British NVC community W17
NVC community W17 (Quercus petraea - Betula pubescens - Dicranum majus woodland) is one of the woodland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of the six communities falling in the "mixed deciduous and oak/birch woodlands" group.
This is a widely distributed community in northern and western Britain and represents mossy deciduous woodland of the uplands. There are four subcommunities.
Community composition
[edit]Two constant species are found in the tree canopy of this community:
- Sessile oak (Quercus petraea)
- Downy birch (Betula pubescens)
Eight constant species are found in the field and ground layers of this community:
- Wavy hair grass (Deschampsia flexuosa)
- Greater fork-moss (Dicranum majus)
- Glittering wood-moss (Hylocomium splendens)
- Waved silk-moss (Plagiothecium undulatum)
- Red-stemmed feather-moss (Pleurozium schreberi)
- Bank haircap moss (Polytrichum formosum)
- Little shaggy-moss (Rhytidiadelphus loreus)
- Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)
Rare species associated with the community include Hymenophyllum wilsonii and a number of oceanic bryophytes.
Distribution
[edit]This community is widespread throughout upland areas of Britain. The subcommunities show some geographical localisation with W17a predominantly western and W17d predominantly eastern.
Subcommunities
[edit]There are four subcommunities:
- W17a : the Isothecium myosuroides-Diplophyllum albicans subcommunity
- W17b : the so-called typical subcommunity
- W17c : the Anthoxanthum odoratum-Agrostis capillaris subcommunity
- W17d : the Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus subcommunity
References
[edit]- Rodwell, J. S. (1991) British Plant Communities Volume 1 - Woodlands and scrub ISBN 0-521-23558-8 (hardback), ISBN 0-521-62721-4 (paperback)
Further reading
[edit]Averis, A. et al. (2004). An Illustrated Guide to British Upland Vegetation. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Peterborough.