Maritime cliff communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system

This article gives an overview of the maritime cliff communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.

Introduction

The maritime cliff 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 strand-line and sand-dunes and saltmarshes) and vegetation of open habitats.

In total, 12 maritime cliff communities have been identified.

The maritime cliff communities consist of three subgroups:

• five maritime cliff crevice and ledge communities (MC1, MC2, MC3, MC4 and MC5)
• five maritime grassland communities of sea-cliffs (MC8, MC9, MC10, MC11 and MC12)
• two communities associated with sea-bird cliffs (MC6 and MC7)

List of maritime cliff communities

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

• MC1 Crithmum maritimum - Spergularia rupicola maritime rock-crevice community Crithmo-Spergularietum rupicolae Géhu 1964

• MC2 Armeria maritima - Ligusticum scoticum maritime rock-crevice community

• MC3 Rhodiola rosea - Armeria maritima maritime cliff-ledge community

• MC4 Brassica oleracea maritime cliff-ledge community

• MC5 Armeria maritima - Cerastium diffusum ssp. diffusum maritime therophyte community

• MC6 Atriplex prostrata - Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima sea-bird cliff community Atriplici-Betetum maritimae J.-M. & J. Géhu 1969

• MC7 Stellaria media - Rumex acetosa sea-bird cliff community

• British National Vegetation Classification Volume 1

  Woodlands and scrub

  W1 · W2 · W3 · W4 · W5 · W6 · W7 · W8 · W9 · W10 · W11 · W12 · W13 · W14 · W15 · W16 · W17 · W18 · W19 · W20 · W21 · W22 · W23 · W24 · W25

  Volume 2

  Mires	M1 · M2 · M3 · M4 · M5 · M6 · M7 · M8 · M9 · M10 · M11 · M12 · M13 · M14 · M15 · M16 · M17 · M18 · M19 · M20 · M21 · M22 · M23 · M24 · M25 · M26 · M27 · M28 · M29 · M30 · M31 · M32 · M33 · M34 · M35 · M36 · M37 · M38
  Heaths	H1 · H2 · H3 · H4 · H5 · H6 · H7 · H8 · H9 · H10 · H11 · H12 · H13 · H14 · H15 · H16 · H17 · H18 · H19 · H20 H21 · H22

  Volume 3

  Mesotrophic grasslands	MG1 · MG2 · MG3 · MG4 · MG5 · MG6 · MG7 · MG8 · MG9 · MG10 · MG11 · MG12 · MG13
  Calcicolous grasslands	CG1 · CG2 · CG3 · CG4 · CG5 · CG6 · CG7 · CG8 · CG9 · CG10 · CG11 · CG12 · CG13 · CG14 ·
  Calcifugous grasslands and montane communities	U1 · U2 · U3 · U4 · U5 · U6 · U7 · U8 · U9 · U10 · U11 · U12 · U13 · U14 · U15 · U16 · U17 · U18 · U19 · U20 U21

  Volume 4

  Aquatic communities	A1 · A2 · A3 · A4 · A5 · A6 · A7 · A8 · A9 · A10 · A11 · A12 · A13 · A14 · A15 · A16 · A17 · A18 · A19 · A20 A21 · A22 · A23 · A24
  Swamps and tall-herb fens	S1 · S2 · S3 · S4 · S5 · S6 · S7 · S8 · S9 · S10 · S11 · S12 · S13 · S14 · S15 · S16 · S17 · S18 · S19 · S20 S21 · S22 · S23 · S24 · S25 · S26 · S27 · S28

  Volume 5

  Salt-marshes	SM1 · SM2 · SM3 · SM4 · SM5 · SM6 · SM7 · SM8 · SM9 · SM10 · SM11 · SM12 · SM13 · SM14 · SM15 · SM16 · SM17 · SM18 · SM19 · SM20 SM21 · SM22 · SM23 · SM24 · SM25 · SM26 · SM27 · SM28
  Shingle, strandline and sand-dunes	SD1 · SD2 · SD3 · SD4 · SD5 · SD6 · SD7 · SD8 · SD9 · SD10 · SD11 · SD12 · SD13 · SD14 · SD15 · SD16 · SD17 · SD18 · SD19
  Maritime cliff communities	MC1 · MC2 · MC3 · MC4 · MC5 · MC6 · MC7 · MC8 · MC9 · MC10 · MC11 · MC12
  Vegetation of open habitats	OV1 · OV2 · OV3 · OV4 · OV5 · OV6 · OV7 · OV8 · OV9 · OV10 · OV11 · OV12 · OV13 · OV14 · OV15 · OV16 · OV17 · OV18 · OV19 · OV20 · OV21 · OV22 · OV23 · OV24 · OV25 · OV26 · OV27 · OV28 · OV29 · OV30 · OV31 · OV32 · OV33 · OV34 · OV35 · OV36 · OV37 · OV38 · OV39 · OV40 · OV41 · OV42

  Full list of communities · British Plant Communities · List of constant species · List of rare species