British NVC community H5 facts for kids
Imagine different types of natural areas, like forests, grasslands, or wetlands. Scientists in Britain have a special way to group these areas based on the plants that grow there. This system is called the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC).
NVC community H5 is a special type of heathland found in Britain. It's also known as the Erica vagans - Schoenus nigricans heath, named after two important plants that grow there. This heathland is a bit like a bridge between dry, open heathlands and wetter, boggy areas called mires.
This plant community is quite rare and only found in a few specific places. It has two main types, which scientists call subcommunities.
What Plants Live Here?
This special heathland community is home to certain plants that are almost always found growing there. Scientists call these "constant species." They help define what this type of heathland is.
Here are some of the constant plants you would find:
- Bog pimpernel (Anagallis tenella)
- Flea Sedge (Carex pulicaris)
- Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix)
- Cornish Heath (Erica vagans)
- Sheep's Fescue (Festuca ovina)
- Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea)
- Tormentil (Potentilla erecta)
- Black Bog-rush (Schoenus nigricans)
- Saw-wort (Serratula tinctoria)
- Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis)
- Western Gorse (Ulex gallii)
- Yellow Starry Feather-moss (Campylium stellatum)
Rare Plants in This Community
Sometimes, very special or "rare species" are also found growing in this community. These plants don't appear everywhere, making them extra important.
Some rare plants linked to this community are:
- Bristle Bent (Agrostis curtisii)
- Cornish Heath (Erica vagans)
- Spring Squill (Scilla verna)
Where Can You Find NVC H5?
This unique plant community is very specific about where it grows. You can only find it in one particular area: The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, England. This makes it a very localized and special habitat.
Types of NVC H5 Heathland
Within the NVC H5 community, scientists have identified two slightly different types, called "subcommunities." These are like variations of the main community.
The two subcommunities are:
- The typical subcommunity (the most common form)
- The Eriocharis multicaulis subcommunity (a specific variation named after another plant)
