DU3D Festuca rubra – Bellis perennis grassland
Vegetation
A mixture of Festuca rubra, Carex flacca and Agrostis stolonifera form the majority of the rather low sward in this diverse grassland. Almost invariably there is a scattering of Trifolium repens and Prunella vulgaris is very common. Other constants are Bellis perennis, Lotus corniculatus, Plantago lanceolata and Hydrocotyle vulgaris. Frequent species include Euphrasia officinalis agg., Poa pratensis/humilis, Leontodon autumnalis, Leontodon saxatilis, Juncus articulatus, Holcus lanatus and Cynosurus cristatus. In the bryophyte layer, Calliergonella cuspidata is the main species, accompanied by Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus. Mean maximum vegetation height = 26.2 cm, n = 20.
Ecology
This community primarily represent areas of dune slacks and machair (mean altitude = 5.9 m, n = 79; mean extent of bare sand = 2.6%, n = 79) that have been agriculturally improved and in many cases also overgrazed but also included here are similar swards from inland wet grasslands.
Sub-communities
No sub-communities are described.
Similar communities
The high frequency of Bellis perennis, Prunella vulgaris and Carex flacca will help identify this community from amongst the range of dune grasslands. Bellis and Prunella are both also frequent in the GL3D Festuca rubra – Plantago lanceolata grassland, but in that community one will often find Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum and Centaurea nigra, all of which are usually absent from community DU3D.
Conservation value
Most examples of this vegetation correspond to the EU HD Annex I habitat 2190 Dune slacks. On the northwest coast, this assemblage can be a component of priority habitat *21A0 Machair. Species/4 m2 = 27.0, n = 151.
Management
This grassland is often grazed by livestock and rabbits and overgrazing can be a problem, as can disturbance due to recreational activities in popular coastal areas.