Scientific name	Festuca rubra – Bellis perennis duneland
Common name	Red Fescue – Daisy duneland
Community code	DU3D

 

       

Download full pdf synopsis: DU3D

 

Vegetation

A mixture of Festuca rubra, Carex flacca and Agrostis stolonifera form the majority of the sward in this diverse dune grassland. Almost invariably there is a scattering of Trifolium repens and Prunella vulgaris is very common. Other constants are Bellis perennis, Lotus corniculatus, Plantago lanceolata, Hydrocotyle vulgaris and Leontodon saxatilis. Frequent species include Euphrasia officinalis agg., Poa pratensis/humilis and Cynosurus cristatus. In the bryophyte layer, Calliergonella cuspidata is the main species, accompanied by Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus.

Ecology

This community seems to primarily represent areas of fixed dunes and machair that have been agriculturally improved and in many cases also overgrazed

 

Sub-communities

No sub-communities are described.

 

Similar communities

The high frequency of Bellis perennis, Prunella vulgaris and Carex flacca will help identify this community from amongst the range of dune grasslands.

Conservation value

Most examples of this vegetation correspond to the EU HD Annex I habitat 2190 Dune slacks. On the northwest coast, this assemblage can be a component of priority habitat *21A0 Machair.

 

Management

This dune grassland is often grazed by livestock and rabbits and overgrazing can be a problem, as can disturbance due to recreational activities in popular coastal areas.