Salt-marsh communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system

This article gives an overview of the salt-marsh communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.

Introduction[]

The salt-marsh communities of the NVC were described in Volume 5 of British Plant Communities, first published in 2000, along with the other maritime communities (those of shingle strandline and sand-dunes and maritime cliffs) and vegetation of open habitats.

In total, 28 salt-marsh communities have been identified.

The salt-marsh communities consist of four separate subgroups:

three eel-grass and tassel-weed communities of tidal flats, pools and ditches (SM1, and )
thirteen communities of the lower salt-marsh (, , , , , , SM10, , , , , and )
nine communities of the middle salt-marsh (, , , , , , , and )
three communities of the upper salt-marsh (SM24, and )

Other communities occurring on salt-marshes[]

There are a number of other communities which occur on salt-marshes, but are not classified as salt-marsh communities within the NVC. Those listed in British Plant Communities are as follows:

List of salt-marsh communities[]

The following is a list of the communities that make up this category:

SM1 Zostera communities Zosterion Christiansen 1934
SM10 Transitional low-marsh vegetation with Puccinellia maritima, annual Salicornia species and Suaeda maritima
SM24 Elymus pycnanthus salt-marsh community Atriplici-Elymetum pycnanthi Beeftink & Westhoff 1962

External links[]

Salt-marsh Communities, excerpted from book 5