Acid grassland

Short description: Nutrient-poor habitat

Acid grassland is a nutrient-poor habitat characterised by grassy tussocks and bare ground.

## Habitat

The vegetation is dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, growing on soils deficient in lime (calcium). These may be found on acid sedimentary rock such as sandstone; acid igneous rock such as granite; and fluvial or glacial deposits such as sand and gravel. Typical plants of lowland acid grassland in Britain include common bent grass, Agrostis capillaris, wavy hair-grass, Deschampsia flexuosa, bristle bent grass, Agrostis curtisii, tormentil, Potentilla erecta, and flowers such as sheep's sorrel, Rumex acetosella and heath bedstraw, Galium saxatile.[1]

## In Britain

In Britain, under 30,000 hectares of lowland acid grassland remain, often on common land and nature reserves.[2] It is considered a nationally important habitat; areas are found in London on freely-draining sandy and gravelly soils. 271 Sites of Special Scientific Interest have been notified with acid grassland as a principal reason for the designation. Greater London's Richmond Park, Epping Forest and Wimbledon Common are all Special Areas of Conservation with considerable areas of acid grassland.[3]

## References

1. ↑ "Acid grasslands - lowland". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-3559. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
2. ↑ "Lowland Dry Acid Grassland". The Wildlife Trusts. http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/habitats/lowland-dry-acid-grassland. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
3. ↑ "Acid Grassland: a nationally important habitat in London". London Biodiversity Partnership. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150403031705/http://www.lbp.org.uk/downloads/Publications/Management/Acid Grassland - a nationally important habitat in London 20.pdf. Retrieved 30 March 2015.

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