WL3E Salix cinerea – Galium palustre woodland
Vegetation
The low canopy of this community (mean canopy height = 12.7 m, n = 30) is dominated by Salix cinerea and Betula pubescens. Fraxinus excelsior and Crataegus monogyna are frequent, but Alnus glutinosa is only occasional. The field layer is composed typically of Galium palustre, Filipendula ulmaria, Rubus fruticosus agg., Hedera helix and Angelica sylvestris. Frequent species include Mentha aquatica, Equisetum fluviatile, Ranunculus repens, Agrostis stolonifera, Molinia caerulea, Cardamine pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Juncus effusus and Athyrium filix-femina. The main bryophytes are Calliergonella cuspidata, Hypnum cupressiforme and Kindbergia praelonga.
Ecology
This is a wet woodland community of basin peats and less frequently of gley soils (mean organic content = 67.1%, n = 30) found on flat ground in the lowlands (mean slope = 0.5°, n = 30; mean altitude = 56 m, n = 30). Soil conditions are rather infertile and only mildly base-rich. It is sometimes found in association with degraded bogland, but also along rivers and lake margins.
Sub-communities
No sub-communities have been described for this community.
Similar communities
The community may be viewed as transitional between the mesotrophic, base-rich wet woodlands of group WL3 and the oligotrophic, acidic wet woodlands of group WL4. Stands could thus be confused with those of WL4E; however, that community more commonly supports acidic indicators such as Molinia caerulea, Scleropodium purum and Potentilla erecta. From the other willow woodland communities (WL3D and WL3F), these stands can be differentiated largely by the significant presence of Betula pubescens .
Conservation value
This is a species-rich woodland community (total species/100 m2 = 43.3, n = 31) with a diverse bryophyte flora (bryophyte species/100 m2 = 14.9, n = 31). Stands along rivers and lakes which are subject to periodic inundation qualify as EU HD Annex I habitat 91E0 Residual alluvial forests*.
Management
The main threats to these woodlands include changes to hydrological regimes, overgrazing by livestock (usually cattle), woodland clearance and invasion by non-native species.