GL3C Festuca rubra – Plantago lanceolata grassland
Vegetation
The community typically has a good diversity in grass species with the constants including Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Agrostis stolonifera and Cynosurus cristatus (mean graminoid height = 30.4 cm, n = 207). Broadleaved herbs consist primarily of Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Cerastium fontanum and Centaurea nigra (mean forb height = 22.4 cm, n = 207). The usual presence of Dactylis glomerata and the occasional dominance of Arrhenatherum elatius can lend the vegetation a coarse and tussocky structure.
Ecology
The Festuca rubra – Plantago lanceolata grassland is chiefly a lowland community (mean altitude = 64 m, n = 207) of mineral soils (mean organic content = 18.3%, n = 133) and gentle slopes (mean slope = 6.0°, n = 207). Soils tend to be well-drained, fairly fertile and quite base-rich. This community is most frequent across the central part of the country, being only occasional in the south and far north.
Sub-communities
No sub-communities are described.
Similar communities
This grassland differs from the other main meadow community, GL3E Festuca rubra – Rhinanthus minor grassland, in being slightly drier, more base-rich and more fertile. Rhinanthus minor and Agrostis capillaris are much more frequent in community GL3E, while Dactylis glomerata and Agrostis stolonifera are less so.
Conservation value
This is a grassland community of medium to high species richness (species/4 m2 = 24.8, n = 251) to which belong some swards of two EU HD Annex I habitats, the priority habitat 6210 Orchid-rich calcareous grassland*, on the more base-rich soils, and 6510 Lowland hay meadows. Grasslands of these types are important for pollinators.
Management
These swards are managed as grazing land (typically for cattle) and/or mown for hay. Cutting may occur once or twice a year between May and September. The main threats to these grasslands include improvement and abandonment.