Scientific name	Festuca rubra – Syntrichia ruraliformis duneland
Common name	Red Fescue – Sand-hill Screw-moss duneland
Community code	DU2B

 

   

Download full pdf synopsis: DU2B

 

Vegetation

In this fairly diverse duneland community, the grass Festuca rubra is a constant, but typically does not dominate. In season, it usually is accompanied by the yellow flowers of Hypochaeris radicata, Lotus  corniculatus and Galium verum. Frequently, there are also tussocks of Ammophila arenaria and some low cover of Taraxacum officinale agg., Senecio jacobaea, Cerastium diffusum or Anthyllis vulneraria. Other species may include the duneland indicators Elytrigia juncea and Carex arenaria. Notable in this community is the well-developed yellow-green moss layer, usually formed of Syntrichia ruraliformis with Homalothecium lutescens frequently present.

Ecology

This is a fixed dune (or grey dune) community of stablised, slightly more calcareous sands, found landward of the mobile marram dunes.

 

Sub-communities

No sub-communities are described.

 

Similar communities

From the other duneland communities of the DU2 Festuca rubra – Galium verum  group, the present community is chiefly distinguished by its high cover of bryophytes. The number of sand-loving species serve to differentiate it from Festuca rubra swards of the GL3 grassland group.

Conservation value

Most examples of this vegetation correspond to EU HD Annex I habitat *2130 Fixed dunes (grey dunes).

 

Management

Fixed dunes are often grazed by livestock and rabbits, and overgrazing or undergrazing can be a problem, as can recreation in popular coastal areas.