British NVC community MG3 (Anthoxanthum odoratum - Geranium sylvaticum grassland) is one of the mesotrophic grassland

Mesotrophic grasslands in the British National Vegetation Classification system

This article gives an overview of the mesotrophic grassland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.-Introduction:The mesotrophic grassland communities of the NVC were described in Volume 3 of British Plant Communities, first published in 1992, along with the...

 communities in the British National Vegetation Classification

British National Vegetation Classification

The British National Vegetation Classification or NVC is a system of classifying natural habitat types in Great Britain according to the vegetation they contain....

 system. It is one of four such communities associated with well-drained permanent pastures and meadows.

This community is a localised community of northern England. There are three subcommunities.

Community composition

The following constant species are found in this community:

• Common Bent (Agrostris capillaris)
• The lady's-mantle (Alchemilla glabra)
• Sweet Vernal-grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum)
• Common Mouse-ear (Cerastium fontanum)
• Pignut (Conopodium majus)
• Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata)
• Red Fescue (Festuca rubra)
• Wood Crane's-bill (Geranium sylvaticum)
• Yorkshire-fog (Holcus lanatus)
• Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
• Rough Meadow-grass (Poa trivialis)
• Meadow Buttercup
  Meadow Buttercup
  Ranunculus acris is one of the more common buttercups across Europe and temperate Eurasia. Common names include meadow buttercup and tall buttercup. The plant is also known as an introduced species across much of the rest of the world, including Australia...
  
   (Ranunculus acris)
• Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
• Great Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)
• White Clover
  White clover
  Trifolium repens, the white clover , is a species of clover native to Europe, North Africa, and West Asia...
  
   (Trifolium repens)

Five rare species of lady's-mantle Alchemilla are associated with this community: A. acutiloba, A. glomerulans, A. monticola, A. subcrenata and A. wichurae.

Distribution

This community, although widespread in the past, is now almost confined to a few upland valleys in County Durham

County Durham

County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...

, North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...

 and Cumbria

Cumbria

Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...

.

Subcommunities

There are three subcommunities:

• the Bromus hordaceus ssp. hordaceus subcommunity
• the Briza media subcommunity
• the Arrhenatherum elatius subcommunity