Ennerdale Forest National Vegetation Classification Survey Wild Ennerdale Survey of National Vegetation Classification Communities A report by Rigby Jerram Ecological Consultants Rigby Jerram 93 Serpentine Road For Forestry Commission Kendal Cumbria th 15 November 2004 LA9 4PD Tel & Fax: 01539 726618 e-mail: [email protected] Rigby Jerram 1 27/08/15 Ennerdale Forest National Vegetation Classification Survey Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Methods ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Site Description ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Vegetation Communities ........................................................................................................................................................... 7 Forestry Communities................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Conifer forest with W11 understorey ........................................................................................................ 7 Conifer forest with W17 understorey ........................................................................................................ 9 Dense conifer forest .............................................................................................................................. 9 Conifer forest with mire vegetation understorey .......................................................................................... 9 Felled and/or replanted conifer forest ...................................................................................................... 10 National Vegetation Classification Communities .................................................................................................................... 14 Native Woodland Communities ............................................................................................................................................... 14 W1 Salix cinerea – Galium palustre woodland ................................................................................... 14 W4 Betula pubescens – Molinia caerulea woodland ............................................................................ 14 W4c Betula pubescens – Molinia caerulea woodland Sphagnum sub-community ........................................ 15 W7 Alnus glutinosa – Fraxinus excelsior – Lysimachia nemorum woodland ............................................ 16 W11 Quercus petraea – Betula pubescens – Oxalis acetosella woodland ................................................... 17 W17 Quercus petraea – Betula pubescens – Dicranum majus woodland .................................................... 18 Non-woodland Communities ................................................................................................................................................... 19 H8b Calluna vulgaris – Ulex gallii heath Danthonia decumbens sub-community ........................................ 19 H8e Calluna vulgaris – Ulex gallii heath Vaccinium myrtillus sub-community .......................................... 19 H10 Calluna vulgaris – Erica cinerea heath ........................................................................................ 19 H12a Calluna vulgaris – Vaccinium myrtillus heath Calluna vulgaris sub-community .................................. 20 H12c Calluna vulgaris – Vaccinium myrtillus heath Galium saxatile – Festuca ovina sub-community .............. 20 M6b Carex echinata – Sphagnum recurvum/auriculatum mire Carex nigra – Nardus stricta sub-community ..... 21 M6c Carex echinata – Sphagnum recurvum/auriculatum mire Juncus effusus sub-community ....................... 22 M6d Carex echinata – Sphagnum recurvum/auriculatum mire Juncus acutiflorus sub-community .................. 23 M10a Carex dioica – Pinguicula vulgaris mire Carex demissa – Juncus bulbosus/kochii sub-community ........... 24 M15b Scirpus cespitosus – Erica tetralix wet heath typical sub-community ................................................. 24 M17 Scirpus cespitosus – Eriophorum vaginatum blanket mire ............................................................... 24 M23a Juncus effusus/acutiflorus – Galium saxatile rush pasture Juncus acutiflorus sub-community ................. 25 M23b Juncus effusus/acutiflorus – Galium saxatile rush pasture Juncus effusus sub-community ...................... 26 M25a Molinia caerulea – Potentilla erecta mire Erica tetralix sub-community ............................................. 26 M25c Molinia caerulea – Potentilla erecta mire Angelica sylvestris sub-community ..................................... 26 M27/M23a Filipendula ulmaria – Angelica sylvestris mire / Juncus effusus/acutiflorus – Galium saxatile rush pasture Juncus acutiflorus sub-community ...................................................... 27 S9 Carex rostrata swamp ............................................................................................................. 28 S19 Eleocharis palustris swamp ...................................................................................................... 28 U4a Festuca ovina – Agrostis capillaris – Galium saxatile grassland typical sub-community ........................ 28 U4b Festuca ovina – Agrostis capillaris – Galium saxatile grassland Holcus lanatus – Trifolium repens sub-community........................................................................ 29 U4e Festuca ovina – Agrostis capillaris – Galium saxatile grassland Vaccinium myrtillus – Deschampsia flexuosa sub-community ......................................................... 29 U5b Nardus stricta – Galium saxatile grassland Agrostis canina – Polytrichum commune sub-community ....... 30 U5c Nardus stricta – Galium saxatile grassland Carex panicea – Viola riviniana sub-community ................... 30 U5d Nardus stricta – Galium saxatile grassland Calluna vulgaris – Danthonia decumbens sub-community ...... 31 U19 Thelypteris (Oreopteris) limbosperma – Blechnum spicant community .............................................. 31 U20a Pteridium aquilinum – Galium saxatile community Anthoxanthum odoratum sub-community ................ 32 MG1 Arrhenatherum elatius grassland ............................................................................................... 32 MG5 Cynosurus cristatus – Centaurea nigra grassland ........................................................................... 33 MG6a Lolium perenne – Cynosurus cristatus grassland typical sub-community ............................................ 34 MG10 Holcus lanatus – Juncus effusus grassland ................................................................................... 35 W23 Ulex europaeus – Rubus fruticosus scrub .................................................................................... 35 References ............................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Rigby Jerram 2 27/08/15 Ennerdale Forest National Vegetation Classification Survey Rigby Jerram 3 27/08/15 Ennerdale Forest National Vegetation Classification Survey Introduction In 2002 the land within The Pillar and Ennerdale Site of Special Scientific Interest and Lake District High Fells candidate Special Area of Conservation was surveyed to National Vegetation Classification standards by English Nature as part of their programme of acquiring up to date information on the distribution of the vegetation communities which form the SAC features of interest (Jerram 2003). The following year the National Trust commissioned a similar survey of the remainder of their fell land in Ennerdale. As part of the Wild Ennerdale project the Forestry Commission commissioned a further survey of the remaining land covered by the Wild Ennerdale project for 2004. This includes the conifer plantations and farmland at the head of Ennerdale Water and to the north and west of the lake. This report presents the results of the 2004 survey which completes the coverage of NVC survey for Wild Ennerdale and includes land owned by the Forestry Commission, National Trust and United Utilities. The mapping of vegetation communities will aid the protection and management of features of biodiversity interest within the project area and aid predictions as to the likely outcome of management regimes in the valley. Methods The vegetation was mapped using the National Vegetation Classification (Rodwell 1991a & b and 1992). Stands of homogeneous vegetation were identified and assigned to NVC communities and sub- communities. The extent of these stands was mapped onto 1:10,000 OS base maps. To ensure that vegetation types were assigned to the correct NVC communities a minimum of two 2 x 2m quadrats were recorded in each vegetation type. Where quadrats were recorded species abundance was recorded using the domin scale: Domin score Percentage ground cover 10 91-100% 9 76-90 8 51-75 7 34-50 6 26-33 5 11-25 4 4-10 3 many individuals 2 <4 several individuals 1 few individuals Constancy