Maritime cliff communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system

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

Introduction

The maritime cliff communities of the NVC were described in Volume 5 of British Plant Communities, first published in 2000, along with the other maritime communities (those of shingle strand-line and sand-dunes and saltmarshes) and vegetation of open habitats.

In total, 12 maritime cliff communities have been identified.

The maritime cliff communities consist of three subgroups:

• five maritime cliff crevice and ledge communities (MC1, MC2, MC3, MC4 and MC5)
• five maritime grassland communities of sea-cliffs (MC8, MC9, MC10, MC11 and MC12)
• two communities associated with sea-bird cliffs (MC6 and MC7)

List of maritime cliff communities

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

• MC1 Crithmum maritimum - Spergularia rupicola maritime rock-crevice community Crithmo-Spergularietum rupicolae Géhu 1964

• MC2 Armeria maritima - Ligusticum scoticum maritime rock-crevice community

• MC3 Rhodiola rosea - Armeria maritima maritime cliff-ledge community

• MC4 Brassica oleracea maritime cliff-ledge community

• MC5 Armeria maritima - Cerastium diffusum ssp. diffusum maritime therophyte community

• MC6 Atriplex prostrata - Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima sea-bird cliff community Atriplici-Betetum maritimae J.-M. & J. Géhu 1969

• MC7 Stellaria media - Rumex acetosa sea-bird cliff community

• MC8 Festuca rubra - Armeria maritima maritime grassland

• MC9 Festuca rubra - Holcus lanatus maritime grassland

• MC10 Festuca rubra - Plantago spp. maritime grassland

• MC11 Festuca rubra - Daucus carota ssp. gummifer maritime grassland

• MC12 Festuca rubra - Hyacinthoides non-scripta maritime bluebell community