A Review of the NVC for the Calthion Group of Plant Communities
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A review of the National Vegetation Classification for the Calthion group of plant communities in England and Wales Hilary Wallace and Mike Prosser Ecological Surveys (Bangor) and Floodplain Meadows Partnership 1 This report is dedicated to the memory of Mike Prosser (1934-2016). Mike sadly passed away shortly before this report was completed, but the work reflects his great contribution to the study and understanding of hay meadows from Northumberland to Somerset. He will be remembered for his great contributions to our appreciation of the landscape and its character over many years, and for his generous readiness to share his breadth of knowledge, his time and perception. 2 Contents Summary……………………………………………………………………………………..7 Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………...9 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 10 2 Methods .......................................................................................................... 15 Data collation ...................................................................................................... 15 Data analysis ....................................................................................................... 16 Data presentation ................................................................................................ 17 Wider European perspective ............................................................................... 18 3 Results ............................................................................................................ 19 Twinspan. ............................................................................................................ 19 Environmental drivers .......................................................................................... 23 Ellenberg indicators. ............................................................................................ 26 Soil type and site management ........................................................................... 28 4 Community descriptions. ................................................................................. 30 MG16: (provisional) Agrostis stolonifera-Eleocharis palustris inundation grassland.. ............................................................................................................................ 30 MG13: Agrostis stolonifera-Alopecurus geniculatus inundation grassland ........... 36 MG15: Alopecurus pratensis-Poa trivialis-Cardamine pratensis grassland .......... 41 MG14: Carex nigra-Agrostis stolonifera-Senecio aquaticus grassland ................. 48 MG8: Cynosurus cristatus-Carex panicea-Caltha palustris grassland .................. 56 M22b: Briza media-Trifolium spp. subcommunity of Juncus subnodulosus-Cirsium palustre fen-meadow ........................................................................................... 70 MG6d: Filipendula ulmaria subcommunity of Lolium perenne-Cynosurus cristatus grassland ............................................................................................................. 75 5. Wider European perspective............................................................................ 81 6 Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 85 7. Bibliography .................................................................................................... 86 3 Appendices Appendix 1. Listing of the 73 noda used in the DCA analysis presented in Section 5: Wider European perspective………………………………………………………………91 Appendix 2. Full DCA analysis showing 73 noda all labelled as listed in Appendix 1 and presented in Section 5: Wider European perspective……………………………..95 Appendix 3. Names that have to be altered for entry into MAVIS software, together with MATCH and MAVIS code numbers…………………………………………………96 Appendix 4. Revised Mesotrophic Grasslands key……………………………………..99 List of tables Table 1. Species characteristic of the Calthion alliance. .......................................... 12 Table 2. Endgroup cluster amalgamations and proposed community naming.. ....... 21 Table 3. Distribution of vegetation units across different soil types.. ........................ 28 Table 4. Management of different vegetation units. ................................................. 29 Table 5. Breakdown of the 49 continental noda included in the DCA analysis according to the alliance given by the authors. ........................................................ 81 4 List of figures Figure 1. Location of all sites included in the full analysis. ....................................... 16 Figure 2 Hierarchical tree from the TWINSPAN classification. ................................. 20 Figure 3 Plot showing the distribution of all quadrats against Axis 1 and Axis 2 scores of the DCA ordination. ............................................................................................. 23 Figure 4. Bivariate ellipses for the 12 vegetation units defined. ............................... 24 Figure 5. Distribution of selected species against axis 1 and axis 2 of the DCA ordination. ............................................................................................................... 25 Figure 6 Box and whisker plots showing variation in Ellenberg N scores across the NVC units. ............................................................................................................... 26 Figure 7. Box and whisker plots showing variation in Ellenberg F scores across the NVC units. ............................................................................................................... 27 Figure 8. Box and whisker plots showing variation in Ellenberg R scores across the NVC units. ............................................................................................................... 27 Figure 9. Distribution of Eleocharis palustris inundation grassland (MG16). ............ 35 Figure 10. Distribution of MG13 Agrostis stolonifera-Alopecurus geniculatus inundation grassland. .............................................................................................. 39 Figure 11a. MG15a. Alopecurus pratensis-Poa trivialis-Cardamine pratensis grassland, Agrostis stolonifera subcommunity ......................................................... 45 Figure 11 b. MG15b. Alopecurus pratensis-Poa trivialis-Cardamine pratensis grassland, Lolium perenne-Ranunculus acris subcommunity. ................................. 46 Figure 12 a. MG14a: Carex nigra-Agrostis stolonifera-Senecio aquaticus grassland, Typical subcommunity ............................................................................................. 54 Figure 12 b. MG14b: Carex nigra-Agrostis stolonifera-Senecio aquaticus grassland. Anthoxanthum odoratum-Trifolium repens subcommunity. ...................................... 55 Figure 13. MG8 Cynosurus cristatus-Carex panicea-Caltha palustris grassland. ..... 67 Figure 14. Distribution map for MG6d; Filipendula ulmaria subcommunity of Lolium perenne-Cynosurus cristatus grassland .................................................................. 79 Figure 15. DCA plot of 73 noda. .............................................................................. 82 Appendix 2 Figure A. DCA plot of 73 noda. ................................................................................ 95 5 List of plates Plate 1 Agrostis stolonifera-Eleocharis palustris inundation grassland at Wheldrake Ings, Yorkshire ........................................................................................................ 35 Plate 2. MG13 Agrostis stolonifera-Alopecurus geniculatus inundation grassland at Wheldrake Ings, Yorkshire ...................................................................................... 40 Plate 3. Oenanthe silaifolia is a rare/scarce species found in MG15a ...................... 46 Plate 4. MG15b Alopecurus pratensis-Poa trivialis-Cardamine pratensis grassland, Lolium perenne-Ranunculus acris subcommunity. .................................................. 47 Plate 5. MG14a Carex nigra-Agrostis stolonifera-Senecio aquaticus grassland, Typical subcommunity. West Sedgemoor, Somerset. .............................................. 54 Plate 6. MG14b Carex nigra-Agrostis stolonifera-Senecio aquaticus grassland. Anthoxanthum odoratum-Trifolium repens subcommunity. West Sedgemoor, Somerset. ................................................................................................................ 55 Plate 7. MG8a Sanguisorba officinalis subcommunity (Mottey Meadows, Staffordshire)........................................................................................................... 68 Plate 8. MG8b Typical subcommunity (Baswich Meadow, Staffordshire) ................. 68 Plate 9. MG8c Carex nigra-Ranunculus flammula subcommunity (West Sedgemoor, Somerset) ............................................................................................................... 69 Plate 10. MG8d Caltha palustris-Bellis perennis subcommunity (Ashes Meadow, Yorkshire). ............................................................................................................... 69 Plate 11. MG6d Filipendula ulmaria subcommunity of Lolium perenne-Cynosurus cristatus grassland .................................................................................................. 80 6 Summary Investigations conducted as part of the DEFRA-commissioned BD1310 project (Gowing