SC1B Crataegus monogyna – Rubus fruticosus agg. scrub
Vegetation
Crataegus monogyna, Rubus fruticosus agg. and Hedera helix provide the bulk of the vegetation in this scrubby community. Beneath, Galium aparine and Urtica dioica are constants, as are the coarse grasses Dactylis glomerata, Arrhenatherum elatius, Agrostis stolonifera and Holcus lanatus. Several ferns are frequently found here: Dryopteris filix-mas, Polystichum setiferum, Phyllitis scolopendrium and Pteridium aquilinum.
Ecology
The majority of current records of this community come from hedgerows and hedgebanks in the lowlands, but hawthorn scrub, invading abandoned fields and fringing woodland, can probably also be included here. Due to its thorny and rather commonplace nature, it has been vastly under-recorded.
Sub-communities
No sub-communities are described.
Similar communities
Community SC1A is similar in character, but Prunus spinosa is invariably present in that assemblage.
Conservation value
Hedgerows and scrub can provide valuable habitat for bird, mammals and invertebrates particularly within enclosed agricultural landscapes. Species/30 m2 = 15.8, n = 13.
Management
Hedgerows would once have been periodically layed to maintain their vigour and make them stockproof. Today, the vast majority of hedges are mechanically flailed. Hedgerows and scrub may be lost due to enlargement of fields, agricultural improvement and urban developments.