Species ( Ilex × altaclerensis (Loudon) Dallim) in Saltburn Valley Gardens, Northern England, UK. This study adopted botanical surveys, and 40 plots of 10 m by 10 m were chosen randomly. The following analyses were performed: descriptive, regression, unpaired T-test, and correlation. According to the findings, the hybrids' blade length (BL) (9.32 cm) is much greater than that of the natives (8.12 cm). The results revealed that native species exhibit a lower degree of alteration and a larger mean number of spines (15.28 cm) compared to hybrids (11.65 cm). All T-test analyses between the hybrid species’ and native species' morphological characteristics were significant ( p -value < 0.05). The native species' blade length was strongly positively correlated with both petiole length ( r = 0.629) and blade width ( r = 0.693). The results demonstrated a significant positive connection (0.68) between the hybrid species' total number of spines and blade width. The greatest number of native varieties and hybrids were found within the 0–10 cm diameter. The Multiple R value of 0.578 indicated a favourable correlation between DBH and native species predictors. The findings showed a weak relationship (multiple regression R = 0.517) between DBH and predictors of the hybrid species. It could be concluded that the Saltburn Valley Garden in Northern England, UK, requires immediate monitoring of hybrid growth in the face of both native and introduced holly, as well as conservation measures to avoid biodiversity loss and ecosystem imbalance.