JNCC Report Np.394. The European Context of British Lowland Grasslands

This report assesses the significance of British Lowland Grasslands, occurring below the line of enclosure or moorland wall, within a wider European frame.
The report describes the character and occurrence of the constituent plant communities of these habitats in terms of the National Vegetation Classification, with a separate section reviewing the situation for Northern Ireland. Using a phytosociological approach, it then outlines the wider occurrence of related vegetation types elsewhere in Europe, emphasising similarities and contrasts to the UK and indicating the various factors – climatic, edaphic, cultural or historical – that underlie these patterns. The study focuses on the 25 European Union states but, where relevant information is available for countries bordering on the EU, this has been included.