Heaths in the British National Vegetation Classification system

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This article gives an overview of the heath communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.

[edit] Introduction

The heath communities of the NVC were described, along with the mire communities, in Volume 2 of British Plant Communities, first published in 1991.

In total, 22 heath communities have been identified.

The heath communities consist of six separate subgroups:

  • five lowland dry heath communities, all with distinct, largely non-overlapping distributions in England and Wales (H1, H2, H6, H8 and H9)
  • three localised communities, with non-overlapping ranges in southern England, which are considered transitional between the above and the wetter communities classified in the NVC as mires (H3, H4 and H5)
  • two maritime heath communities, found exclusively on the coasts of northern and western Britain; one (H7) is more widespread than the other (H11)
  • four submontane heaths from upland areas in northern and western Britain; two of these (H10 and H12) are widespread, whereas the other two (H16 and H21) are more localised (confined to Scotland, and Scotland and the Lake District, respectively)
  • two sub-alpine communities, considered transitional between the previous and next groupings - H18, which is widespread in northern and western Britain), and H22, which is confined to Scotland
  • six montane heath communities with lichens and mosses, all of which are confined either to Scotland (H13, H14, H15, H17 and H20) or to Scotland and the Lake District (H19)

[edit] List of heath communities

The following is a list of the communities that make up this category:

  • H8 Calluna vulgaris - Ulex gallii heath
  • H9 Calluna vulgaris - Deschampsia flexuosa heath
  • H10 Calluna vulgaris - Erica cinerea heath
  • H11 Calluna vulgaris - Carex arenaris heath
  • H12 Calluna vulgaris - Vaccinium myrtillus heath
  • H13 Calluna vulgaris - Cladonia arbuscula heath
  • H14 Calluna vulgaris - Racomitrium lanuginosum heath
  • H15 Calluna vulgaris - Juniperus communis ssp. nana heath
  • H16 Calluna vulgaris - Arctostaphylos uva-ursi heath
  • H17 Calluna vulgaris - Arctostaphylos alpinus heath
  • H18 Vaccinium myrtillus - Deschampsia flexuosa heath
  • H19 Vaccinium myrtillus - Cladonia arbuscula heath
  • H20 Vaccinium myrtillus - Racomitrium lanuginosum heath
  • H21 Calluna vulgaris - Vaccinium myrtillus - Sphagnum capillifolium heath
  • H22 Vaccinium myrtillus - Rubus chamaemorus heath

[edit] Source

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v • d • e
The British National Vegetation Classification

Woodlands and scrub • Mires • Heaths • Mesotrophic grasslands • Calcicolous grasslands • Calcifugous grasslands and montane communities • Aquatic communities • Swamps and tall-herb fens • Saltmarshes • Shingle, strandline and sand-dunes • Maritime cliff communities • Vegetation of open habitats
Full list of communities • Terminology • British Plant Communities • List of constant species • List of rare species

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