RH2B Racomitrium fasciculare – Festuca vivipara scree community
Vegetation
The main components of this rocky habitat community are mostly bryophytes and grasses. Festuca vivipara, Agrostis capillaris and Galium saxatile are the constant vascular plants, with tufts of Anthoxanthum odoratum frequent. Crevices in the rocks occasionally support rosettes of Saxifraga spathularis and in shady, sheltered spots Hymenophyllum wilsonii may be found. The bryophyte layer comprises mostly hoary patches of Racomitrium lanuginosum and the greener patches of Racomitrium fasciculare, but also usually includes Polytrichum commune and Breutelia chrysocoma and frequently Diplophyllum albicans and Pleurozia purpurea.
Ecology
This is a community of sparsely vegetated siliceous scree slopes of the high uplands (mean extent of bare rock = 70.1%, n = 98; mean altitude = 651 m, n = 98; mean slope = 52.3°, n = 98). Soils, where they accumulate, are skeletal (mean soil depth = 1.0 cm, n = 98). Conditions are acidic, moist and infertile.
Sub-communities
No formal sub-communities have been described for this community.
Similar communities
Racomitrium fasciculare and Breutelia chrysocoma are much less frequent in the RH2C Racomitrium lanuginosum – Hypnum jutlandicum scree community, which in general has more cover from dry heath species and less cover from grass species than RH2B.
Conservation value
Examples of this community qualify as EU HD Annex I habitat 8110 Siliceous scree. Species/4 m2 = 13.8, n = 98.
Management
Some more accessible areas of this vegetation may be sheep-grazed but it is essentially unmanaged.