ECOFACT Volume 1 Introduction and Approach - Centre for Ecology ...

Vegetation class 7
Description
AGGREGATE CLASS V
LOWLAND WOODED
Fertile open
hedges/crop
boundaries
Soils Land cover
Occurrence (%)
50
40
30
20
10
0
Total number of plots
Landscape association
Plot types
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Arable
Marginal upland
Pastural
Upland
Boundary
Hedge
Roadside
Streamside
Main
Habitat
319
%
68
1
31
0
%
39
52
2
3
0
3
This class is virtually restricted to hedgerows or boundaries, but occasionally can
be found by other linear features, usually between crops on brown soils. It is
very common and the canopy consists almost entirely of hawthorn (Crataegus
monogyna) although other woody species, notably blackthorn (Prunus
spinosa), may be present. The ground cover is mainly of false oat-grass
(Arrhenathrum elatius), but common nettles (Urtica dioica) and brambles
(Rubus fruticosus) may also be present. The class is not diverse, and plants
such as barren brome (Bromus sterilis), cleavers (Galium aparine) and
pineappleweed (Matricaria matricarioides) are characteristic species. The
distribution of this class is centred on southern England, East Anglia and the
Midlands but it extends into the lowlands elsewhere.
Associated features
0 Disturbed
1 Terrestrial raw
2 Raw gley
3 Lithomorphic
4 Pelosols
5Brown
6 Podzolic
7 Surface water gley
8 Groundwater gley
9 Man-made
10 Peat
Distribution
Occurrence (%)
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Mapscale approx: 1:11,000,000 Key units
Area 000’s km
0 kilometres 500
–2
Length 000’s km
1 Crops
2 Fertile grassland
3 Infertile grassland
4 Grass mosaic/bracken
5 Moorland grass
6 Tall grassland/herb
7 Bog
8 Woodland
9 Heath and screes
10 Water and wetland
11 Maritime vegetation
12 Communications/urban
Main
Boundary
Area 0.09 SE 0.09 Length 100.11 SE 11.17