__NOTOC__ NVC community H4 (''Ulex gallii - Agrostis curtisii'' heath) is one of the

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

communities A community is a Level of analysis, social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place (geography), place, set of Norm (social), norms, culture, religion, values, Convention (norm), customs, or Ide ...

in the

British National Vegetation Classification __NOTOC__ The British National Vegetation Classification or NVC is a system of classifying natural habitat types in Great Britain according to the vegetation they contain. A large scientific meeting of ecologists, botanists, and other related ...

system. It is one of three communities which are considered transitional between the lowland dry heaths and the wetter communities classified in the NVC as mires. It is a relatively localised community. There are four subcommunities.

Community composition

The following constant species are found in this community: *

Bristle Bent ''Agrostis curtisii'', the bristle bent, is a species of grass in the family Poaceae native to Eurasia. It is densely tufted, with hair like leaves and stems that grow up to 60 cm. Its spikelets are yellow-green in colour, and its lemmas ...

(''Agrostis curtisii'') * Heather (''Calluna vulgaris'') *

Bell Heather ''Erica cinerea'', the bell heather, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family (biology), family Ericaceae, native plant, native to western and central Europe. Description It is a low, spreading shrub growing to tall, with fine needle ...

(''Erica cinerea'') * Cross-leaved Heath (''Erica tetralix'') *

Purple Moor-grass ''Molinia caerulea'', known by the common name purple moor-grass, is a species of Poaceae, grass that is native plant, native to Europe, west Asia, and north Africa. It grows in locations from the lowlands up to in the Alps. Like most grasses, i ...

(''Molinia caerulea'') * Tormentil (''Potentilla erecta'') * Western Gorse (''Ulex gallii'') The following

rare species A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon, scarce, or infrequently encountered. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and is distinct from the term ''endangered species, endangered'' or ''threatened ...

are associated with the community: *

(''Agrostis curtisii'') *

Soft-leaved Sedge ''Carex montana'', also called mountain or soft-leaved sedge, is a species of grass of the genus '' Carex''. It is most commonly found in Europe and Central Russia. It is native to most countries in Europe including the UK, Germany, France and ...

(''Carex montana'') * Dorset Heath (''Erica ciliaris'') *

Cornish Heath ''Erica vagans'', the Cornish heath or wandering heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to Ireland, Cornwall, western France and Spain. It is a vigorous, spreading, evergreen heather reaching tall and wide, with ...

(''Erica vagans'')

Distribution

This community is confined to southwest England, from

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

and

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

westwards, and the southern coastal region of Wales.

Subcommunities

There are four subcommunities: * the ''Agrostis curtisii - Erica cinerea'' subcommunity * the ''Festuca ovina'' subcommunity * the ''Erica tetralix'' subcommunity * the ''Scirpus cespitosus'' subcommunity

References

* Rodwell, J. S. (1991) '' British Plant Communities Volume 2 - Mires and heaths'' (hardback), (paperback) {{NVC-H H04